May 11, 2022 – Listening sessions scheduled for Alexandria, Paynesville

TWO LISTENING SESSIONS SET FOR MAY

Bishop Donald Kettler will hold listening sessions following an allegation of past sexual misconduct involving Father Arthur Hoppe, who served in the Diocese of Saint Cloud. Because of the allegation, Bishop Kettler has asked Diocesan Response Teams to hold listening sessions for the people of the parishes in which Hoppe served.

Bishop Kettler also has added Hoppe to the list of clergy likely to have abused minors. There will be listening sessions at the following times:

• 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, at St. Louis Parish in Paynesville.
• 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, at St. Mary Parish in Alexandria

Hoppe served in the following parishes: Assumption, Morris, 1947-50; St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud, 1950- 55; St. Patrick, Minden Township, 1955-58; St. Nicholas, Belle River, 1958-61; St. John Nepomuk, Lastrup, 1961-65; St. Louis, Paynesville, 1965-71; St. Mary, Alexandria, 1971-83; St. Wendelin, Luxemburg, 1983-89; St. Rose of Lima, St. Rosa, 1989-99; retired,1999. Hoppe died in 2019.

The Diocesan Response Teams 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: https://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: https://stcdio.org/about/safe-environment/how-to-report-abuse.

The bishop asks all Catholics in the diocese to pray for healing for all victims and survivors of sexual abuse.