Family of Nate Lindstrom meets with Attorney General Kaul, hopeful for statewide investigation from Wisconsin DOJ

On the first anniversary of Nate Lindstrom’s death, family and advocates launch Nate’s Mission, a new statewide anti-clergy abuse initiative

Green Bay, Wis - March 9th is the first anniversary of the wrongful death by suicide of Nate Lindstrom, a childhood sexual assault and abuse survivor by Norbertine priests, ministers of a Catholic religious community headquartered in De Pere, Wisconsin.

Nate was 45 years old and the father of three young children. He took his life after Norbertine officials abruptly cut off payments intended to support his mental health treatment. His death came as public accounts of abuse, cover-up, and mismanagement of sexual assault cases were surfacing in the Green Bay Area. Since last March, the Norbertines have faced escalating criticism from hundreds of alumni of Notre Dame High School in Green Bay as well as students at St. Norbert College, also operated by the order, who have demanded the resignation of current Abbot of the order, Fr. Dane Radecki. 

On Sunday, March 7th, in honor of Nate's life and activism, his family and friends, Notre Dame alumni, and supporters will gather for a rally outside of Notre Dame High School, where Nate was abused as a student. The group will announce a new statewide victims’ rights initiative called "Nate's Mission" that will focus on completing the goals to which Nate dedicated his life: justice for victims, reform of state law and church practices, and accountability for ministers in faith-based communities who have committed or covered up child sex crimes.

Nate's Mission (www.natesmission.org) is a special project of Ending Clergy Abuse (www.ECAglobal.org), a global human rights collaborative of survivors, activists, journalists, human rights attorneys, and scholars operating in 5 continents and 29 countries.

Before his death, Nate, along with fellow survivors and advocates, was urging Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul to open a statewide investigation into clergy abuse. Over 20 states are currently investigating the church for sexual assault crimes and the institutional response to those crimes. The Lindstrom family has met with Kaul and will discuss their meeting at Sunday’s event. 

WHO: The Lindstrom family, survivors of clergy abuse, and advocates
WHAT: A rally and press conference
WHERE: Notre Dame Academy (610 Maryhill Dr, Green Bay, WI 54303)
WHEN: Sunday, March 7th at 11:00am

For more information about Nate’s Mission, visit www.natesmission.org.

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