| Assignment Record – Rev. Jerome C. Kern Summary of Case: Kern was accused in 1993 of having molested a 15-year-old boy in a swimming pool in 1977. Church officials told Kern's accuser that there were allegations against Kern dating back to 1969. The man sued and received a settlement; he claimed he was promised that Kern would never work in another parish or be around children. It came to light in 2002 that, since 1995, Kern was in active parish ministry; the parish had a school and a religious education program. He went on medical disability leave. In a 2014 deposition Kern admitted to "horseplay" with children; he denied his behavior was abuse. Ordained: December 17, 1966 Incardinated: St. Paul-Minneapolis |
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| Start | Stop | Parish/Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1966 St. Paul-Minneapolis archbishop was Leo Binz (1971-1975) |
1969 | St. Mark's | St. Paul • Kern was transferred out of St. Mark's after complaints surfaced that he he had molested two boys from the parish. |
MN | 4/4 | St. Mark's had a school with 1,348-1,261 students. |
1969 Binz was succeeded by John Robert Roach (1975-1995) |
1976 | Our Lady of Grace | Edina | MN | 2/2, 2/3 | Our Lady of Grace had a school with 374-388 students. |
| 1976 | 1994 | Immaculate Heart of Mary | Minnetonka • In 1993 a man reported to the archdiocese that in 1977 Kern fondled him in a St. Paul seminary swimming pool. Kern's accuser said he was 15 years-old at the time and was visiting the seminary with the Boy Scouts. Archdiocesan officials admitted to the man that there were reports of Kern molesting boys going back to 1969. The man said in 2002 that, as part of a settlement he had received from the archdiocese, he was promised that Kern would never be in another parish and would never be around children. It was in 2002 that he learned Kern was, indeed, in a parish; the parish had a school and a religious education program. |
MN | 2/2 | IHM had a school with 291-365 students, and a religious education program with 620-560 students. |
| 1994 | 1995 | Kern is not indexed in the 1995 Directory, nor is he listed a his previous or next assignments. | ||||
1995 Harry Joseph Flynn replaced Roach (1995-2008) |
2002 | St. Peter's | Forest Lake | MN | 2/2 | St. Peter's had a school with 260-386 students, and a religious education program with 1,000-664 students. Kern is not indexed beyond the 2002 Directory. He reportedly went on medical disability leave. |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1968-2002) • Accused Minnesota Priests Still Working, By Rick Linsk and Charles Laszewski, Pioneer Press, May 26, 2002
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