Profile Facts
- Name
- Lawrence Nawrocki
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Status
- Convicted
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Lawrence Nawrocki was convicted in 1989 of sexually abusing three boys at a Macomb Township church and sentenced to prison. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers compiled this profile from the public record for survivors and families.
Nawrocki’s conviction came only after parents banded together to demand action, and only after an earlier complaint was talked away by a bishop. Survivors should know that persistence has forced accountability before, and it can again.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
Nawrocki served in the Archdiocese of Detroit, one of seven Michigan dioceses along with Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, Marquette, and Kalamazoo. The Michigan Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation, begun in 2018, has documented cases where church officials discouraged victims from going to police.
The reported 1981 effort to talk a mother out of pressing charges is exactly the kind of institutional conduct civil lawsuits address. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can explain how that history supports a claim.
The Allegations Against Father Lawrence Nawrocki
A Complaint Talked Away
According to published records, a woman complained to a regional bishop in 1981 that Nawrocki had abused her seventh-grade son. The bishop talked her out of pressing charges.
Conviction and Prison
Nawrocki was convicted in 1989 of abusing three Macomb Township boys in 1987 at St. Isidore Church, after the parents banded together and complained. He was sentenced to 4 to 15 years in prison and was released in 1994. The archdiocese said he would never be returned to public ministry. The archdiocesan website described him as deceased as of 2009. He was included on the archdiocese’s June 10, 2019 list of credibly accused clergy.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Father Nawrocki was convicted and served his prison sentence, so the criminal system has already run its course in his case. He was released in 1994, and the archdiocesan website described him as deceased as of 2009.
Criminal punishment, however, does not compensate the people who were harmed. Survivors can still pursue civil lawsuits seeking damages from Nawrocki’s estate and from the archdiocese, whose bishop allegedly discouraged a victim’s mother from contacting police years before the conviction.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 generally sets the civil deadline for sexual abuse claims at ten years from the abuse or the survivor’s 28th birthday, whichever is later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct carries no statute of limitations in Michigan.
A prior criminal conviction can be powerful evidence in a civil case. Survivors should have an attorney evaluate how the conviction record affects both liability and timing.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Survivors abused by Father Nawrocki can contact White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 for a free, confidential consultation. We are at .
His conviction was a first step, not the last word. We can help you seek the civil accountability that remains available.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.