Assignment Record – Bro. Albert J. Morel, S.C. aka Bro. Adrian

Summary of Case: Bro. Albert J. Morel, S.C. also known as Brother Adrain, was a Brother of the Sacred Heart, New England Province. He was ordained a priest in 1972. He was an educator and spiritual director and held a number of prominent positions within the order. He died in 1998. In 2002 a man reported that Morel fondled him in 1981; the man was at the time a recent Bishop Guertin High School graduate who had gone to Morel there to confide a concern about future infertility due to undescended testicles. He reportedly later encountered Morel, who ran up to him, hugged him and told the youth he loved him. Morel's accuser said he then wrote a letter of complaint to the head brother at the high school.

First Vows: 1945
Final Vows:
Ordination to the Priesthood:
May 6, 1972

Died: March 15, 1998


   

Start Stop Parish/Assignment Town/Accusations State/Country Position Notes
April 3, 1945     Harrisville RI entered the order
1948   Sacred Heart School Sharon MA    
    Sacred Heart School Andover MA    
    Notre Dame High School Fitchburg MA    
    Mount St. Charles Academy Woonsocket RI    
    St. Dominic Regional High School Lewiston ME    
  1951 Spring Hill College Mobile AL student earned a bachelor's degreee
    St. Michael's College Winooski VT graduate student earned a master's degree in teaching English
    Boston College Chestnut Hill MA graduate student earned a master's in Education
    Weston College Cambridge MA graduate student earned a master of Divinity degree
    Creighton University Omaha MA student earned certificates in Spiritual Direction and Spirituality
1965 1968 Sacred Heart Academy Central Falls RI Supr.  
1968 1970 Brothers of the Sacred Heart General Chapter Rome Italy delegate  
    Brothers of the Sacred Heart Summer Renewal Program Rome Italy chaplain and translator "for many years"  
  1970 Bishop Guertin High School Nashua NH Supr.  
  1972         Morel was ordained a priest by Bishop Gelineau May 6, 1972.
1972 1981 Bishop Guertin High School

Nashua

A former Bishop Guertin student reported in 2002 that in 1981, after he had graduated, he was fondled by Morel. Morel's accuser stated that he confided in Morel a fear of future infertility due to undescended testicles. Morel resportedly responded by fondling the youth after telling him to unzip his pants. Morel's accuser also said he later encountered Morel, who ran up to him, hugged him and told the youth he loved him. He said he then wrote a letter about the situation to the head brother at Bishop Guertin.

NH chaplain; teacher; counselor  
1981   St. Dominic Regional High School Lewiston MN guidance dept. head  
    Sacred Heart Academy Central Falls RI principal and director  
1984 1994 Bishop Guertin High School Nashua NH chaplain; teacher; counselor  
1994 1998 Sacred Heart Brothers' Provincial House Pascoag RI chaplain Morel died March 17, 1998

 

Sources:

Changes in Personnel Set at Bishop Guertin, Telegraph, April 14, 1981
Brother Albert J. Morel Obituary, March 17, 1998
Investigator's Memo, March 8, 2002
NH AG Report, [P. 22]March 3, 2003
AG's Report Names 35 NH Priests, Union Leader [Manchester NH], March 4, 2003


Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Morel's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on Oct. 23, 2012