Father Michael Krol
Diocese of Norwich
Ordained: 1945
Died: 1996
Assigned as follows:
- 1950-1951: St. Francis Xavier (Enid, OK)
- 1952-1953: Sacred Heart (Sayre, OK)
- 1954-1960: Unknown
- 1961: St. Finbar’s (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1962: St. Francis de Sales (Lamar, CO)
- 1963-1964: Our Lady of Perpetual Help (New London, CT)
- 1965-1969: Unknown
- 1970-1971: St. Thomas (Hamilton, TX)
- 1972-1973: St. Mary’s (San Saba, TX)
- 1974-1976: St. Mary’s (Bremond, TX)
- 1977-1990 Guardian Angels (Wallis, TX)
- 1991: Unknown
- 1992-1994: Retired; St. Anthony’s (Runge, TX)
- 1992-1996: Retired (Brownsville, TX)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Michael Krol:
Fr. Michael Krol was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Austin in 1945. According to media reports, he was an extern priest accepted into the Diocese of Pueblo in 1961, after being accused of sexually abusing a boy in the Diocese of Brooklyn in New York. In February 1962, Krol was again accused of sexually abusing a boy in the Diocese of Pueblo. His faculties were revoked for a few hours, and then reinstated.
According to documents reviewed by investigators, Krol was the subject of three documented reports of sexual abuse. Victim #1 was repeatedly sexually abused as a 15-year-old at St. Francis de Sales in Lamar, Colorado. He said that he went out on a Saturday night and sexually abused him. The Victim’s father reported the abuse to the Bishop immediately, and Krol left town immediately.
Victim #2 said that Krol “attempted” to sexually abuse him on one occasion in the spring of 1962. At the time, he was a 15-year-old boy who knew Krol from St. Francis de Sales, much like Victim #1. The abuse was reported to the Diocese at the same time as the abuse of Victim #1 in 1962.
Victim #3 was sexually abused in the Spring of 1962 when Krol brought him to a movie. He too was 15 years old. His abuse was also reported to the Diocese of Pueblo in June of 1962, but no action was taken. Krol was the Moderator at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Lamar when he sexually abused
Victim #3.
In October 2019, the Colorado Attorney General released a detailed report of a special investigation into the handling of child sexual abuse allegations by Colorado’s three Catholic dioceses. For the first time, Krol was publicly identified as a priest with multiple documented reports of sexual abuse. According to the report, prior to sexually abusing a minor, Krol requested a transfer to the Diocese of Norwich. Since the Diocese of Pueblo had already given a positive recommendation, Krol started his assignment within the Diocese of Norwich and continued sexually abusing children.
Krol’s name was included in the Diocese of Norwich’s 2019 list of clergy list of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse in the subsection “Priests who Served in the Diocese of Norwich who had Allegations in Other Places but not in the Diocese of Norwich. He was also named on the Diocese of Austin list.
He died in 2013.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Norwich in Connecticut. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Connecticut, contact our office today. In July 2021, the Norwich Diocese filed for federal bankruptcy protection. The Court will resolve all claims of sexual abuse in this process but strict filing deadlines will apply and no late claims will be considered, so contact us today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Connecticut and nationwide. We can help.
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