The Diocese of Steubenville has voluntarily released the names of 16 priests and a seminarian who have been credibly accused or admitted to sexual abuse of a minor and removed from active ministry.

The list dates back to the beginning of the formation of the diocese in 1944, and most of the allegations involve cases from decades ago.

The list of names of priests who have served in the Diocese of Steubenville and have been credibly accused of at least one act of sexual abuse of a minor consists of:

Cletus Altermatt, suspended from ministry in 1952 (deceased);

Elwood Bernas, suspended from ministry in 1986;

Robert A. Brown (deceased);

Vincent Danko, suspended from ministry in 1971 (deceased);

Christopher Foxhoven, suspended from ministry Oct. 27, 2018;

Harold Goschke, suspended from ministry in 1957 (deceased);

Kenneth Harris, suspended from ministry in 1963 (deceased);

Michael Hellmer, suspended from ministry in 1989 (deceased);

John “Jack” Holmes, suspended from ministry in 1989 (deceased);

Anthony Jablonowski, suspended from ministry in 2003, dismissed from the clerical state by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006;

Robert F. Marrer, deceased;

Joseph A. Martinkosky, suspended from ministry in 1991;

John Nadzam, suspended from ministry in 2004 (deceased);

Walter Plimmer, suspended from ministry in 1956 (deceased);

Francis Rothbauer, suspended from ministry in 1998 (deceased);

Joel Wright, pre-theology seminarian who never became a candidate for ordination; dismissed as a seminarian in January 2016, convicted in July 2016.

Gary Zalenski, suspended from ministry in 2007, dismissed from the clerical state as a result of an ecclesiastical trial in 2014.

 

The list of names will also be given to prosecuting attorneys in the counties where the alleged abuse occurred. The list will be updated, when necessary, and will be available on the diocese’s website, www.diosteub.org.

Any religious order priests were not included, because they are under the jurisdiction of their religious order superiors.

Any situation where an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is reported after the death of the accused cleric will be presented to the review board for a full investigation.