Rev. Louis J. Holtz

Summary of Case: Holtz was suspended in 1995 after a man accused him of having sexually abused him beginning when the man was 13 years old, and continuing for three years. Three other men later came forward with similar accusations. Holtz was laicized in 2003.

Ordained: 1958
Laicized: 2003

     

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1958

Covington bishop was William Theodore Mulloy (1944-1959)

1959 St. Agnes Covington KY 4/4 Parish had a school with 333 boys and 357 girls.

1959

Mulloy was succeeded by Richard Henry Ackerman (1960-1978)

1962 Christ the King Lexington KY 2/3 Parish had a school with 358-393 boys and 340-382 girls.
1962 1964 Good Shepherd Frankfort KY 2/2 Parish had a grade school with 207 boys and 142-170 girls, and a high school with 64-77 boys and 55-58 girls.  
1964 1968 St. Anthony's Bellvue KY 3/3 Parish had a school with 199-206 boys and 173-154 girls.
1964 1974 Newport Central Catholic High School

Newport

• Accused in a 2003 lawsuit of sexually abusing a male student of this school beginning in 1970 when the boy was 13 years old, and continuing into 1973. (Cincinnati Enquirer
January 23, 2003)

• Another former Newport Catholic students accused Holtz in a 2003 lawsuit of having sexually abused him beginning when he was 13 in 1973 and ending in 1976. (Cincinnati Enquirer
April 23, 2003)

KY part-time teacher This assignment is per news reports. Holtz organized an Outdoor Camping Club for boys. (Cincinnati Enquirer
June 15, 2002)
1968 1970 St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Southgate KY 2/3 Parish had a school with 180 boys and 188-190 girls.
1970 1978 Convent of the Good Shepherd

Pelletier Hall Infirmary

Ft. Thomas

• A man told the diocese in 1995 that Holtz sexually abused him beginning when he was 13 years old in 1974, when the priest became good friends with the boy's parents. Holtz is said to had the boy over for sleepovers, and plied him with alcohol. Holtz would also take the boy to his camp on Kincaid Lake in Pendleton County. (Cincinnati Enquirer
June 15, 2002)

KY   Holtz is indexed in the 1971-1978 Directories as at 938 Highland Ave., Ft. Thomas, which is the address for the convent and infirmary. He is not, however, listed in the Covington diocesan pages as there.
1970s   St. Phillip's Melbourne KY youth group director This involvement at St. Phillip's is per news reports. St. Phillips was near Holtz residence at Holy Family Convent. (Cincinnati Enquirer
June 15, 2002)

1978

Following Ackerman as bishop was William Anthony Hughes(1979-1995)

1979 Holy Family Home Melbourne KY chaplain This was a residence for sick and retired sisters of the Divine Providence.
1979 1987 Catholic Scouting     diocesan director  
1979 1990 St. Joseph's

Camp Springs

• Holtz was accused in a 2003 lawsuit of sexually abusing a 13 year old male student of St. Joseph's Elementary in 1981 and 1982. (Cincinnati Enquirer
February 13, 2003)

KY 1/1 Parish had a school with 120-68 students.
1989 1992 Diocesan Priests' Senate     secretary  
1990 1995 Immaculate Heart of Mary Hebron KY 1/1 Parish had a school with 210-225 students, and a CCD program with 250-285 students.

1995

Hughes was replaced by Robert William Muench (1996-2001)

1997 Retired Falmouth KY  

Holtz' address was Newman Rd. R.R. 4 Box 195A

Holtz was suspended in 1995, due to allegations of abuse of a 13 year old boy 1n 1974.

1997 1999 Retired Batavia OH   Holtz' address was 4594 Old State Rte. 276
1999 2001 Retired Covington KY   Holtz' address in the Directory indexes is that of Mother of God parish.

2001

Succeeding Muench was Roger Joseph Foys (2002- )

2002 Retired Covington KY  

Holtz had a Covington address.

He is not indexed beyond the 2002 Directory.

Holtz was defrocked by the Vatican in 2003. (Cincinnati Enquirer
August 13, 2003)


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1959-2002)

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 Holtz'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 Oct. 26, 2010.