Fr. W. Vincent Bechtel
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1950
Retired: 1989
Died: 1994
Assignment History
- 1950-1963: St. Agnes (Catonsville, MD)
- 1962-1969: St. Paul Latin High School (Baltimore, MD)
- 1969-1973: Cardinal Gibbons High School (Baltimore, MD)
- 1973-1979: St. Lawrence (Baltimore, MD)
- 1979-1989: Mount Saint Joseph High School (Baltimore, MD)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father W. Vincent Bechtel
Father W. Vincent Bechtel was a Catholic priest who worked in multiple parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. In 2019, Fr. Bechtel 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. Bechtel.
According to the AG’s report, in 2018, a woman in Pennsylvania contacted the Diocese of Harrisburg to report that her two sons had been “abused” by Bechtel when they were students at Mount St. Joseph High School but provided no additional details, except to say that everyone knew about it. The Archdiocese made the mandated reports to Baltimore. That same year, another victim contacted Mount St. Joseph High School and reported that Bechtel “fondled” him in 1987 or 1988, when he was a 15- or 16-year-old student at the school.
According to Bishop Accountability, the archdiocese learned of additional allegations of sexual abuse against Bechtel concerning the time that he served at Mount St. Joseph. Bechtel is listed on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list. Bechtel died in 1994.
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.