Fr. Richard Lobert

Ordained for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1975. Worked in, but was never incardinated into, the Diocese of Lansing 1995-1991. Assigned as chaplain at Father Gabriel High School in Ann Arbor MI and assisted in parishes. Placed on leave of absence in 12/2020 due to an allegation being investigated by the MI Attorney General. The Baltimore Archdiocese removed his faculties in 1/2021. Accused in a lawsuit filed in 4/2021 of sexually abusing a boy in 1999 at W.J. Maxey Boys Training School in Whitmore Lake. The MI statute of limitations was possibly prohibitive; in 12/2023 it was announced that the case was to be heard by the MI Supreme Court. The man was also attempting to sue the Archdiocese of Baltimore and Lobert. Per the 12/16/2024 MI Attorney General’s Lansing Report, in 2009 the Baltimore Archdiocese received an allegation that Lobert had an 8th grade boy at St. Mary’s Parish in Cumberland MD sit in his lap on multiple occasions. Lobert denied that there was abuse. Civil authorities found no evidence of inappropriate behavior. In 1/2019 the Diocese of Lansing received an email from someone identifying themselves as a woman alleging that, after confession, Lobert had grabbed her and tried to kiss her and rub her and said he loved her and wanted sex. The person did not reply when the Diocese tried to contact them. Several days later Bishop Boyea received another email from a someone also saying they were a woman and that when she was age 16, Lobert was sexually inappropriate toward her in the confessional. Again the Diocese was unable to contact the sender. The Attorney General determined that both emails were from the same person, and discovered that the sender was a 16-year-old boy and student at Father Gabriel Richard High School. The boy was expelled. In 12/2020 the boy’s mother told the Attorney General’s tip line that Lobert had sexually abused her son for years. The Attorney General’s office interviewed the boy who described physical and sexual abuse toward him by Lobert. Lobert denied the allegations. It was determined that there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. In 11/2020 the Attorney General’s office received an allegation that Lobert sexually abused a boy at Maxey Boys Training school, where the boy resided 1998-2001, beginning when he was 15. He said the abuse occurred on three occasions. There were no criminal charges due to the statute of limitations. The matter was sent to the Vatican.