Fr. Francis Michael Sweeney

Assigned in MA, MN, CA, DC, OH, NY. The Baltimore archdiocese announced in 12/1993 that it had removed Sweeney from the chaplaincy of Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville because of ‘inappropriate sexual contact with minors.’ The Community was informed on 12/5/1993. Cardinal Keeler’s 9/25/2002 list stated that in 1993 Sweeney had ‘disclosed that he had sexually abused two individuals during the late 1970s and early 1980s.’ Keeler provides a partial assignment history for Sweeney, failing to include his position as adjunct faculty 1986-1994 at St. Mary Seminary, where Keeler was Chancellor. Sweeney underwent evaluation and treatment in 1993, then was transferred to Boston, where the Directory lists him as working at the Paulist Center 1997-2002. In the 2003-2004 Directories, after Keeler released his list, Sweeney’s name is adjusted from Francis M. to Frank M., and he is listed as residing at the Paulist Generalate in the NY archdiocese. He died in the NY archdiocese on 8/31/2013. Included on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles list in 1/2013. Per the Paulists in 12/2018, Sweeney was accused of abuse while at the University of MD Base Community of Relay. Included in the 4/5/2023 MD Attorney General’s Report. In 4/2019 a man told the A.G.’s Office that Sweeney anally raped him at age 6 in 1991.