What we know about Fr Joseph Maskell's time in Ireland

By Seán Fahey
Buzz
June 6, 2017

https://www.buzz.ie/news/know-fr-joseph-maskell-time-ireland-240987

If like us, you've spent a large portion of the last week binge-watching Netflix's latest docu-series The Keepers, you probably have a big question on your mind - What did Joseph Maskell do during his time in Ireland?

The Keepers focuses on the death of a nun, Sister Catherine Cesnik, and the connection between her murder and a string of alleged abuses in the Catholic Church.

In particular, the series focuses on the alleged abuses by Fr Joseph Maskell, who was a counsellor at Archbishop Keough High School, an all-girls High School in Baltimore, Maryland, from 1967 to 1975.

From here on out, there will be several spoilers for The Keepers, so if you're still planning on watching the series, here is your warning.

Despite Catherine Cesnik going missing in Novemeber 1969, and her body being found in January of 1970, accusations against Fr Joseph only truly began to form in 1994, when 'Jane Doe', later revealed to be Jean Wehner, came forward saying she had recovered some repressed memories of her time at Keough.

Out of these memories, Wehner remembered being raped and abused by Fr Joseph Maskell and other men he had brought in to their counselling sessions, as well as being brought to see the body of Catherine Cesnik.

In the series, Wehner recalls how the priest brought her to the body, and told her  “You see what happens when you say bad things about people?”.

At the same time, in 1994, Fr Joseph Maskell fled to Wexford.

Fr Joseph Maskell stayed in Ireland between 1994, and 1998, where he stayed throughout the duration of the $40 million civil case that was being brought against him by Jane Doe and Jane Roe.

What did Maskell do during his time in Ireland?

In 1995, Maskell worked for a time for the HSE, under temporary employment as a clinical psychologist for the South Eastern Health Board.

The HSE has confirmed that they have begun a process to review Maskell's time under employment at the HSE in light of the allegations brought against him.

A spokesperson for the HSE confirmed they had “commenced a process to review services delivered and regarding any concerns arising from the temporary, short-term employment in 1995 of a Mr AJ Maskell by the South Eastern Health Board in its Wexford Community Care.”

According to the HSE, Maskell also received Garda clearance, when a background check brought up no history of abuse.

After his temporary employment, the disgraced priest continued to work in a private role as a clinical psychologist in Wexford and Castlebar between 1995 and 1998.

Despite having presented himself as having taken "temporary leave" from his time as a priest, according to a report by The Irish Times, concerns were raised about Maskell several times during his time in Ireland contrary to this.

In 1995, he said Mass in Screen and Curracloe, where he was said to be covering for other priests, and in 1996, Maskell was reported for being seen about Wexford in full clerical garb.

Teresa Lancaster, also known as Jane Roe, who is an abuse survivor of Maskell's and now a practicing attorney, said that there were "two victims coming forward in Ireland" that she was aware of.

Fr Joseph Maskell died in 2001, unpunished for the string of abuse accusations brought forward against him.