📜 Background
Incident: On November 21, 2024, at Queen of Apostles Parish in Joliet, Illinois, Father Martins—during a public relic tour—engaged with students and made jokes about hair. According to one narrative, he lightly touched a student’s hair while commenting he might "floss" with it.
Allegations: A criminal complaint filed in January 2025 accused him of misdemeanor battery, citing that he had placed the girl’s hair in his mouth in a provocative
Response: Father Martins pleaded not guilty on January 27, 2025. His defense team consistently described the charges as “egregious and unfounded”, emphasizing that he lacked any criminal intent or misconduct.
My reflection video is below.
According too a press release, shared by Fr. Martins, “The Will County State's Attorney's Office dismissed the criminal charges it filed against Father Martins and confirmed the case against him is closed.”
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Fr. Carlos Martins
The allegations accusing him of inappropriate behavior during a tour of St. Jude relics sparked confusion, frustration, and even scandal among Catholics who knew him to be a faithful priest with a long-standing reputation for integrity. Many of us prayed. Many of us waited. I did a podcast when the news of the accusations broke, and while I was very careful to be balanced an respectful, I was very clear that the whole thing smelled funny. As details continued to surface, I continued to say that the case was looking progressively more ridiculous, but that we’d have to see where it all goes.
Today, the waiting ends: the charges were dropped by the Will County State’s Attorney’s office on their own motion. That’s not a minor technicality. That’s a full clearing of his name.
This is a moment for gratitude—but also for reflection.
We live in a time where faithful priests are under pressure from outside the Church and sometimes from within it. Whether it’s ideological targeting, confusion about clerical authority, or just the fact that the devil hates the work of faithful priests—particularly exorcists— men like Fr. Carlos are especially vulnerable. The devil doesn’t need to destroy a priest—he only needs to discredit him. (continues below)
Below is an extended version fo a video you might have seen on socials. Story continues below
What happened here is a reminder: truth still matters. Due process still matters. Prayer still works.
Let’s welcome this news with joy, and let it renew our commitment to pray for priests, especially the ones on the front lines of spiritual battle. And let’s not forget that while justice was served today, the scars of accusation linger. Fr. Carlos Martins deserves not just our applause, but our continued support.
St. John Vianney, pray for us.
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us.
Podcast Audio
Statement Released on Fr. Martin’s Socials
