Assignment Record – Bishop James S. Rausch

Summary of Case: A priest of the St. Cloud diocese ordained in 1956, Rausch started his career as a high school teacher and spiritual director. He earned a PhD in pastoral psychology in Rome, and went on to become General Secretary of the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops. Rausch was known as a champion of social justice issues. He was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of St. Cloud in 1973, then Bishop of Phoenix in 1977, where he served until his sudden death in 1981, at age 52 . Rausch was accused in a lawsuit that was settled in 2002 of sexually abusing 17 year-old boy in 1979. His accuser, who is said to have had incriminating photographs of Rausch, claimed that Rausch then "passed him on" to two other priests.

Born: Sept. 4, 1928
Ordained: June 2, 1956
Died: May 18, 1981

1956

St. Cloud bishop was Peter William Bartholome (1953-1968)

1968

Bartholome was succeeded by George Henry Speltz (1968-1987)

1977

Phoenix bishop was James S. Rausch (1977-1981)

Phoenix

• Rausch was accused in a lawsuit settled in 2002 of sexually abusing a 17 year-old boy in 1979. His accuser said he first encountered Rausch when the bishop drove up beside him in a car and offered him a ride. The accuser said Rausch offered him money for sex, and that the bishop said his name was "Paul". The exchange of sex for money is said to have occurred on several occasions over a few months, during which time the boy was becoming addicted to heroin. Rausch is said to have suggested to the boy that he go to either Msgr. Robert Trupia or Rev. William T. Byrne for drug counseling. Both were priests of the Tucson diocese.

• Between 1995 and 2002 the Phoenix diocese was contacted twice regarding Rausch's "sexual improprieties".

Rausch was appointed Bishop of Phoenix Jan. 25, 1977 and was installed March 22, 1977.

Rausch's accuser said that he later had sexual encounters with Trupia and Byrne.

Rausch died of a heart attack at age 52 on May 18, 1981.

Rausch's accuser claimed that in 1982 he was given a part time job in the Tuscon diocese's chancery in exchange for his silence. He worked there for six years.

When confronted by church officials in 1992 with an accusation against him, Trupia threatened to publicly expose scandalous information about Rausch.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1957-1982)

• Letter from Rausch to Cardinal Medeiros re Paul Shanley Sept. 7, 1976
• Bishop James Rausch, At 52 After Heart Attack, By Marjorie Hyer, Washington Post, May 19, 1981
• Ariz. abuse case names bishop, 2 priests, By Michael Rezendes, Boston Globe, August 20, 2002
• Panel Investigating Sex Abuse Charges against Late Bishop, By Michael Clancy, Arizona Republic , August 22, 2002
• Man Seeks Cash from Diocese, By Stephanie Innes, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson), August 24, 2002
• Troubled Diocese, By Joseph A. Reaves, Arizona Republic [Phoenix], November 10, 2002
• VIEW FROM THE EYE OF THE STORM, By A. W. Richard Sipe, Keynote Address , The Linkup National Conference. Louisville, Kentucky, February 23, 2003
• Inheriting a Legacy of Secrecy, Scandal , By Joseph A. Reaves and Kelly Ettenborough , The Arizona Republic [Phoenix AZ] , May 4, 2003
• Real Reform Eludes American Catholics, By Lawn Griffiths, East Valley Tribune [Tempe AZ], March 17, 2007
• BishopAccountability.org list of U.S. Bishops Accused of Abuse, April 14, 2008
• Groups Release Names of Bishops Accused of Abuse, Examiner, April 14, 2008

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 Rausch'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 Aug. 14, 2012