Father Francis (Frank) Hudson
Diocese of Camden
Ordained: 1974
Leave of absence: 2001
Suspended: 2001
Assigned as follows:
- St. Mary (Gloucester, NJ)
- Our Lady Star of the Sea (Atlantic City, NJ)
- St. Aloysius (Oaklyn, NJ)
- Camden Catholic High School (Cherry Hill, NJ)
- Most Holy Redeemer (Westville, NJ)
- St. Veronica (Delair, NJ)
- St. Peter (Pleasantville, NJ)
- St. Francis (Vineland, NJ)
- Immaculate Conception (Bridgeton, NJ)
- St. Michael (Cedarville, NJ)
- St. John Bosco (Millville, NJ)
- St. John (Deptford, NJ)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father Francis (Frank) Hudson:
According to media reports, in July 2004, a man accused Father Frank Hudson of molesting him in 1975, when Hudson was assigned to St. Mary's parish in Gloucester City. The Diocese of Camden informed the Camden County Prosecutor's Office the next day.
In 2001, Hudson took a leave of absence and shortly thereafter was suspended without priestly faculties. The Diocese of Camden requested that Hudson would voluntarily be defrocked but the priest refused.
At the time of the allegations, Hudson was a religion teacher and counselor at St. Augustine Preparatory School, a private all-boys school in Richland, New Jersey.
Hudson's Employer Ignores Warnings from the Diocese
An official statement from the Diocese of Camden states that officials from St. Augustine Preparatory School in Richland contacted the diocese by phone on the eve of 2 successive school years to express an interest in hiring Mr. Hudson.
While the Diocese of Camden is not involved in the hiring decisions of this private school, it reportedly objected to his employment given the circumstances of Mr. Hudson's status as a suspended cleric and the fact that the diocese had received an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against Mr. Hudson in 2004 that was alleged to have occurred in 1975.
When the diocese learned that Hudson had been hired for the 2005-06 school year-in spite of these prior objections-it wrote to St. Augustine Prep to reiterate again its objections to hiring Mr. Hudson.
Eventually, Hudson was fired from his job, but not until after the allegation of abuse was made public and published in several news outlets.
Hudson's name appears on the February 2019 Diocese of Camden list of credibly accused priests. According to Bishop Sullivan, the list, "includes those who admitted to the abuse, those who were found guilty after a trial in the church courts or the civil courts, and others against whom the evidence was so overwhelming as to be virtually unquestionable."
Despite his firing and abuse allegations, media reports state that Frank Hudson is operating a private clinical therapy practice in Vineland, New Jersey, as a licensed clinical social worker. According to the State of New Jersey, he has active licensure that is due for renewal in 2020.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Camden in New Jersey. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in New Jersey, contact our office today. In October 2020, the Camden Diocese filed for federal bankruptcy protection. The Court will resolve all claims of sexual abuse in this process but strict filing deadlines will apply and no late claims will be considered, so contact us today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in New Jersey and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.