Profile Facts
- Name
- Shaun D. Lowery
- Role
- Priest
- Diocese
- Diocese of Lansing
- Ordained
- 2009
- Status
- Accused
- Records
- Diocesan and public records
Father Shaun D. Lowery, a priest of the Diocese of Lansing ordained in 2009, was found credibly accused of sexual abuse following a diocesan investigation. White Law PLLC’s clergy sexual abuse lawyers created this profile from public records for survivors seeking verified information.
Lowery was pastor of St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton Township when the allegations surfaced. Because he is living, survivors may have both criminal and civil options, and our attorneys can explain each in a free, private consultation.
Sexual Abuse in the Diocese of Lansing
Michigan’s seven Catholic dioceses, the Archdiocese of Detroit and the dioceses of Lansing, Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Gaylord, Marquette, and Kalamazoo, have all been examined under the Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation that began in 2018. The inquiry has repeatedly shown that abuse reports deserve independent scrutiny.
The Diocese of Lansing’s own investigation ultimately deemed the allegations against Father Lowery credible. A Michigan clergy sexual abuse lawyer can advise survivors on how to pursue accountability through the civil courts.
The Allegations Against Father Shaun D. Lowery
Placed on Leave in 2021
Published records indicate that Lowery was serving as pastor of St. Mary Magdalen in Brighton Township when he was placed on leave in March 2021 pending an investigation by the Michigan Attorney General. In May 2021, the diocese announced that the Attorney General had decided not to file criminal charges, while the Attorney General’s office cautioned that the absence of charges was not equivalent to exoneration.
Diocese Finds Allegations Credible
In October 2022, the diocese announced that its internal investigation had found the allegations credible. Lowery had admitted to a sexual encounter with a 16-year-old boy he met through the app Grindr, though he said he did not know the boy was underage. He requested laicization.
Criminal vs. Civil Sexual Abuse Cases
Prosecutors declined to bring criminal charges against Father Lowery, but a decision not to prosecute is not a finding of innocence, as the Attorney General’s office itself emphasized. The criminal and civil systems serve different purposes and answer different questions.
A civil lawsuit allows a survivor to seek financial recovery and public accountability directly, without depending on a prosecutor’s charging decision. Claims may be brought against the individual and against church institutions that failed to protect young people.
Statute of Limitations on Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases in Michigan
Michigan Legislature §600.5805 provides the framework for civil claims: generally ten years from the abuse or until the survivor reaches 28, whichever comes later. First-degree criminal sexual conduct has no statute of limitations in Michigan.
Survivors sometimes wait years before they feel able to come forward, and the law accounts for that reality in part. The sooner you speak with a lawyer, the more clearly you will understand your deadlines.
View All Accused Clergy in Michigan
Pursue Justice With Help From White Law PLLC
To speak with White Law PLLC about abuse by Father Lowery, call (517) 316-1195 for a free, confidential consultation. Our address is .
We represent survivors across Michigan with compassion and determination. Your call is the first step toward answers.
Profiles summarize published records and allegations. Inclusion does not constitute a legal finding.