BALTIMORE — A Baltimore-based Catholic religious order that operates schools across the U.S. including Xavier High School in Middletown, has released a list of dozens of members accused of sexually abusing children.
The list released Friday by the Xaverian Brothers includes two current members “with a credible or established offense.” The group, a separate entity not part of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, says no credibly accused brothers are in active ministry.
Eighteen men on the list are dead or former brothers with a credible or established offense. Also named are 14 dead or former brothers against whom there are allegations that couldn’t be “fully investigated” but for which there is a “reasonable possibility” that they occurred.
Only one brother on the list was assigned to Xavier. Francis Jerome (William M. Burns) was assigned there from 1963 to 1965. He died in 1974.
The Baltimore Sun reports the order’s general superior issued a statement asking forgiveness “for this unspeakable violation of trust.”
The brothers operate 12 other schools in Maryland, Kentucky, New York, and Massachusetts, according to their website.
