Profile Facts
- Name
- James L. Menapace
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Marquette
- Ordained
- 1963
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 2/3/2022
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father James L. Menapace was permanently removed from ministry after a series of reports that he sexually abused boys over several decades. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers gathered the public record on this page for survivors and families.
The documented accounts include devastating consequences for victims and their families. If Menapace harmed you or someone you love, our attorneys will handle your story with the gravity it deserves in a free, confidential consultation.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Marquette
Menapace served in the Diocese of Marquette, which covers the Upper Peninsula and is one of Michigan’s seven dioceses, with the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, and Kalamazoo. The Michigan Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation, launched in 2018, released its Marquette report in October 2022.
The report draws on Menapace’s personnel file to show how long concerns about him persisted. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can help survivors understand how that documented history supports a civil claim.
The Allegations Against Father James L. Menapace
A Pattern Spanning Decades
According to published records, Menapace was ordained in 1963. In September 2014, the diocese announced that three people had reported being sexually abused as boys by Menapace in the 1990s, after his 1996 retirement. He had been placed on restricted ministry in 2000 and was permanently removed from ministry in July 2002. He appeared on the diocese’s list of December 13, 2019.
The Attorney General’s October 2022 report notes that his personnel file contains a January 1985 report that Menapace tried to fondle a nun’s breast at a party and was inappropriate with teenagers. In July 2000, he was accused of sexually abusing two boys, ages 13 and 14, in 1996 and 1997 at his cottage on Gulliver Lake; the boys and their family, who were relatives of the priest, did not want civil authorities notified. In 1994 came an allegation that he abused his 13-year-old cousin while a seminarian. He was sent to St. Luke Institute in August 2000 and then allowed limited ministry.
More Reports and Tragic Consequences
In 2014, a relative reported that Menapace abused her son at ages 7 to 9 in the late 1990s. That September brought more reports of abuse of boys in the mid-1960s and in 1983 or 1984; in October 2014 he was accused of abusing a boy of 8 or 9 in 1969. A June 2015 report described him propositioning a teenage boy at Superior State University, and that victim died by suicide at age 31. A March 2016 letter contains an allegation that Menapace impregnated an adult woman.
One of the boys abused at the Gulliver Lake cottage died by suicide in 2010, writing in a note, “The same Catholic Church that got my dad, got my sister, got me.” His sister told the diocese in 2014 that the priest had also abused their father and uncle as boys in the 1950s, and that she had walked in on the abuse of her brothers when they were 7 or 8. Menapace died on February 3, 2022.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Father Menapace died in 2022, so criminal prosecution is no longer possible. The criminal justice system cannot address his conduct now.
Civil lawsuits remain available as a path to accountability. Claims may be brought against his estate and against the diocese, whose own files documented concerns about him for years while he retained access to children, including relatives.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally requires civil sexual abuse claims within ten years of the abuse or before the survivor turns 28, whichever is later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct has no statute of limitations in Michigan.
The Menapace allegations span from the 1960s to the late 1990s, so timing will vary by survivor. Each person’s deadline deserves its own legal analysis, which our attorneys provide at no charge.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Survivors harmed by Father Menapace can reach White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 for a free, confidential consultation. Our office is located at .
We know how much courage it takes to come forward. We will honor that courage with dedicated, compassionate representation.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.