Rev. John R. Tulipana Summary of Case: Tulipana has been accused of sexually abusing at least eight minors, one of them female. He resigned from ministry in 1994 after it became publicly known that the diocese had previously settled in with two people who had accused him of sexually abusing them as boys in the 1980s. The diocese required the claimants to sign confidentiality agreements as part of the settlements. Tulipana underwent psychological evaluations in 1993 and 1994 and was allowed to return to ministry both times. Tulipana denied the allegations. The diocese announced in 2010 that it was pursuing Tulipana's laicization. Tulipana died Nov. 5, 2012 Ordained: 1972 Incardinated: Kansas City-St. Joseph Died: Nov 5, 2012 |
Start | Stop | Parish/Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1972 Kansas City-St. Joseph bishop was Charles Herman Helmsing (1962-1977) |
1976 | Nativity of the Blessed Virgin | Independence | MO | 2/3, 2/2 | Nativity of the Blessed Virgin had a school with 290-371 students. |
1974 Helmsing was succeeded by John Joseph Sullivan (1977-1993) |
1979 | Diocesan Tribunal: Defenders of the Bond | Kansas City • Tulipana was accused in a 2006 lawsuit of having molested a 12 year-old boy in 1978 during a trip to Texas |
MO | ||
1974 | 1978 | Associate Directors of Vocations | Kansas City | MO | ||
1976 | 1978 | Coronation of Our Lady | Grandview | MO | 2/2, 2/3 | |
1978 | 1980 | Holy Trinity | Kansas City • Tulipana was accused in an Oct. 2010 lawsuit of having sexually abused a 17 year-old girl in 1979 on a Teens Encounter Christ retreat. His accuser said that Tulipana and another priest, Rev. Thomas Cronin, abused her together. • Tulipana was accused of the sexual abuse in 1980 of a 16 year-old boy. His accuser received a settlement from the diocese in 1989, and was required to sign a confidentiality agreement. • The diocese acknowledged in 1994 that it had settled with another person who claimed to have been sexually abused by Tulipana in the 1980s. That person was also required to sign a confidentiality agreement. |
MO | 2/2 In residence. |
Cronin was suspended from ministry in Oct. 2010, due to these accusations. He denied the abuse.
|
1978 | 1980 | Seminary Board: Deputy of Seminary Discipline | Kansas City | MO | ||
1980 | 1981 | Christ the King | Kansas City | MO | 4/4 In residence. | Christ the King had a school with 386 students. |
1978 | 1982 | Director of Vocations and Secretary for Seminarians | Kansas City | MO | ||
1981 | 1983 | St. Augustine's | Kansas City | MO | 1/2, 1/1 | St. Augustine's had a school with 246-201 students. |
1983 | 1988 | Holy Rosary | Clinton | MO | 1/1 | Holy Rosary had a school with 81-64 students. |
1984 | 1988 | St. Bartholomew's | Windsor | MO | This was a mission of Holy Rosary in Clinton. | |
1985 | 1988 | St. Catherine's | Osceola | MO | This was a mission of Holy Rosary in Clinton. | |
1988 | 1992 | St. Catherine's |
Kansas City • Tulipana was accused in a Feb. 2012 lawsuit of having sexually abused four boys in one family, ages 10-16, beginning in 1976 and while serving at this parish. Tulipana was involved with the brothers prior to his time at St. Catherine's via the diocese's Teens Encounter Christ program The abuse is said to have occurred during trips to a lake and in a camper, similar to earlier complaints about him, as well as at the boys' home. Tulipana is said to have been a "father figure" for the boys, whose family was going through some "upheaval". |
MO | 1/2 | |
1992 Raymond James Boland replaced Sullivan as Kansas City-St. Joseph bishop (1993-2005) |
1994 | Cathedral of Immaculate Conception | Kansas City | MO | 2/2 | The diocese stated it sent Tulipana to for psychological evaluations after each of the first two people accused him. The evaluations are said to have taken place in 1993 and 1994 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland and at the Servants of the Paraclete in Jimenez, New Mexico. He was allowed to return to ministry after the evaluations. |
1992 | 1994 | Old St. Patrick's | Kansas City | MO | 2/2 | Tulipana is not indexed beyond the 1994 Directory. Tulipana resigned from ministry in Jan. 1994 after abuse allegations against him became public. He denied the allegations. |
1994 | 2012 | The diocese announced in Oct. 2010 that it was pursuing laicization in the case of Tulipana. He was the subject of accusations of child sexual abuse in multiple lawsuits after his 1994 resignation. Tulipana died Nov. 5, 2012 |
Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1973-1994) • Priest Resigns after Revelation That Church Paid Two Accusers, By Joe Stephens, Kansas City Star, February 2, 1994 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. |