Profile Facts
- Name
- Benedict J. Marciulionis
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Gaylord
- Ordained
- 1943
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 5/5/2000
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Public records identify Father Benedict J. Marciulionis as a priest accused of sexually abusing children in two Michigan dioceses. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers maintain this profile so survivors can review the documented allegations in one place.
Marciulionis served in northern Michigan for decades before his removal from ministry in 1981. If you or a family member was harmed by him, a free and confidential discussion with our attorneys can clarify what legal options remain.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Gaylord
Marciulionis was ordained for the Diocese of Grand Rapids and became a priest of the Diocese of Gaylord when it was established in 1971. Michigan’s seven dioceses, the Archdiocese of Detroit plus Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, Marquette, and Kalamazoo, have all come under the Michigan Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation that began in 2018.
The Attorney General issued reports on both the Gaylord diocese, in January 2024, and the Grand Rapids diocese, in December 2025, each naming Marciulionis. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can explain how those official findings may strengthen a survivor’s civil case.
The Allegations Against Father Benedict J. Marciulionis
First Named in 2018
According to published records, the Diocese of Gaylord first named Marciulionis publicly as credibly accused on its list of November 10, 2018. He had been removed from ministry in 1981 and died on May 5, 2000.
Reports From Two Dioceses
The Attorney General’s January 2024 Gaylord report describes a 2007 report from a woman who said Marciulionis sexually abused her in the early 1980s, when she was in fifth through eighth grades. She said the abuse took place in his car, his bedroom, the confessional, and the rectory, and that he also abused her siblings. She said the abuse ended after a sister told their mother. Police investigated, and Marciulionis was removed from the parish several weeks later.
The Attorney General’s December 2025 Grand Rapids report recounts another report, received in May 2020, from a woman who said she and her two sisters were sexually abused by Marciulionis beginning in 1969, when she was 8 and the eldest of the three girls. She said the abuse began after their father died and the girls started sleeping over at the rectory at night while their mother worked.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Father Marciulionis died in 2000, so no criminal prosecution can be brought against him now. For survivors, that reality makes the civil justice system the remaining forum for accountability.
Civil claims can target the priest’s estate as well as the dioceses that assigned and supervised him. When church records show officials knew of abuse and moved slowly, or not at all, the institution itself may face liability.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 sets the general civil deadline for sexual abuse claims at ten years from the abuse or until the survivor turns 28, whichever is later. Michigan imposes no deadline for first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges.
Survivors of childhood abuse routinely need decades before they can speak out. Because timing rules are technical and fact-dependent, survivors should have an attorney assess their individual deadline rather than assuming it has passed.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
If Father Marciulionis harmed you or someone you love, call White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 for a free, confidential consultation. Our office is at .
We represent clergy abuse survivors throughout Michigan with discretion and resolve. You will be heard, and you will be believed.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.