Abbey: Brother John Kelly, St. Michael Resident, ‘Credibly Accused’

Brother John Kelly, who Patch attempted to speak with in 2011 regarding inappropriate contact with minors, was listed today as one of 18 monks “credibly accused” of sexual misconduct, according to the Order of St. Benedict at St. John’s Abbey and multiple news sources today. Kelly, now of St. Michael, is one of 17 monks accused in a lawsuit of sexual misconduct while he resided at the abbey, back in 2011.

Abbot John Klassen, Order of St. Benedict, has also named Kelly in his list of offenders who worked with students at St. John's Prepatory School and St. John's University. 

Kelly and fellow monk and St. Michael native Cosmas Dahlheimer were both on today’s list, as well as:

Michael Bik, Andre Bennett (deceased), Robert Blumeyer (deceased), Richard Eckroth, Thomas Gillespie, Francis Hoefgen (no longer a monk at the abbey).

Othmar Hohmann (deceased), Dominic Keller (deceased), Brennan Maiers, Finian McDonald, Dunstan Moorse, James Phillips, Francisco Schulte, Allen Tarlton, Pirmin Wendt (deceased), and Bruce Wollmering (deceased).

The release comes just days after the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released its list of “credibly accused priests,” and a couple of weeks after a Ramsey County judge ruled that the Archdiocese could release a list of priests with credible allegations of sexual misconduct against them. Three of the Benedictine monks, including Dahlheimer, were listed in that report as well.

According to records from the Order of St. Benedict, Kelly, 63, was an active monk in 2011, but did not live at the abbey. A native of Iowa, he professed his faith to the brotherhood in 1975 at the age of 24. 

Kelly's name was made public when attorney Jeffrey Anderson made public a letter sent to the St. John's community that listed 17 of the men accused in a lawsuit. 

The abbey has said there were "credible allegations" of sexual misconduct tied to the 17 men, three of whom are deceased, 10 of whom live at the abbey today and three of whom live outside the abbey. 

Anderson, who represents several plaintiff's in the lawsuit against the abbey, and a website operated by a former St. John's board member, released the list to the press March 30, 2011.  

Twin Cities CBS affiliate WCCO ran a piece on the local men, including Kelly, and also approached Kelly at his home.