Bishop Donald Kettler will hold listening sessions following an allegation of past sexual misconduct involving Bishop Harold Dimmerling while he was serving as a priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud. Because of that allegation, Bishop Kettler has asked a Diocesan Response Team to hold listening sessions for the people of the parishes in which Dimmerling served.
Bishop Donald Kettler added Dimmerling to the list of clergy likely to have abused minors last November. Dimmerling later served as bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, from 1969 until his death in 1987.
There will be listening sessions on the following dates:
- 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 21 at St. Mary Church, Little Falls.
- 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 21 at the Cathedral of St. Mary, St. Cloud.
- 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 26, St. Mary of the Presentation Church, Breckenridge (with St. Joseph, Brushvale).
- 7:45 p.m., Tuesday, March 26 at Sacred Heart, Glenwood (with Saint Bartholomew, Villard).
Dimmerling served in the following parishes: Cathedral of St. Mary, St. Cloud, assistant pastor, 1940-1943; St. Joseph, Brushvale, pastor, 1943-1949; Sacred Heart, Glenwood (with St. Bartholomew, Villard), pastor, 1949-1957; St. Mary of the Presentation, Breckenridge, pastor, 1957-1961; St. John Seminary, Collegeville, 1961-1969; St. Mary, Little Falls, pastor, 1969.
The Diocesan Response Team will be present for any parishioners who wish to attend. These sessions have three primary goals:
- to assure parishioners of Bishop Kettler’s support and assistance;
- to offer a process whereby sexual misconduct issues/concerns can be voiced and discussed;
- to allow other potential victims the opportunity to come forward and receive assistance and healing.
The listening sessions will not be open to the news media.
The full list of clergy names can be viewed at: http://stcdio.org/list-clergy-likely-abused-minors.
Bishop Kettler continues to encourage all victims of abuse to come forward. Contact information for victim advocates and county officials to whom abuse can be reported is available online at: http://stcdio.org/about/safe-environment/how-to-report-abuse.