Rev. Thomas R. Burg
Summary of Case: In April 2002 the Diocese of Cleveland released the names of twelve priests, incuding Burg, who were no longer in active ministry because of allegations in the past of the abuse of minors. He was accused of molesting at least one young girl during confession. He was absent on leave from 1995 until his death September 18, 2002.
Ordained: 1964
Died: 2002
Start | Stop | Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1964 Cleveland bishop was Edward Francis Hoban (1945-1966), followed by Clarence George Issenmann (1966-1974). |
1971 | St. Ignatius | Cleveland (Antioch) | OH | 5/6, 4/6, 3/5, 3/4, 4/4
|
Parish had a school with 1,722 to 1,139 students. |
1971 | 1974 | St. Luke | Cleveland (Lakewood) | OH | 3/4, 2/2, 3/3 | |
1974 Issenmann's successor was James Aloysius Hickey (1974-1980). |
1978 | St. Angela Merci | Cleveland | OH | 5/5 In residence |
Parish had a school with 910-960 students. |
1972 | 1980 | St. Edward's High School | Cleveland | OH | St. Edward's had 1,350-1,480 students, all male. | |
1980 Anthony Michael Pilla replaced Hickey (1980-2006). |
1982 | Annunciation | Cleveland | OH | 4/4 In residence |
Parish had a school with 200-225 students. |
1982 | 1987 | St. Patrick's | Cleveland • In 2002 a couple reported that Burg touched their daughter inappropriately during confession in the mid- 1980s. Another couple reported to Burg and the diocese in 1986 that Fr. Donald Rooney, also at St. Patrick's at the time, had molested their daughter. The couple later believed that Burg was covering for Rooney. (Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio] |
OH | 1/5, 1/4
Rooney was the subject of allegations of sexual abuse of girls. He died by suicide in March 2002. (Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio] |
Parish had a school with 921-820 students. |
1987 | 1988 | Absent on Leave | ||||
1989 | 1990 | Univ. of Illinois at Chicago: John Paul II Center | ||||
1988 | 1992 | Loyola University, Water Tower Campus | Chicago | IL | Director of Chaplains | |
1992 | 1995 | Mallinckrodt College of Loyola University | Chicago | IL | Director | |
1995 | 2002 | Absent on Leave |
Burg's name was released by the diocese in April 2002 as one of twelve former or retired Cleveland priests who were no longer active in ministry due to allegations of abuse of children. (Plain Dealer [Cleveland, Ohio] April 9, 2002) Burg died September 18, 2002. He was included on the diocese's list in 2019 of those against whom there were substantiated allegations. |
Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1965-2002)
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
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listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment
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This assignment record collates Burgs's career history as it is represented
in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the
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This assignment record was last updated on April 2, 2021.