Diocese of Gaylord: accused clergy and the Attorney General's report
Last checked: 15 October 2026
The Diocese of Gaylord publishes its own list of 14 people it considers credibly accused. The Michigan Attorney General's report on the diocese, released 8 January 2024, names 28 people. The report does not decide whether the allegations are credible.
About the diocese's list
The Diocese of Gaylord lists clergy where an allegation, after an investigation and review, "appears more likely true than not and has been accepted as credible by the bishop". It says living people on the list may not take part in any form of public ministry.
The Diocese of Gaylord's list (last reviewed June 2024)
The Attorney General's report
Released 8 January 2024 (summary revised 22 May 2024). It names 28 people. Read the report (PDF on michigan.gov).
The Attorney General's page says:
It is important to note that a criminal charge is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It is also important to note that the inclusion in this report does not reflect a determination by the Department that the allegations are credible or otherwise substantiated or indicative of a crime.
Names on the official lists
This table lists everyone named on the Diocese of Gaylord's own list or in the Attorney General's report on the diocese, as they are named there. 14 are on the diocese's own list. Being named in the Attorney General's report alone is not a finding that an allegation is credible.
| Name as listed | On the diocese's own list | Attorney General report entry | Also on another Michigan diocese's list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Barrett | Yes | No. 1 | |
| Fr. Walter William Derylo | No | No. 3 | |
| Theophane (William) Goett, OFM | Yes | Not in the report | |
| Ronald Gronowski | Yes | No. 6 | Diocese of Saginaw |
| Fr. Craig Alan Haider | No | No. 7 | |
| Denis (Joseph) Hall, OFM | Yes | Not in the report | |
| Lionel Harnish | Yes | No. 8 | |
| Wilbert (Norbert) Hegener, OFM | Yes | No. 9 | |
| Fr. John J. Hennessy, S.J | No | No. 10 | |
| James Holtz | Yes | No. 11 | |
| Fr. Thomas Alan Kaiser | No | No. 12 | |
| Fr. Francis Karl | No | No. 13 | |
| Fr. Daniel Greene Madigan | No | No. 14 | |
| Benedict Marciulionis | Yes | No. 15 | |
| Fr. James Clark McLaughlin II | No | No. 16 | |
| Fr. Bryan W. Medlin | No | No. 17 | |
| Fr. Eyob Jemaneh Merin | No | No. 18 | |
| Fr. Donald Robert Geyman | No | No. 5 | |
| Fr. James Kemp Gardiner | No | No. 4 | |
| Fr. Raymond Charles Cotter | No | No. 2 | |
| Fr. Sylvestre Lincoln Obwaka | No | No. 19 | |
| Leo Olschaysken, O. Praem | Yes | No. 20 | |
| Raymond Pilarski | Yes | No. 21 | Diocese of Saginaw |
| Terrence Raymond | Yes | No. 22 | Diocese of Saginaw |
| Laurus (Raymond) Rhode, OFM | Yes | No. 23 | |
| Fr. Gerald Matthew Shirilla | No | No. 24 | |
| Robert Gordon Smith | Yes | No. 25 | Diocese of Saginaw |
| Deacon Richard R. Trapp | No | No. 26 | |
| John Tupper | Yes | No. 27 | |
| Deacon Edward Vondra | No | No. 28 |
Names from the Attorney General's report are printed there in capital letters and are shown here in normal case. To ask for a correction, email the address on the about page.
Reporting and support
- Michigan Attorney General clergy abuse hotline: 844-324-3374, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Diocese of Gaylord victim assistance coordinator: 989-705-9010
- How to report and support lines
Sources
- Diocese of Gaylord, list: https://dioceseofgaylord.org/clergy-substantiated-allegation-sexual-abuse-minor
- Michigan Attorney General, report on the Diocese of Gaylord: michigan.gov
- Michigan Attorney General, Catholic Church clergy abuse: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/initiatives/catholic-church-clergy-abuse