Profile Facts
- Name
- Richard T. Craig
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Marquette
- Ordained
- 1988
- Status
- Accused
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Richard T. Craig, ordained in 1988, was permanently removed from ministry in 1993 after a boy reported sexual abuse, including an assault during a camping trip. Our clergy sexual abuse lawyers gathered the public record on Craig so Michigan survivors can understand what the Diocese of Marquette and the state Attorney General have documented.
Craig is reported to be living. This page covers his history, the allegations against him, and the legal remedies that may still be open to survivors under Michigan law.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Marquette
Covering the Upper Peninsula, the Diocese of Marquette joins Detroit, Gaylord, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, and Saginaw as one of Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses. The Michigan Attorney General’s 2018 investigation into clergy sexual abuse pulled files from all seven, and the resulting reports detail how dioceses handled, and sometimes mishandled, allegations. White Law PLLC, a Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer, reviews those reports for every new client.
Overnight trips and camping outings gave some priests unsupervised access to children. If abuse happened on a church-sponsored trip, the diocese that organized it may bear responsibility.
The Allegations Against Father Richard T. Craig
Where He Served
Published records indicate that Craig was ordained in 1988 for the Diocese of Marquette. In 1991, a 12-year-old boy told his counselor he had been sleeping in bed with Fr. Craig; when Bishop Schmitt was informed, he asked the counselor to meet with Craig, who provided what the record calls “damaging information,” prompting a report to Child Protective Services. Craig was sent to St. Luke’s Institute, then to Rogers Memorial Hospital for treatment, followed by aftercare at the St. Barnabas Center in Wisconsin. In September 1993 he was asked to resign after the diocese’s review board learned the boy had stated the priest touched his penis during a camping trip; Bishop Garland also asked him to seek laicization. The diocese publicly named Craig as accused on its list of December 13, 2019. In May 2018 Bishop Doerfler again invited Craig to seek laicization and informed him of a substantiated claim of sexual misconduct with a minor; as of October 2022 his status was leave of absence from the diocese.
What Survivors Reported
Per the Michigan Attorney General’s October 2022 report, the case began when a 12-year-old boy disclosed to his counselor that he had been sleeping in bed with the priest, and later stated that Craig had touched his penis during a camping trip. Craig’s own statements to the counselor were described as “damaging information” that led to a CPS report. Decades later, the diocese confirmed a substantiated claim against him. Craig is reported to be living, so criminal charges may still be possible, and civil claims are available in any event.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
The state brings criminal cases to punish wrongdoing; survivors bring civil cases to obtain compensation for their injuries. The two proceedings are separate, with different burdens of proof and different filing deadlines.
Because Craig is reported to be alive, criminal prosecution remains a possibility, Michigan has no statute of limitations for first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Survivors can also file civil lawsuits against Craig or the Diocese of Marquette, particularly given the documented history of treatment, reassignment discussions, and a substantiated claim.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 sets the civil filing deadline for sexual abuse cases at ten years, or until the survivor reaches age 28, whichever is later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct carries no time limit in Michigan.
Children abused in the early 1990s are now adults who may only recently have found the words to describe what happened. An attorney can assess whether your claim remains timely, do not decide on your own that it is too late.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
A diocese may be liable where it knew or should have known of a priest’s abuse, by sending him to treatment centers instead of reporting him, failing to prevent his access to children, covering up complaints, or neglecting proper supervision and training. Survivors may recover damages for medical and therapy costs, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
Call White Law PLLC at (517) 316-1195 for a free, confidential discussion of your options, or visit us at . You pay nothing unless we win.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.