GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has released a 336-page report detailing sexual abuse allegations in the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, many of them from years ago.

The purported misconduct involving former priests in the Diocese of Grand Rapids date as far back as 1950, in some cases. Nessel says a lot of the information came from tips, some from the diocese itself.

"First and foremost, I offer my deepest and most sincere apologies to the victims, survivors of clerical abuse," Bishop David Walkowiak said in an online video statement. "I'm sorry that a church leader in whom you placed your trust misused his power and abused you."

The attorney general's office has been investigating the matter since 2018, and has previously released reports on dioceses in Kalamazoo, Lansing, Gaylord and Marquette.

"Of the 220 boxes of paper documents, 60 pertain to the Diocese of Grand Rapids and over 270,000 of the 3.5 million electronic documents we received were also related to the Diocese of Grand Rapids," Nessel said while detailing those findings in an online news conference that was livestreamed by WoodTV.com.

Bishop Walkowiak mentioned in his social media statement how wrong the former priests' actions were.

"That is why the evil at the heart of these scandals is so terrible," he said. "Men whom Jesus entrusted to be his ordained representatives on Earth have broken a sacred trust. They have betrayed Christ and done violence to his beloved children"

The attorney general's office has been investigating the matter since 2018, and has previously released reports on dioceses in Kalamazoo, Lansing, Gaylord and Marquette.

Here are more details from a Diocese news release:

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Today, the Michigan Department of the Attorney General released its report on the handling of clergy sexual abuse cases in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The report did not reveal any allegations of the sexual abuse of a minor regarding priests in active ministry. No priests in the diocese face criminal charges as a result of this investigation.

Today’s report examines the Diocese of Grand Rapids’ handling of clergy sexual abuse cases from 1950 through the present. Priests ordained for the diocese along with religious order priests who served within the diocese during this time are included in the investigation. This report is part of the State’s ongoing investigation into all seven Catholic dioceses in Michigan, which began on Sept. 21, 2018.

The vast majority of the cases listed in the report are very old, with most occurring in the 1970s. The report names a total of 51 priests. More than 1,000 priests served in the diocese throughout the 75-year period under investigation.

Of the 51 clergy listed, 14 are accused of misconduct with adults. All alleged conduct involving a minor occurred before 2002, the year the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) enacted the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

“As a bishop of the Catholic Church, I apologize to every victim-survivor who has been abused by anyone affiliated with the Catholic Church. Many of you suffered in silence and darkness for years, and for that I am truly sorry,” said Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, bishop of Grand Rapids, in a press conference earlier today. “Today’s report presents detailed descriptions and is hard to read, yet it provides a necessary opportunity for us to pledge to do better and move forward in the light of Christ.”

The diocese has had the following policies and procedures in place as part of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People for more than 20 years:

The diocese maintains a zero-tolerance policy. Anyone suspected of abusing a child or vulnerable adult is removed from public ministry until a civil and canonical investigation is complete.
Every allegation — even those made against a deceased member of the clergy and regardless of how long ago the abuse allegedly occurred — is immediately reported to the appropriate civil authority.
The Diocese has a victim assistance coordinator who assists victim-survivors in the healing process. Additionally, Bishop Walkowiak has and will continue to meet personally with victim-survivors.
Every allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is presented to our Diocesan Review Board, even if criminal charges cannot be filed. The Review Board is comprised of a member of the clergy and six lay members, including a retired judge, a retired FBI agent, psychologists, and a social worker. The Review Board makes a recommendation to the bishop regarding each case.
The Diocese adopted Virtus®, a reputable children's protection program focused on the detection and prevention of sexual abuse. Anyone who will work with children must complete this training beforehand along with a background check. Nearly 33,000 clergy, teachers/staff, and volunteers in our diocese have participated in this mandatory program since 2002. Additionally, students in our schools participate in age-appropriate training to learn how to spot and report inappropriate behavior.
The Diocese takes our promise to protect seriously. To ensure we are held accountable in our safe environment practices, the Diocese has participated in and passed annual child safety compliance audits conducted by StoneBridge Business Partners, an independent third party, every year since 2002. We participated in and passed our most recent audit in August 2025.

The Diocese will continue to ensure that victim-survivors are heard, and they have what is needed to find healing and peace. We invite anyone who suffered clergy abuse and has not yet reached out, to share their story with the Department of the Attorney General, local civil authorities or the Diocese of Grand Rapids victim assistance coordinator.

Additional information regarding today’s report and diocesan safe environment practices may be found at GRdiocese.org.

To Report Abuse:

Any person with reasonable cause to suspect the sexual abuse of a minor by a member of the clergy, or by any person acting in the name of the Catholic Church, is urged to file a complaint with the Attorney General at

844-324-3374.

If you are a survivor of sexual abuse, either as a child or an adult, by someone representing the Catholic Church, we urge you to contact the diocesan victim assistance coordinator, regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred. The victim assistance coordinator is available to help survivors make a formal complaint and obtain support. To contact the victim assistance coordinator: Call: 616-840-2079, email: vac@grdiocese.org, or write to: Diocese of Grand Rapids Attn: Victim Assistance Coordinator, 360 Division Ave. S., Grand Rapids, MI 49503. Our diocese accepts and responds to all reports.

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