Rev. Mueller, Former St. Norbert Pastor, Dies

NORTHBROOK, IL - Former St. Norbert Parish Church Pastor Rev. Richard Mueller, who led the church’s recovery following false abuse allegations against his predecessor, has died.

“When he came to St. Norbert, it was a parish in transition,” former school board member Chris McNulty told the Northbrook Star of Mueller, 78, who died Dec. 8. “He was able to get our school strong and get it solid again. He had a real gift of being able to identify talent in our parish, to ask people to join committees to help the parish.”

Mueller was St. Norbert’s pastor from 1995 to 2007 after teaching for 19 years at the Niles College Seminary. He replaced Rev. Robert Lutz, who was found not guilty of sexually abusing a child and later won a settlement from the parents who allegedly made the false claim.

After being ordained in 1963, Mueller had stints as an assistant pastor at St. Bernadette Parish in Evergreen Park, Immaculate Conception Parish on North Park Avenue in Chicago and St. Luke Parish in River Forest.

more via the Northbrook Star