Fr. Michael Winkels
Named publicly by the Dominicans on 4/21/2022 as accused of the sexual abuse of a minor. The allegation was received in 2021, of abuse in 1978. He was assigned in 1978-1979 to St. Dominic’s in Denver CO. He transferred in 1979 to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, NM, then to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1982. By 1987 Winkels was with his Order in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He began work in 2000 at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, where he started an art program in 2010. Removed from public ministry 8/10/2021. Per the Order’s list updated in 11/2022, the preliminary investigation indicated some semblance of truth, but the allegation was not able to be canonically established. Remained removed from ministry. Dispensed from vows 4/18/2023. Included in the 5/23/2023 IL Attorney General’s Report. The Order’s list updated in 6/2023 shows that the allegation had been deemed credible by its Review Board. (No information as to where the abuse occurred; placing Winkels for now in the Chicago Archdiocese, where the Province is base.)
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