David Huneck, a Former Catholic Priest and Chaplain, Has Passed Away

David Huneck has dedicated his priestly career to working on various projects. One of his most noteworthy creations is the Dog Chapel, a place for people to come together and reflect upon how important dogs are in their lives.

Huneck was a pastor at Saint Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in Columbia City and chaplain at Bishop Dwenger High School before resigning last fall when allegations against him surfaced.

Early Life and Education

Early childhood is an incredibly formative period for a child’s brain, as they develop social skills, self-esteem, perception of the world and moral outlook among other things.

Children need stimulation and interaction with others for healthy development, which is where early childhood education (ECE) comes into play.

Father David Huneck, a former priest for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, was arrested and charged with child seduction and sexual battery after six allegations were leveled against him. On Thursday he pleaded guilty to those charges and received 180 days in home detention, 80 hours of community service, as well as probation.

Professional Career

Father David Huneck was a Catholic priest who served as pastor of Saint Paul of the Cross Church in Columbia City and chaplain for Bishop Dwenger High School. After allegations of sexual abuse were leveled against him, his name was added to a list of credibly accused clergy by the diocese.

Court documents in the case indicate Huneck invited two women, aged 17 and 19, to his Columbia City home and provided them with alcohol. He then assaulted them multiple times. Last fall, he was arrested and resigned his roles as both chaplain of Bishop Dwenger High school and pastor at Saint Paul of the Cross church.

Achievements and Honors

One of the greatest honors in Huneck’s life was being named chaplain by Archbishop Daniel Duffy in late 2017. He also topped the list of popular applicants at that time. Aside from being awarded this position, Huneck enjoyed playing golf and maintaining a healthy lifestyle; taking walks to and from his clubhouse each morning. Plus he always managed to get enough sleep at night too! In addition to being an ardent Catholic, Huneck was known for being generous and sociable at heart; spending many hours on the course did not negate his true philosophy or empathy towards fellow members of his fraternity.

Personal Life

Father David Huneck, a former priest for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, was arrested last October on sexual crime charges. On Thursday, a special judge accepted his plea agreement and will avoid jail time.

According to an affidavit, Huneck invited two young women into his home and provided them with alcohol before sexually assaulting them twice. As pastor of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in Columbia City and chaplain for Bishop Dwenger High School, he has since resigned his positions.

The diocese has concluded that its investigation of the allegations against him proved credible, and he has been added to a list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. He has been suspended from all public ministry duties and canonical proceedings are underway.

Net Worth

David Huneck was a self-taught artist who built an impressive business from his studio near St. Johnsbury, Vermont. His whimsical artworks earned him recognition and were sold in galleries nationwide; perhaps most renowned is his Dog Chapel – built on land he shared with his wife. Additionally, Huneck wrote and illustrated children’s books featuring Sally the Labrador retriever; it is estimated that his net worth now exceeds $5 million dollars.

David Huneck was credibly accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl in 2007. His diocese conducted an internal investigation that confirmed these allegations and has added him to their list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse against minors.