Father Raymond Melville
Diocese of Portland/Baltimore
Ordained: 1985
Left priesthood: 1997
Died: 2020
Assignment History:
- 1979-1985: St. Mary’s Seminary and University (Baltimore, MD)
- Early 80s: Our Lady of Good Counsel (Locus Point, MD)
- 1982-1983: University of Maryland Hospital (Baltimore, MD)
- 1985-1984: St. Joseph (Gardiner, ME)
- 1985-1989: St. Mary (Augusta, ME)
- 1985-1987: State Hospital (Augusta, ME)
- 1985-1987: Veteran’s Administration Center (Augusta, ME)
- 1989-1990: St Athanasius-St. John (Rumford, ME)
- 1989-1990: St. Mary’s Chapel (Roxbury Pond, ME)
- 1990-1992: St. Joseph (Lewiston, ME)
- 1992-1997: University of Maine at Machias (Machias, ME)
- 1992-1997: Holy Name of Jesus (Machias, ME)
- 1992-1997: St. Michael (Cherryfield, ME)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Raymond Melville:
Fr. Raymond Melville was a Catholic priest who worked in the the Diocese of Portland and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 2002, Fr. Melville was listed on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list. In April 2023, Maryland’s Attorney General released a report alleging 156 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over six decades. The report lists the names of the abusers, including Father Raymond Melville.
According to the Attorney General’s report, in 1990, a man reported that Fr. Melville had sexually and physically abused him between 1980 and 1985 when the victim was a student at Our Lady of Good Counsel, where Melville volunteered. The victim wrote to the then Bishop of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, that he was forced to remain silent and had been in counseling since 1986. When confronted, Fr. Melville admitted the allegations, and in June 1990, Bishop Gerry sent Melville to a treatment center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Melville returned to Maine two months later and transferred to St. Joseph’s Church in Lewiston, Maine.
In 2001, another male victim filed a civil complaint accusing Fr. Melville of sexually abusing the victim over the course of seven years, beginning in 1985, when the victim was 13 years old. The victim was a student at St. Mary’s School and an altar boy at St. Mary’s parish in Augusta. In 2004, a default judgement of $500,000 was entered against Fr. Melville for the sexual abuse of the victim. In 2005, the Diocese of Portland entered into a settlement with the victim.
According to the report, in 2003, a therapist reported that their patient had been sexually abused by Fr. Melville in the mid-1980s. While Fr. Melville was a seminarian in Baltimore, he befriended the victim’s mother, frequently visiting and staying overnight at the victim’s home. During the overnight stays, Fr. Melville would sexually abuse the victim. The abuse continued for approximately six to eight months.
According to the report, another victim filed a civil complaint against Fr. Melville, which accused Fr. Melville of sexually abusing the victim. The victim was a student at St. Mary’s School in Augusta between 1986 and 1988. Fr. Melville noticed the victim was being bullied and befriended the victim. Fr. Melville began to sexually abuse the victim at St. Mary’s and at a camp owned by Melville. In 2008, a judge entered a default judgment against Fr. Melville for $4.2 million.
According to the report, in 2005, the Diocese of Portland requested the laicization of Fr. Melville. As of 2012, the request is still pending. Fr. Melville died 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 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.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.