Statement regarding Jude Ellinghausen

Jude Ellinghausen, 83, was permanently removed from priestly ministry over a decade ago and assigned a life of prayer and penance.

Allegations of the sexual abuse of minors by Ellinghausen were brought to the Archdiocese of Detroit in 2002 and deemed credible by the Archdiocesan Review Board. At that time, he was placed on administrative leave and restricted from all public ministry, from wearing clerical attire, and from presenting himself as a priest. In 2005, the Vatican۪'s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith formalized those determinations, permanently restricting Ellinghausen from all public priestly ministry.

Since that time, additional allegations of the sexual abuse of minors were brought forward to the Detroit archdiocese and found to be credible. Similar to the former cases, the allegations involved the earlier years of Ellinghausen's ministry. These more recent allegations warranted additional action, prompting the Archdiocese to pursue Ellinghausen's dismissal from the clerical state (laicization). In the process of pursuing a canonical (Church law) process for this determination, Ellinghausen voluntarily petitioned the Vatican (the Holy See) for laicization. It was granted and took effect June 24, 2016.

Jude Ellinghausen is no longer considered a priest.

Biographical information

Education: Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit and St. John Provincial Seminary, Plymouth

1958: Ordained

1958: Associate Pastor, St. Mark, Warren

1958: Associate Pastor, St. Paul on the Lake, Grosse Pointe Farms

1963: Associate Pastor, St. Joseph, Port Huron

1964: Associate Pastor, St. Timothy, Trenton

1969: Associate Pastor, St. Gerard, Detroit

1973: Associate Pastor, Holy Cross, Marine City

1974: Associate Pastor, St. Jude, Detroit

1979: Associate Pastor, St. Joseph, Port Huron

1986: Pastor, SS. Peter & Paul, North Branch

2002: Placed on Administrative Leave of Absence, restricted ministry

2005: Permanently removed from public priestly ministry

2016: Laicized, no longer considered a priest