Father Adelbert “Del” Holmes
Diocese of Richmond/Little Rock/Charlotte/Glenmary Home Missioners
Ordained: 1963
Removed: 1991
Died: 2013
Assignment History:
- Immaculate Conception Catholic Mission (Hayesville, NC.)
- St. William Catholic Church (Murphy, NC)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Adelbert Holmes:
Father Adelbert ‘Del’ Holmes was a member of the Glenmary Home Mission Society and worked in the Diocese of Richmond, the Dioceses of Charlotte, Cincinnati, Little Rock, Owensboro, and Savannah, GA.
the Glenmary Home Missioners, a Catholic society of priests and brothers located in Cincinnati, released a list of 11 members of the Order who it says have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. The list included five men who formerly served under the Charlotte Diocese, including Father Adelbert “Del” Holmes.
According to media reports, in October 2019, Father Holmes was publicly named on the Glenmary Home Missioners’ list of clergy credibly accused of abuse of a minor. In November 2019, the society told the Diocese of Charlotte that he had been accused of abusing three minors in 1976 in Murphy, where he served at St. William Catholic Church. It also reported that he was credibly accused of abuse in Franklin, Kentucky.
Glenmary said it received the North Carolina allegations in 1988, while Father Holmes was living at the society’s headquarters in Cincinnati, and that he admitted the abuse. He was sent for treatment in 1988 and removed from ministry in 1991. He died in 2013.
In October 2019, Father Holmes‘ name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Richmond’s list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. In December 2019, his name appeared on the Diocese of Charlotte’s list, as well.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Richmond. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Richmond, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Richmond now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.