Father Antonio Girardin
Diocese of Portland
Ordained: 1937
Died: 1974
Assigned as follows:
- St. Michael (South Berwick, ME)
- St. Martin (Millinocket, ME)
- St. Agnes (Pittsfield, ME)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Fr. Antonio Girardin:
Fr. Antonio Girardin was ordained a priest in 1937, who served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Portland. According to media reports and documents released by the Maine Attorney General’s Office in 2005, there are four allegations of child sexual abuse against Fr. Girardin.
In 1993 a woman notified the Diocese of Portland that she had been sexually abused by Fr. Girardin in 1942-1943 when she was a fifth-grade student at St. Michael’s School. The alleged abuse began when she was 11-12 years old and involved repeated episodes of kissing and fondling. On at least one occasion, Fr. Girardin gave her money in exchange for her silence.
One man reported that he was repeatedly sexually abused by Fr. Girardin beginning when the victim was a 10-year-old altar boy at a church in Millinocket in 1968. The alleged abuse occurred in the church and in the rectory and involved kissing and fondling. The victim recalled that the abuse ended in 1971 when his grandfather died, and he subsequently ended his service as an altar boy.
Another man told his pastor that Fr. Girardin molested him sometime between 1960-1967 when he was an altar boy in Pittsfield. The alleged abuse occurred upstairs in the rectory. The pastor notified the Diocese of Portland of the allegation. There are no further details regarding this victim.
A mother told her pastor that her son accused Fr. Girardin of molesting him when he was an altar boy. The alleged abuse occurred between 1960-1967 in Pittsfield, ME. The mother did not believe her son at the time. The Diocese of Portland did not release information regarding the age of the victim, the nature of the abuse, or the location of the alleged incident(s).
Fr. Girardin died in 1974.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Portland in Maine. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Maine, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Portland now have legal options, but filing deadlines may apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Maine and nationwide. We can help.
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