MOUNT VERNON — At least four priests named by the Columbus Diocese of the Catholic Church as having been “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors served parishes in Knox County.
The Columbus Diocese released a list Friday with names of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor. The list is composed of 36 names.
According to church histories and directories, at least four of the men whose names appeared on the list have served at parishes in Mount Vernon and Danville. The clergy are Father Thomas McLaughlin, Father R. Michael Ellifritz, Father John Tague and Father Raymond Lavelle. Father Louis Hoffman, whose name also appeared on the list, may have been an interim pastor in Danville.
McLaughlin was ordained in 1956. He served as the pastor of St. Luke’s in Danville from February 1969 to March 1974. It was reported he pleaded guilty to molesting a child at his cottage in Logan County in 1989. In exchange for his guilty plea, charges that he molested six other boys were not pursued.McLaughlin was later officially laicized, or stripped of his clerical status, by the Catholic Church. Tague, who served in Danville for a little more than a year, was his replacement.
Ellifritz was appointed pastor of St. Luke in July 1983 and remained until July 1987. It was reported that Ellifritz admitted to “improper contact” with a minor in the early 1980s, but that it was unclear whether the incident occurred in Danville or at his previous post in Wellston. He retired in 2002 and was laicized in 2005.
Hoffman’s name was recognized by a Danville resident, who said they believe he was an interim pastor in Danville in the early 1950s. However, the News was not able to confirm that Hoffman served at St. Luke, as his name did not appear in any available documents. According to the Columbus Diocese website, Hoffman died in December 1975, and accusations of abuse were made after his death.
Ellifritz is the only one of the five pastors who is still living, according to the diocese list.
Father Mark Hammond, pastor at both St. Vincent de Paul and St. Luke, stated that he has been instructed to refer all press questions to the Columbus Diocese.
Diocesan staff reviewed the files of nearly 2,000 clergy who served in the diocese since its founding in 1868, according to a March 1 press release.
“I share with the faithful of our diocese sorrow, sadness, and anger over such behavior,” Columbus Bishop Frederick F. Campbell wrote in the press release. “I apologize to all victims for the abuse suffered, and hope that these disclosures will help bring healing to all victims and their families.”
George Jones, the diocese director of communications, stated that the church has programs, and guidelines are in place, to offer assistance to both victims and parishes who may be impacted by the news. He encouraged anyone who may have claims of abuse to notify law enforcement and the Diocesan Victim’s Assistance Coordinator immediately. The victim coordinator can be reached at 614-224-2251, 866-448-0217 or via email at helpisavailable@columbuscatholic.org.
Campbell expressed a hope that publishing the list will aid survivors on their path to healing and provide transparency between the church and the public.
“The Diocese of Columbus is committed to providing law enforcement officials its full cooperation with all matters of criminal behavior by anyone acting on behalf of the Church,” said Campbell. “I am hopeful that the release of this information will help restore the confidence of all faithful in the Church and in its clergy.”
