Father Brian E. Mead
Diocese of Burlington
Ordained: 1969
Removed: 2004
Assignment History
- 1969 Cathedral (Burlington, VT)
- 1969-1971 St. Monica (Barre, VT)
- 1971-1973 St. Peter (Rutland, VT)
- 1973-1974 St. Thomas and Vocations Office (Underhill, VT)
- 1974 St. Mary (Brandon, VT)
- 1974-1976 St. Mary (Springfield, VT)
- 1976-1988 Vermont Catholic Charities (Rutland, VT)
- 1986-1998 Our Lady of Grace (Colchester, VT)
- 1998-2002 St. Charles (Bellows Falls, VT)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Brian E. Mead:
Father Brian E. Mead was a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Burlington in Vermont. According to media reports, in 1996, a man told Bishop Kenneth A. Angell that Father Mead sexually abused him for six years, beginning when he was age 11. He said Father Mead bought him gifts, took him on trips out of state, slept in the same bed with him, and touched his bare buttocks underneath his pajamas. Despite this, no action was taken, and the priest was kept in ministry. His accuser eventually received a settlement with a confidentiality requirement.
In May 2002, Father Mead was placed on leave after the Diocese of Burlington submitted his name, along with twenty other priests, to be investigated by the Attorney General’s office. In October 2002, he was charged with multiple counts of lewd and lascivious acts with a child.
Father Mead resigned in January 2003. In a 2004 letter to the diocese, Father Mead wrote that he had “made mistakes in overstepping some boundaries” but denied that he was a pedophile.
He said, “Perhaps in the hugging at my bedside I may have patted him on the backside in a way like football players do.”
His faculties were revoked in December 2004.
In October 2018, he was first named publicly as accused by a news outlet. In August 2019, his name appeared on the Diocese of Burlington’s list of clergy credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors.
As of 2024, Mead is believed to be in his late 70s and residing in Brevard County, Florida.
The attorneys at Horowitz Law have a long history of representing survivors of child sex abuse. If you or someone you know was abused by a priest in the Diocese of Burlington, please contact Horowitz Law today for a free consultation. We can help you understand your legal options and fight for the justice you deserve. The Burlington Diocese has filed for federal bankruptcy protection, and strict deadlines will soon be set by the bankruptcy court. Please contact our law firm at 888-283-9922 or e-mail sexual abuse lawyer Adam Horowitz at [email protected] for a free consultation to discuss your options today.