Rev. John M. Fiala

Summary of Case: Fiala was accused in an April 2010 lawsuit of having sexually assaulted a boy, ages 15-16, in 2007-2008. Accusations include rape at gunpoint and threats that he would hurt the boy and his family if the boy told. Fiala is also said to have plied the boy with alcohol and gifts. The boy disclosed the abuse to his school counselor, after running away and trying to commit suicide. Omaha archdiocesan officials stated publicly in April 2010 that they had recieved a complaint in 2002 that Fiala had "made sexual advances" toward a minor in the mid-1980s. Fiala was arrested in Dallas County TX in Nov. 2010 for trying to hire a hit man to kill a boy who had accused Fiala of sexual abuse.

Ordained: 1984

   

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1984

Omaha archbishop was Daniel Eugene Sheehan (1969-1993)

1987 St. Columbkille's

Papillon

• The Omaha archdiocese stated in April 2010 that it had received a complaint that Fiala "made sexual advances" toward a minor sometime in the mid 1980s. (Archdiocese of Omaha
April 20, 2010)

NE 2/3 Parish had a school with 241-295 students.
    Sacred Heart Norfolk NE   This assignment is per Omaha archdiocesan press release. (Archdiocese of Omaha
April 20, 2010)
1987 1990 St. Peter's Omaha NE 2/2; In residence Parish had a K-8 school with 45 students.
1988 1989 St. Joan of Arc Omaha NE   This assignment is per Omaha archdiocesan press release. (Archdiocese of Omaha
April 20, 2010) and news reports (Express-News
April 9, 2010).
1990 1992 Christ the King Omaha NE 3/3; 2/3 Parish had a school with 263 students, and a CCD program with 235 students.

1992

Sheehan was succeeded by Elden Francis Curtiss (1993-2009)

1994 St. Mary's Spencer NE 1/1 Parish had a CCD program with 94 students.
1994 1995 St. Joseph's Wisner NE 1/1 Parish had a CCD program with 109 students.
1994 1995 West Point Central Catholic High School Wisner NE religion teacher This assignment is per news reports. (World Herald
April 21, 2010)
1995 1996       Fiala is said to have left the archdiocese of Omaha to join the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) in Texas. (Archdiocese of Omaha
April 20, 2010) 		Fiala is not indexed in the 1996 Directory.
1996 1997 Absent on Leave        

1997

Corpus Christi bishop was Rene Henry Gracida (1983-April 1997), followed by Roberto Octavio Gonzalez Nieves, O.F.M. (April 1997-1999)

1998 Our Lady of Victory Beeville TX 2/2; In residence.

Parish had a CCD program with 80 students.

Fiala is listed, beginning in the 1998 Directory, as Rev. John M. Fiala, S.O.L.T.

1997

 

 1998 Sacred Heart Mission Beeville TX 1/2

Parish had a CCD program with 3 students.

Aug. 1998

Kansas City -St. Joseph bishop was Raymond Joseph Boland (1993-2005)

mid-2001 Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Kansas City MO

1/1

Spiritual Director for S.O.L.T. community

 

Aug. 2001

Kansas City archbishop was James Patrick Keleher (1993-2005)

April 2002 St Joseph's Shawnee KS

2/2

 

 

Parish had a school, grades 1-8, with 618 students, and an Early Childhood Education Center with 421 students.

Per an April 2010 statement by the Omaha archdiocese, they received a complaint in 2002 that Fiala had "made sexual advances" toward a minor in the mid-1980s. They further stated that, at the time of the complaint, they informed the San Antonio archidocese, the Kansas City archdiocese, and the S.O.L.T order. The San Antonio archdiocese denied receiving a complaint of child sexual abuse against Fiala. (San Antonio Express-News
April 21, 2010)

2002 2003         Fiala is not indexed in the 2003 Directory.

2003

Corpus Christi bishop was was Edmond Carmody (2000-2010)

2007 Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Robstown TX    

2005

San Antonio bishop was Jose Horacio Gomez (2004-2010)

2008 The Blue Army/The World Apostolate of Fatima San Antonio TX Director  
2006 2008 Sacred Heart of Mary (Hispanic)

Rock Springs

• Fiala was accused in an April 2010 lawsuit of having sexually assaulting a 15-16 year old boy in 2007 and 2008, while Fiala was pastor of Sacred Heart of Mary. (The Dallas Morning News
April 8, 2010) The accuser was a parishioner. Fiala is said to have plied the boy with alcohol and gifts, and to have raped the boy at gunpoint, threatening to hurt him and his family if he told. (Express-News
April 9, 2010) The boy ran away from home in late 2008, and tried to commit suicide. He disclosed the abuse to a school counselor, who contacted legal authorities. (Standard Times
April 15, 2010)

TX 1/1

Parish had a CCD program with 72-51 students.

Fiala was suspended from ministry in the Fall of 2008 after the Edward's County Sheriff's Department informed San Antonio archdiocesan officials that Fiala was being investigated for "interference in the custody of a minor". The boy's grandmother/legal guardian had reported Fiala to law enforcement because she was concerned that Fiala had taken the boy on overnight trips without her permission. (Los Angeles Times
April 9, 2010)

2006 2008 St. Mary Magdalen Camp Wood TX   This was a mission of Sacred Heart of Mary in Rock Springs.
2006 2008 St. Raymond of Pennafort Leakey TX   This was a mission of Sacred Heart of Mary in Rock Springs
2008 2010  

 

• Fiala was arrested in Nov. 2010 in Dallas County, TX after being caught on tape trying to hire someone to kill a boy who had accused Fiala of sexual abuse. (KSAT
November 23, 2010)

TX  

Fiala is not indexed in the 2009 Directory. Per the San Antonio archdiocese, he was removed from active ministry in 2008.

 

 


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1985-2009)

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Fiala's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on Dec. 1, 2010