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Crosier Policy

The Crosier Fathers and Brothers recognize that full and frank disclosure about sexual abuse is important to speed the healing process and empower unknown survivors to come forward and seek help.

Here we have detailed our response to sexual abuse, including the many steps we have taken to fulfill our commitment to accountability, ensuring the safety of the people we serve and doing all we can to earn the trust of the public.

View Our Safe Environment Policy

Outline of Steps Taken

To this end, anyone who has any information regarding instances of sexual abuse of a minor is strongly encouraged to report that information to the Survivor Assistance Coordinator at (320) 248-1563, Conventual Prior Alex Juguilon, osc, at (602) 443-7100 or Crosier Leadership.

Third-Party Review of Personnel Files

In June 2002 the Crosier Fathers and Brothers hired the Minnesota-based law firm Faegre & Benson, LLP, to conduct an audit of past and present sexual misconduct allegations involving members of the Crosier Order—even in cases where an initial investigation found no wrongdoing. Faegre & Benson was instructed to conduct a thorough and complete investigation, examining documents and files and interviewing individuals with knowledge of the allegations. The investigation was completed in October 2002.

For more information, click here.

Findings

The investigation identified eight members of the Crosier Order named in credible claims of sexual abuse of a minor. As mandated by the Crosier Fathers and Brothers’ sexual abuse policy, those Crosiers who are still alive live under the following restrictions:

  • They have been permanently removed from public ministry.
  • They cannot perform any work with minors or vulnerable persons, including volunteer work.
  • They cannot be in the presence of a minor without adult supervision.
  • They may need to obtain the permission of the Crosier superior to leave the priory grounds.
  • Some of these Crosiers have additional restrictions, based on their individual circumstances. Others participate in ongoing psychological, spiritual, and behavioral recovery programs.

Other Findings

  • The most recent incident of sexual abuse of a minor that has been reported occurred more than 35 years ago.
  • There have been no reported incidents of sexual abuse of a minor by a Crosier after he has been placed on restriction.
  • Five of the eight Crosiers on restriction for sexual abuse of a minor had been removed from public ministry prior to the beginning of the investigation. The remaining three of these Crosiers were removed from public ministry during the course of the investigation.

Crosier Response

As promised at the launch of the investigation, the Crosiers took every action warranted by the findings. In addition to removing offenders from public ministry and placing them under stringent restrictions, the Crosiers implemented additional steps to ensure accountability and the safety of the people the Order serves.

Strengthened Sexual Abuse Policy

Since 2002, when the Crosiers strengthened their sexual abuse policy to reflect the principles adopted by the Conference of Major Superiors of Men regarding sexual abuse of minors, they have continued to review and revise the policy annually with input from the non-Crosier members of their Review Committee.

The intent of the sexual abuse policy is to ensure the Crosiers are doing all they can to protect the people they serve and earn the trust of the public. The policy

  • Requires—as does the Bishops’ Charter—the removal from public ministry anyone who has been found to have committed sexual abuse of a minor;
  • Authorizes the conventual prior to impose other restrictions, including initiating procedures for removal from the Order;
  • Mandates the notification of civil authorities if there is suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult has been abused;
  • Authorizes the conventual prior to create an advisory panel, which will review investigation results and assist the conventual prior in making decisions about an offender;
  • Directs the Crosiers to conduct background investigations on those seeking membership in the Order;
  • Provides ongoing education about sexual health and sexual abuse and misconduct to members, employees, and volunteers;
  • Requires disclosure of incidents of sexual abuse; and
  • Defines clear procedures for dealing with a survivor and the accused when an allegation is received.

Additional Actions

To further ensure accountability, the Crosiers have taken the following additional steps:

  • The Personnel and Review Committee, which is responsible for advising the conventual prior about housing and ministry assignments of all Crosiers, was expanded to include non-Crosiers who have expertise in fields including psychology, psychiatry, sociology and law. The committee also reviews and evaluates the results of all investigations of sexual abuse and provides advice to the conventual prior.
  • The Crosiers appointed a Survivor Assistance Coordinator in 2012 to receive reports of sexual abuse and work with survivors as they seek healing.
  • The Crosiers continue to collaborate with the dioceses in which they serve to ensure further accountability.

Third-Party Review of All Personnel Files

In early 2017, the Crosiers filed for Chapter 11 financial reorganization in order to make financial resources available to those who were sexually abused by Crosiers in the past. As part of that process, the law firm of Quarles & Brady reviewed all Crosier personnel files—current members, deceased members and departed members. This review was done independently, and the conventual prior and his staff made all hard copy and electronic personnel files available to the firm. Any claims of sexual abuse of a minor were included in this review; no known information was withheld.

Concurrent with this review, the Crosiers sent notices to all alumni whose addresses were known as well as notices to any (arch)dioceses where Crosiers were serving or had served in the past. Advertisements were placed in national and Catholic publications. All of this was done to ensure the Crosiers were reaching as many survivors as possible so they could submit a claim during the reorganization process.

As a result of the independent file review and the claims submitted during the reorganization process, all names of those Crosiers with an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor have been made public on the Crosier website.

For further information about the results of the separate review of personnel files conducted by the law firm of Faegre-Baker-Daniels in 2002, see 2002 Third-Party Review of Allegations.

We are Crosiers

We are priests and brothers who live together according to the Rule of St. Augustine. Our charism consists of life in a community setting, daily prayer and ministry. 

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