Assignment Record– Rev. Robert W. Schutte

Summary of Case: Robert W. Schutte was a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, ordained in 1943. He was assigned to a parish in the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, returning to Cincinnati after about a year. He assisted at parishes in Norwood, Deer Park, Kenwood, Springfield and Dayton, then served as pastor in New Carlisle, Urbana and Piqua. For a decade early in his career Schutte taught social studies at Purcell High School. He also served as an auxiliary chaplain at air force bases in Florida. He retired in 1984.

In December 2003 Schutte was placed on leave due to an allegation that he had sexually abused a minor several decades previously. He died the following month at age 89.

Born: 1914
Ordained: May 14, 1943
Retired: 1984
Died: January 17, 2004

1943

Diocese of St. Augustine

Bishop was Joseph Patrick Hurley (1940-1967).

1944

Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Archbishop was John Timothy McNicholas (1925-1950).

1945

McNicholas was succeeded as Cincinnati archbishop by Karl Joseph Alter (1950-1969).

St. Helen's had a school with 460-636 boys and 443-610 girls.

1969

Alter was replaced as Cincinnati archbishop by Paul Francis Leibold (1969-1972), followed by Joseph Louis Bernardin (1972-1982).

1977

Daniel Edward Pilarczyk followed Bernardin as Cincinnati archbishop (1982-2009).

Schutte was placed on leave in December 2003 due to allegations that he had sexually abused a minor several decades previously.

Schutte died January 17, 2004.

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.

Source: Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy & Sons, 1944-2005).

• Obituaries, The Catholic Telegraph, January 30, 2004
• Schutte Obituary, Pathways, a Publication of the Athenaeum of Ohio, Spring 2004
• Archbishop Flores Gets Surprise Gift ; Ohio Priest's Will Asks He Distribute Nearly $96,000 in Mexico, San Antonio Express-News, October 9, 2004

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 Schutte's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegations against him, as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegations 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 February 10, 2017.