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Who Were the Seven Sexually Abusive Priests Employed at St. Clare Parish in Essex?
The Maryland Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore identified a staggering 156 priests who were accused of abuse from the 1950s onward. Some parishes, such as St. Clare in Essex, employed multiple individuals who were eventually accused of abuse. While many of these seven priests served at St. Clare at different times, they all allegedly abused their power and authority at some point to take advantage of the vulnerable children in their care.
Unfortunately, it has historically been difficult for victims to pursue action against abusive priests or the Catholic Church. The AG’s report includes numerous instances of the Archdiocese dismissing parishioner’s concerns or allegations, which may have led to continued abuse and harm in many cases. But Maryland’s state laws have changed recently to make it easier to file claims and have your case heard, no matter when the abuse occurred. If you were assaulted by one of the following priests at St. Clare Parish or elsewhere, our skilled religious institution sexual abuse lawyers can help you seek justice.
Father Michael Lowell Barnes
Father Barnes was the associate pastor, then pastor at the St. Clare Parish and School in Essex from 1976 to 1982. Another accused pastor who served at the same time, Father Stallings, recommended that Father Barnes be removed from his post at St. Clare’s because of his known relationship with a teenage boy in the parish. Disturbingly, the main concern was voiced over the relationship’s impacts on the priest’s finances rather than its predatory nature and effects on the teenager. After completing counseling required by the Archdiocese, Barnes was reassigned to other parishes in Maryland until his abrupt resignation in 1988.
According to internal records, the resignation came after two reports were filed with the Archdiocese detailing the priest’s inappropriate sexual behavior towards teenage boys during his time at St. Clare’s. One report came from parents who claimed that Barnes had made inappropriate sexual advances towards their minor sons and frequently had young men and boys stay overnight at the rectory.
The other report was from a victim who had been sexually assaulted in the 1970s. This victim eventually filed charges against Barnes in 2009, and the priest entered an Alford plea in 2010. Through this plea, the priest admitted the state had enough evidence to prove his guilt but did not admit to the allegations. Barnes served jail time and probation and had to register as a sex offender. The Archdiocese reached a financial settlement with the victim in 2010, and Barnes was laicized in 2013. Despite the conviction, Barnes was not listed as credibly accused until 2019. He died in 2017.
Father Steven Girard
Father Girard was an associate pastor at St. Clare Parish from 1982 to 1987. While no accusations have come to light regarding his time at St. Clare, he faced multiple claims of child sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior stemming from his next assignment in St. Clement Parish in Lansdowne, Maryland. Tragically, the first victim to come forward in 2004 was deeply traumatized by the childhood abuse perpetrated by Father Girard and committed suicide in 2005. The victim’s family filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese and was awarded nearly $200,000 in damages. Girard passed in 2018 and was listed as credibly accused in 2019.
Father Joseph V. Messer
Father Messer was an Associate Pastor at St. Clare from 1961 to 1970. The abuse allegations against him are from a later assignment in the 1970s at St. John the Evangelist Church in Severna Park, Maryland. In 2008, a man accused Messer of sexually abusing him weekly for over a year while he was 16 or 17. The Archdiocese dismissed these claims because they claimed the victim lacked corroborating evidence. When his lawyers provided a statement by a classmate of the victim regarding knowledge of the abuse, the Archdiocese requested to question him alone. It is unclear if any further investigation actually occurred, and Messer has not been listed as credibly accused.
Father William Migliorini
Migliorini was accused of sexual abuse in the mid-1990s by both a teenage boy and a girl. They stated the abuse occurred during his assignment to the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Baltimore in the 1960s. Father Migliorini’s assignment prior to this was at St. Clare from 1959 to 1965. He was listed as credibly accused by the Archdiocese in 2019.
Monsignor Richard E. Smith
Monsignor Smith was the pastor at St. Clare from 1983 to 1987. While multiple child sexual abuse victims of both genders have come forward to detail their traumatic experiences with Smith at several of his other assignments, there are no reports of abuse at St. Clare as of yet. However, because credible allegations have surfaced spanning the decades from the 1960s to the late 1980s, there is a distinct possibility that many more victims may exist.
Father Albert “Pete” Stallings
In 2002, a man reported that Father Stallings had molested him several times during the late 1970s while he was an 8 to 10-year-old. Stallings was a long-serving priest at St. Clare Parish from 1956 to 1983. Father Stallings was deceased by the time the allegations came to light.
Father Gerald Tragesser
Father Tragesser faced criminal charges in 1958 for an ongoing sexually abusive relationship with a 13-year-old girl he met while serving as a priest at the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Towson, Maryland. In 1958, he was residing at St. Clare with Father Stallings, who is mentioned above. The victim’s family aggressively pursued charges against Tragesser and even tried to take their story to a newspaper.
However, according to internal letters obtained by the AG’s investigation, the Archbishop at that time wielded his influence in the courts and the media to derail the case and avoid a scandal. Tragesser was sent to receive “rehabilitation” at a Church-operated center in New Mexico. Despite the Church’s knowledge of his actions, he was not removed from the priesthood until 1976. He was listed as credibly accused in 2002.
How Can an Experienced Law Firm Assist in Your Healing Process if You or a Loved One Suffered Abuse?
The clustering of so many child sexual abusers in certain Maryland parishes like St. Clare highlights the widespread nature of these terrible actions and the inability or unwillingness of the Archdiocese of Baltimore to address the issues that plagued the priesthood for many years. From the information in the AG’s report, it appears that the Church may have covered up known instances of abuse, moved accused priests to new locations with unsuspecting parishioners, and discouraged or dismissed reports made by victims and their families.
The harm caused by these decisions is incalculable. Survivors of childhood religious institution abuse often experience lasting psychological damage and related health issues that can severely impact their quality of life. Even years after the abuse, it can be frightening and challenging for victims to come forward. The compassionate lawyers at Andreozzi + Foote deeply understand the highly emotional nature of these cases and seek to support victims through every step of the process. We believe you deserve justice for the harm you experienced. To learn more about your legal options, contact our law firm today at 866-311-8640 to schedule a free, confidential consultation.
