Fr. John F.X. Bellwoar
Archdiocese of Baltimore/Washington/Jesuits
Ordained: 1933
Died: 1993
Assignment History
- 1934: College of the Sacred Heart (Woodstock, MD)
- 1935: St. Andrew-on-Hudson (Poughkeepsie, NY)
- 1936: St. Peters University (Jersey City, NJ)
- 1930s: St. Mary’s Catholic Church (Rockville, MD)
- 1940-1941: Loyola University Maryland (Baltimore, MD)
- 1971-1978: St. Patrick’s Catholic Church (Washington, DC)
- 1979-1991: Gonzaga College High School (Washington, DC)
- 1992-1994: The Jesuit Community at Georgetown University (Washington, DC)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father John F.X. Bellwoar
Father John F.X. Bellwoar was a Jesuit priest who worked in multiple parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland and the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. In 2019, Fr. Bellwoar 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 Fr. Bellwoar.
According to media reports, in 2018, the Jesuits disclosed multiple allegations of sexual abuse by Father John F.X. Bellwoar occurring in the 1950s-60s in Prince George’s County, MD, and Washington, DC. Father Bellwoar died in November 1993.
In December 2018, Father Bellwoar was named publicly as accused on the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus list of Jesuits with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors since 1950. In February 2019, Father Bellwoar’s name appeared on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list.
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.