Profile Facts
- Name
- Arthur Cooney
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Order
- OFM Cap
- Ordained
- 1976
- Status
- Accused
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Arthur Cooney, a Capuchin Franciscan friar ordained in 1976, has been identified in church audits and a Michigan Attorney General report as facing confirmed reports of sexual misconduct with minors. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers prepared this page to give survivors a sourced, straightforward account of Cooney’s ministry and the allegations against him.
Cooney is reported to be living, which means both criminal and civil paths may still be open. Below you will find his assignment history, what church and state investigators have documented, and how Michigan law could apply to your situation.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
The Archdiocese of Detroit anchors Catholic life in southeast Michigan and is one of seven dioceses statewide, Detroit, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, and Saginaw. Since the Michigan Attorney General began investigating clergy sexual abuse in 2018, diocese-by-diocese reports have continued to emerge, most recently a June 2026 report on the Diocese of Saginaw. White Law PLLC serves as a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer for survivors across all seven.
Traveling ministries like Cooney’s, retreats, parish missions, and prayer groups across the country, can scatter survivors across many states. Wherever the abuse happened, Michigan law may still govern a claim tied to a Michigan diocese or order.
The Allegations Against Father Arthur Cooney
Ministry and Assignments
Published records indicate that Cooney, ordained in 1976, was active in the Charismatic Renewal movement, preaching and leading retreats, parish missions, and prayer groups around the United States and in countries including Nicaragua and Australia. Based at times in Saginaw, Michigan, he was sent in 1986 to the Servants of the Paraclete in Jemez Springs, New Mexico, for treatment, then returned to ministry in Saginaw until 1990. He did itinerant preaching from 1990 to 1997, was in Saginaw again until 2005, served at a retreat center in Appleton, Wisconsin, from 2005 to 2009, and was assigned to the St. Joseph Center Development Office in Detroit from 2009 until his retirement in 2024.
The Reports Against Him
A June 18, 2013, Capuchin audit identified Cooney as a friar with confirmed reports of the sexual abuse of minors; he was removed from public ministry and placed under supervision, and his name appears on the Diocese of Saginaw’s list published August 9, 2019. The Michigan Attorney General’s June 25, 2026, report on the Diocese of Saginaw further reveals that in 1986, two young men, ages 19 and 21, reported that Cooney had made sexual advances toward them during a “weekend Renewal.” Cooney is reported to be living, so criminal options may still exist, and civil claims apply regardless.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
In a criminal prosecution the state seeks punishment, including prison; in a civil lawsuit the survivor seeks compensation for medical costs, lost opportunities, and suffering. Either case can proceed without the other, and different deadlines apply to each.
Because Cooney is reported to be alive, criminal charges may still be possible, Michigan imposes no time limit on first-degree criminal sexual conduct cases. Separately, survivors can pursue civil claims against Cooney himself, the Capuchin order, or a diocese that assigned him to ministry with young people.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
For civil claims, Michigan Legislature §600.5805 allows survivors to file within ten years of the abuse or until age 28, whichever is later. Criminal prosecution of first-degree sexual conduct has no deadline in Michigan.
Retreat and revival settings can make abuse especially confusing for young victims, who may not recognize what happened until adulthood. Delayed understanding does not necessarily mean delayed justice, speak with an attorney before concluding your time has run out.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Institutions can be held liable when they knew or should have known a priest posed a danger, for example, by returning him to ministry after treatment, failing to warn parishes, covering up reports, or neglecting to screen and train clergy properly. Survivors may recover damages for therapy and medical treatment, pain and suffering, and lasting emotional distress.
White Law PLLC offers free, confidential consultations. Reach us at (517) 316-1195. We only get paid if you do.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.