Maryland parish accused of covering up sexual abuse of over 600 children by at least a dozen priests
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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND: Maryland Attorney General filed a report on Wednesday, April 6, accusing the Archdiocese of Baltimore of covering up the sexual abuse of more than 600 children for over a half-century. A day after, The Rev Santhosh George apologized to all the victims at St Mark Church in Catonsville’s website. “I write with a heavy heart to share the news of the release of a report issued by the Attorney General of Maryland, which outlines horrific abuse by some priests of the Archdiocese of Baltimore in years past. In particular, is the sickening notification of several sexual abusers of children living and working here at St Mark between the years of 1964 and 2004,” he wrote.
Around 156 priests were named in the report, out of whom 12 served at St Mark, founded in 1888 and located about 10 miles west of Baltimore in downtown Catonsville. George continued, “While there is little I can do to make amends for this, I do offer you my prayers and extend myself to you should you want to talk..” He updated his folks that the rosary service would be held at 7 pm Monday, April 10, and that will be preceded by other services for the victims in the following weeks. George, who has been pastor of St Mark since July 2021, and his name was Anglicized from his given last name Kozhippadam, came in after massive alleged sexual abuse rocked the church, per NBC News.
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'Background checks were run on all employees at St Mark'
Archdiocesan spokesman Christian Kendzierski said in an email, “St Mark’s employees and Fr George and anyone employed at St Mark’s follow the same policy…criminal background checks — including a check of the sex offender registry. All employees and volunteers must complete training on preventing and reporting child abuse.” He further said, “While recognizing the horrific scope of past child sexual abuse, it is not true that the 11 priests were sent to St Mark’s after the Archdiocese had knowledge of an allegation of child sexual abuse.”
'When denial became impossible'
On the other hand, State Attorney General Anthony Brown, wrote in his report, “Time and again, members of the Church’s hierarchy resolutely refused to acknowledge allegations of child abuse for as long as possible. When denial became impossible, Church leadership would remove abusers from the parish or school, sometimes with promises that they would have no further contact with children.” It also claimed, “Church documents reveal with disturbing clarity that the Archdiocese was more concerned with avoiding scandal and negative publicity than it was with protecting children.”
