Father Frederick C. Brinkmann
Archdiocese of Baltimore/Redemptorist
Ordained: 1975
Assignment History:
- 1976-1978: St. Michael’s Church (Baltimore, MD)
-
Mount Alphonsus Redemptorist Seminary (Hudson River, NY)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Frederick C. Brinkmann
Father Frederick C. Brinkmann was ordained a Redemptorist priest in 1975 and worked in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 2002, Fr. Brinkmann 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 Brinkmann.
According to the AG’s report, in 1996, an individual alleged sexual abuse by Father Frederick Brinkmann during the late 1970s when he was 16 years old. The victim’s father had abandoned the family, and as a result, the family was destitute and turned to the priests of St. Michael’s for assistance. Brinkmann aided the family, arranging for them to live temporarily in the parish’s vacant convent and providing necessities. During this time, Brinkmann began to pay special attention to the victim, taking him to restaurants and buying him alcohol and marijuana. Brinkmann took the victim to meet his family and to Esopes Retreat House in New York. On one occasion at the St. Michael’s rectory, Brinkmann convinced the victim to disrobe and then orally raped him. He said that it was “okay in God’s eyes.” Brinkmann told the victim to fondle him, but he said he wanted to leave. He never returned to the rectory and avoided Brinkmann from that day forward. The victim has suffered from substance abuse and has had marital troubles because of the pain and confusion caused by Brinkmann’s abuse.
The Archdiocese contacted the Redemptorists, who said they didn’t know about the misconduct but were “not totally surprised” by the allegation. The Archdiocese made the mandated reports of abuse to authorities. In October 1996, Redemptorist Order Provincial Superior George Keaveney wrote a letter stating, “I can assure you that there are no other incidents known to the Redemptorists” and that he had “absolutely no reason to question [Brinkmann’s] veracity in this matter due to my knowledge of him over the years and the openness of my interview with him.” The Redemptorists have not listed him as credibly accused.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Maryland, contact our office today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse nationwide. We can help. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.