Richard Stika

Richard Stika was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to Frank and Helen (née Musielak) Stika; his father was of Czech heritage and his mother Polish.[1] The third of four children, he has three brothers, Lawrence, Robert, and Joseph. He was baptized at St. Francis de Sales Church on July 21, 1957, and attended Epiphany of Our Lord School in South St. Louis.[1]

Stika attended St. Augustine Minor Seminary High School[lower-alpha 1] in Holland, Michigan, for one year, then entered Bishop DuBourg High School in St. Louis, graduating in 1975.[1] He then studied at St. Louis University, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in business in 1979. Stika then entered Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury, Missouri, where he earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1981 and a Master of Divinity degree in 1985.[1] Cardinal John Carberry ordained Stika as a deacon on May 1, 1985.

Stika was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John L. May on December 14, 1985 for the Archdiocese of St. Louis. After his ordination, Stika served as an associate pastor of Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Webster Groves until 1991.[3] In 1991, He was appointed spiritual director of the Catholic Youth Organization and associate director of the Office of Vocations. Stika was also transferred to be an associate pastor at St. Paul Parish in Fenton, Missouri (1991–1992) and later at the Cathedral of St. Louis Parish (1992–1994).[3]

From 1994 to 2004, Stika served as chancellor of the archdiocese. During this period, he also served as private secretary and master of ceremonies to Archbishop Justin Rigali (1994–1997), vicar general and vicar for religious (1997–2004), and member of the College of Consultors (1997–2009). Stika was raised to the rank of honorary prelate on June 28, 1995, and coordinated Pope John Paul II's visit to St. Louis in 1999.[1]

Named vicar for priests in 2002, Stika served as both pastor of the Church of the Annunziata Parish in Ladue, Missouri, and episcopal vicar for Child and Youth Protection from 2004 to 2009.[3]

On January 12, 2009, Stika was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Knoxville by Pope Benedict XVI.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on March 19, 2009. from Cardinal Rigali, with Archbishop Joseph Kurtz and Bishop Robert Shaheen serving as co-consecrators, at the Knoxville Convention Center.[5] Stika selected as his episcopal motto: Iesu Confido In Te ("Jesus, I Trust in You").[6]

Possessing bi-ritual faculties, Stika can also celebrate the West Syriac Rite Holy Qurbono according to the recension of the Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the pope.[1] He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. He is a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team, and has a cockapoo named Rosie, and two other dogs named Mollie and Stella.[1] He is a close friend of Cardinal Rigali and considered the latter's protégé.[7][8]

In April of 2021, a Vatican official from the Congregation for Bishops stated that the Holy See had received about ten accusations against Stika under the auspices of the Motu proprio Vos estis lux mundi, which were being reviewed. The same official stated it was likely that the metropolitan Archbishop of Louisville, Joseph Edward Kurtz, will be granted power to investigate.[9]

In September 2014, Stika initiated fundraising to construct a new Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus in Knoxville,[10] He dedicated it on March 3, 2018.[11] Attendees included Cardinals Rigali, Cardinal William Levada, Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz of Kraków, Poland, Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, and Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States.[10]

Questions concerning the funding of the cathedral arose in 2021, as diocesan priests and employees alleged that Stika had taken funds from diocesan education and employee benefit funds to pay for the 36 million dollar cathedral. One anonymous priest of the diocese said "we are nearly bankrupt... there's just not going to be cash there."[12]

In February 2021, a lawsuit filed against both Stika and the Diocese of Knoxville alleged that Wojciech Sobczuk, a Polish seminarian who Stika had invited to study to become a priest in the diocese in 2018, raped and sexually harassed an organist employed by Sacred Heart Cathedral 2 years prior, in February 2019. Prior to becoming a seminarian, Sobczuk had been dismissed from the Jesuits after accusations of sexual misconduct at SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary.

The lawsuit also alleges that Stika intimidated the victim, attempting to silence him, and also accused the victim of raping Sobczuk.[18] Stika also recommended the two keep in contact via Snapchat, a social media app in which messages disappear after being sent.[19]

Shortly following the alleged rape, Sobczuk moved into the bishop's rectory and was sent to St. Meinrad Seminary, being dismissed in March 2021 due to allegations of sexual misconduct. The accusations included groping, tickling, and sending explicit Snapchat messages to one and watching another change clothes through a window.[20] He remained classified as a seminarian of the diocese after his dismissal from St. Meinrad's, which could be construed as immigration fraud,[21] and returned to living in the episcopal residence.

Due to the alleged rape, diocesan officials appointed an investigator, who was dismissed by the seemingly for simply contacting diocesan and seminary officials with questions. The replacement investigator Stika appointed interviewed only Sobczuk before closing his investigation.[21] Neither the diocese nor either of the investigators appointed by Stika contacted the seminatians at St. Meinrad who accused Sobczuk of harassing or assaulting them.

Between mid-2018 and 2020, Stika earmarked $4,000 of diocesan funds as cash gifts for Sobczuk, paid for his phone bill, and reimbursed nearly $30,000 of travel, car repairs, and other expenditures. This was in addition to the diocese paying for seminary formation and the $600-1000 monthly stipends disbursed to the seminarian over that time.[20]