Profile Facts
- Name
- Patrick J. D’Angelo
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Detroit
- Ordained
- 1983
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 12/8/1998
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Patrick J. D’Angelo, ordained in 1983, was removed from public ministry over sexual abuse allegations and died in 1998, yet the Archdiocese of Detroit did not publicly name him as credibly accused until 2019. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers pulled together the sparse public record so survivors have a clear starting point.
More than two decades passed between D’Angelo’s death and the archdiocese’s disclosure. If he abused you, that long silence may explain why you are only now learning the Church considered the allegations credible. Civil options may still exist.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Detroit
Detroit’s archdiocese published its list of credibly accused priests in June 2019, one of several disclosures that followed the Michigan Attorney General’s 2018 investigation of clergy abuse across the state’s seven dioceses: Detroit, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, and Saginaw. Late disclosures like D’Angelo’s are common. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can explain what a new listing means for an old case.
When the Church names a deceased priest decades later, survivors often realize for the first time that they were not alone. That realization itself can restart the healing, and the legal, process.
The Allegations Against Father Patrick J. D’Angelo
Where He Served
Published records indicate that D’Angelo (also spelled DeAngelo) was ordained in 1983 for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He appeared on the archdiocese’s October 2009 Priests and Policy Status Report, which noted that his “situation” had been “previously handled under the archdiocesan policy” and that he was deceased. He died on December 8, 1998. On June 10, 2019, the archdiocese included him on its list of credibly accused priests, noting that he had been removed from public ministry.
What the Records Show
Public details about the specific allegations against D’Angelo are limited: the archdiocese confirmed he was removed from public ministry and later deemed him credibly accused, but has disclosed little else. The 21-year gap between his death and his public naming illustrates how slowly information has emerged. Because D’Angelo died in 1998, he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him, but survivors may still pursue civil claims against his estate or the archdiocese.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
A criminal prosecution seeks to punish; a civil lawsuit seeks to compensate. The state controls the first, the survivor controls the second, and the second can proceed even when the first is impossible.
D’Angelo died in 1998, so he is no longer alive for anyone to pursue criminal charges against him. Civil accountability is a different question: claims against his estate or against the Archdiocese of Detroit, which removed him from ministry and later called the allegations credible, may still be available.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Civil claims for sexual abuse in Michigan are subject to Legislature §600.5805: generally ten years from the abuse or until the survivor’s 28th birthday, whichever is later. Michigan sets no deadline for prosecuting first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
A 2019 disclosure about a priest who died in 1998 can feel like too little, too late, but the law measures deadlines from the survivor’s circumstances, not the Church’s announcements. Let an attorney evaluate whether your claim remains viable.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Survivors may bring claims against the abuser’s estate and the archdiocese, particularly where officials knew or should have known of misconduct, failed to prevent it, concealed allegations, or neglected proper screening, training, and supervision. Damages may include medical and therapy costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Call White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 for a confidential, free case evaluation. We are paid only if we win.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.