Profile Facts
- Name
- Reinhard J. Sternemann
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Grand Rapids
- Order
- OSA
- Ordained
- 1966
- Status
- Accused
- Died
- 8/7/2024
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
As clergy sexual abuse lawyers serving Michigan, White Law PLLC has built this profile of Father Reinhard J. Sternemann from public sources. It summarizes the reported accusations against him.
Read on for a summary of Father Sternemann’s assignments, the reports made against him, and the paths to justice under Michigan law. With his death on 8/7/2024, criminal charges against him are off the table. That does not end the matter: survivors can still seek accountability through the civil courts.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Grand Rapids
The Diocese of Grand Rapids, where Father Reinhard J. Sternemann served, is one of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses. The seven, Detroit, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Marquette, and Saginaw, span the state where Father Sternemann served.
The 2018 Attorney General investigation into clergy sexual abuse pulled records from dioceses across the entire state, shedding light on cases such as Father Sternemann’s. What investigators uncovered makes legal guidance essential, and a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can assess whether the Diocese of Grand Rapids bears responsibility for what Father Sternemann is reported to have done.
The Allegations Against Father Reinhard J. Sternemann
Where He Served
Father Reinhard J. Sternemann was an Augustinian friar ordained in 1966 who served on the faculty of St. Augustine Seminary in Saugatuck, Michigan. He died on August 7, 2024.
What a Survivor Reported
Published records indicate that Sternemann was named publicly as accused in the Michigan Attorney General’s December 15, 2025 report on the Diocese of Grand Rapids. In 2007, a man reported to the diocese that Sternemann had sexually abused him in 1973, when he was a 15- or 16-year-old student at the seminary.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Survivors of Father Sternemann should know that criminal and civil cases are independent of each other. Criminal courts decide guilt and impose sentences; civil courts decide liability and award damages to survivors, including survivors of Father Sternemann.
Criminal Charges
Prosecutors decide whether to file criminal charges connected to Father Sternemann, and a conviction can bring prison time, fines, and registration, though never payment to the survivor.
Civil Accountability
A civil lawsuit by a survivor of Father Sternemann is filed by the survivor, uses the lower ‘preponderance of the evidence’ standard, and can result in money damages.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
The civil statute of limitations in Michigan (MCL §600.5805) generally allows ten years from the abuse, or until the survivor’s 28th birthday, to bring a claim against Father Sternemann.
Michigan places no time limit on first-degree criminal sexual conduct charges. Given how trauma and suppressed memories can postpone disclosure, survivors abused by Father Sternemann decades ago should still seek advice.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
Beyond his estate, survivors can pursue the institutions that put him in contact with children. Where the Diocese of Grand Rapids knew or should have known about Father Sternemann, failed to act, hid the truth, or failed to screen and train, it may share legal responsibility.
Compensation for survivors of Father Sternemann may include medical and therapy expenses, damages for pain and suffering, and emotional distress. Reach White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 or in person at .
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.