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Daniel Budzynski
Budzynski was ordained in 1956. In 1973, Archbishop Cousins sent Budzynski a letter stating that Budzynski should take a leave of absence and that there was a problem that had not been completely brought under control. The letter further suggested that Budzynski receive treatment and move away from the Sheboygan area.
In 1976, Archbishop Cousins granted Budzynski’s request for a temporary leave of absence to permit resolution of personal problems under the direction of various doctors. In 1976, Budzynski went to work in the Diocese of La Crosse in campus ministry.
In 1982, the archdiocese received a report that Budzynski had been drinking at a friends’ house and made homosexual advances toward two of the friends’ sons, age 13 and 18. Following this report, Budzynski was sent for treatment at the Guest House. The Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse was informed of this, and, after Budzynski’s treatment ended, he returned to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Budzynski remained in therapy after his return from the Guest House.
In 1987, the archdiocese received a report regarding possible child abuse involving Budzynski. Bishop Sklba met with Budzynski and his therapist, and it was recommended that Budzynski be removed from his assignment. In January, 1994, the archdiocese received a report of abuse involving Budzynski abuse from 1970-1971. The 1994 report led to further investigation with admissions from Budzynski of multiple acts of abuse dating back to 1966. In April, 1994, Budzynski submitted his resignation. In April, 1994, Archbishop Weakland instructed Budzynski not to have unsupervised contact with minors. Budzynski continued to do monthly help-out work at St. Leonard’s in Muskego in May 1995 because the priest there was completely aware of Budzynski’s history. In May, 1995, Archbishop Weakland sent Budzynski a precept instructing Budzynski to refrain from contact with minors, cease all public ministry, and avoid situations that have been occasions of serious temptation in the area of sexual morality, and to not hear confessions. Budzynski retired in May 1995.
In April, 2002, the archdiocese received a report of abuse involving Budzynski reporting abuse in approximately 1981. In August, 2002, the archdiocese received a report of abuse involving Budzynski in approximately 1967-1973. In August, 2002, the archdiocese forwarded information on Budzynski to the Milwaukee County District Attorney.
In 2003, Archbishop Dolan sent a letter to Budzynski confirming the restrictions placed on him in the previous precept. In July, 2003, Archbishop Dolan sent a letter to Cardinal Ratzinger at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith enclosing a summary of Budzynski’s case and asking that Budzynski be dismissed from the clerical state. The letter reports that Budzynski had admitted to multiple acts of sexual assault and encloses a summary of the allegations. The summary lists multiple individuals that Budzynski, in a 1994 investigation, admitted molesting. The letter further states that the cases had been reviewed by the district attorney’s office, and that Budzynski had been restricted from ministry since 1995.
In October, 2003, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responded, and requested clarification of the ages of the individuals reporting abuse by Budzynski. In October, 2003, the archdiocese supplied the requested clarification to the CDF. This list provided by the archdiocese included the names of 32 individuals.
In March, 2004, the archdiocese received a report of abuse involving Budzynski reporting abuse in the early to mid-1970s. Budzynski was interviewed after the receipt of this report, and admitted that he sought treatment in 1970-73 for his problems without telling his family or the archdiocese.
In October, 2004, Budzynski was dismissed from the clerical state. Two additional reports of abuse by Budzynski occurring in the 1960s were made after Budzynski was laicized.