Rev. Raymond B. Bartnikowski

Summary of Case: Placed on leave in 2002. A woman claimed that he abused her in 1967 when she was age 12. Two other women came forward to allege abuse by Bartnikowski as children in the 1960s. He allegedly spanked their bare bottoms. He died in November 2007.

Ordained: 1963
Died: November 16, 2007

   

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1963

Cleveland bishop was Edward Francis Hoban (1945-1966), followed by Clarence George Issenmann (1966-1974)

1969 St. Mary of Czestochowa (Polish) Cleveland OH

2/2

 

 

 Parish had a school with 400-154 students.
1969 1974 St. Monica's

Cleveland (Garfield Heights)

• A woman reported in 2002 that Bartnikowski abused her when she was a 12-year-old student at St. Monica's school. (Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio]
March 30, 2002) The woman said that the priest had spanked her bare bottom. Two other women later reported similar abuse. (Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio]
May 5, 2002)

 OH 3/4, 2/3, 3/3 Parish had a school with 990-657 students.

1974

James Aloysius Hickey was bishop (1974-1980)

1975 St. Mary's Elyria OH 4/5 Parish had a school with 565 students.

1975

Anthony Michael Pilla followed Hickey as bishop (1980-2006)

1989 Sacred Heart of Jesus (Polish) Cleveland OH 1/2, 1/1 Parish had a school with 176-124 students.The 1988 and 1989 Directories refer to Bartnikowski as "Very Rev.".
1989 2000 St. Wenceslas Maple Heights OH

1/3, 1/2

 

 Parish had a school with 435-243 students.
2000 2002 St. Victor's Richfield OH 1/2

Parish had a CCD program with 219-199 students.

Bartnikowski was removed from St. Victor's in March 2002 due to an allegation that he had abused a 12-year-old girl in the late 1960s. (Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio]
April 9, 2002)

2002

Replacing Pilla as bishop was Richard Gerard Lennon (2006- )

2007 Administrative Leave       Bartnikowski died Nov. 16, 2007. ( Plain Dealer
December 4, 2007)


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1964-2007)

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Bartnikowski's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on March 31, 2021.