2 Accused in This Religious Order
Fr. William M. Brown
Executive Director for Mission and Apostolate for the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, St. Ignatius Province. On 9/19/2023 the Oblates of the Virgin Mary announced that Brown had been placed on leave due to an allegation that he sexually abused a minor three decades prior. No information as to where the alleged abuse occurred. (Placing Brown in the Boston archdiocese for now, where the Province is based.) Brown denied the allegation. Assigned 1995-1997 to two parishes in Alton, IL and thereafter in Boston.
Fr. John Steven Rabideau
Accused in 1998 of abuse 1985-1987 of three boys, between ages 6-14, when a seminarian. Rabideau was studying in Boston and Rome; the abuse occurred during visits home to the Saginaw area. A warrant for his arrest was issued in 1998. He fled the country. Per his order, it suspended him in 1992 and dismissed him in 1997. Rabideau was an active priest in the Philippines in 2004. He was arrested in Colombia in 2006 and extradited to Michigan. He pleaded no contest to three charges; other charges were dropped. Sentenced to 5-10 years in prison on child sex abuse charges in 10/2006. Included on the Saginaw diocese's list 8/9/2019; Rabideau was prosecuted in the diocese, although he had not served there. He died 5/30/2014 at age 52 in a bicycling accident.