MINNESOTA
WLFI
Dan Klein/Alexandra Kruczek
Published: July 28, 2015
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WLFI) — A priest with Lafayette ties is the target of two more civil lawsuits involving allegations of sexual abuse.
The suits allege the abuse between 1979 and 1981 at the Crosier Seminary in Minnesota involving Father Gerald Funcheon and several other clergy members.
According to the attorney for the plaintiffs, “Funcheon is accused of sexually abusing many children in several states.”
Funcheon was a graduate student at Purdue University and provided weekend pastoral assistance from 1969-70. He later was assigned to St. Ann’s and Central Catholic High School from 1986-87. He became a priest for the Lafayette diocese in 1987.
Lafayette Diocese Communications Director Kevin Cullen tells News 18 in 1992, the bishop became aware of earlier allegations. At that time, following Vatican protocols, Funcheon was removed from the public ministry and has not exercised it since 1992. When notices were published locally for victims to come forward, no allegations were received.
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