In the new 456-page report by Maryland Attorney General on child sexual abuse in the Baltimore archdiocese, three names jumped out at us here at Horowitz Law. Each of the three spent time in both Maine and Maryland. Two have attracted considerable public attention, but one has not. While all abuse is horrific, and nothing is served by ‘ranking’ child predators regarding how hurtful they are, we must say that these three men seem especially egregious in their crimes. We apologize in advance for the graphic language below.
- Brother Luanus (also known as Lawrence C. Meegan): Now deceased, Luanis belonged to a Catholic religious order called the Xaverians. For six years, he was assigned to St. John’s parish in Bangor, Maine. According to the Maryland report, Meegan “raped the victim orally and anally” and “took the victim and another boy to the school’s pool or showers and watched them masturbate.” Two other clerics, Brother Benedict Joseph (Thomas F. Kelly), and Brother Fabian (Francis Dolan), “also raped the victim orally and anally,” and a third, Fr. Timothy McGrath, “touched the victim sexually.” (Dolan is on ‘credibly accused’ lists in two church institutions.) The abuse continued over three years, according to the report. In Maryland, he worked at three schools: St. Mary’s Industrial School, St. Patrick School, and Mount St. Joseph School. Meegan also worked in four cities in Massachusetts (Westwood, Danvers, Newton Highlands, Peabody), three in Maryland (Baltimore, Leonardtown, Silver Spring), one in Kentucky (Louisville), and one in New Jersey (Montvale). https://www.adamhorowitzlaw.com/maryland/archdiocese-of-baltimore/
- Fr. Raymond Melville: In 1990, a Maryland man reported to church officials that, as a teenager over five years, he was “emotionally, sexually, and physically abused” by Melville. At the time, Melville was a seminarian. When confronted by then-Bishop Joseph Gerry, the priest admitted his crimes and was sent to Minnesota for ‘treatment.’ According to the AG, “The (victim) said he wrote the letter because he did not want another young boy to be victimized by Melville, and he begged Bishop Gerry to ‘please stop this from happening again.’” Melville sexually abused “another victim for seven years beginning in 1985.” In 2007, a third abuse lawsuit was filed against Melville and his church supervisors. That same year, a fourth victim sued Melville and the Diocese of Portland. The priest victimized the boy both “at a school (in Augusta) and at a camp, Melville owned in central Maine,” reported the attorney general. Melville was assigned to parishes in Gardiner (St. Joseph), Augusta (St. Mary), Rumford (Sts. Athanasius and John), Roxbury Pond (St. Mary’s Chapel), Lewiston (St. Joseph), Cherryfield (St. Michael), Machias (Holy Name of Jesus), and Lewiston (St. Joseph). He also worked at two institutions in Augusta (Veterans Administration Center, Augusta State Hospital) and one in Machias (University of Maine). In Maryland, Melville worked several places in Baltimore (St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Our Lady of Good Counsel parish, and University of Maryland Hospital). He attended St. Mary’s Seminary and volunteered at Our Lady of Good Counsel parish. According to several sources, Melville reportedly lived in Oklahoma in 2007. By 2013, he was reported living in Elkin, North Carolina. Curiously, the AG report said, “It is unclear whether Melville was ever defrocked.” Melville passed away in 2020.
- Fr. Ronald N. Michaud: In 2002, Michaud was listed as ‘credibly accused’ of abuse by the Baltimore Archdiocese but not until 2007 did the Portland diocese admit this. The Maryland AG report contains a lengthy narrative detailing Michaud’s crimes. Particularly noteworthy are the following new revelations. Michaud “orally raped a boy,” “assured him it was okay and told him not to tell anyone as his parents would be mad, and his friends would make fun of him.” He also told the boy that “people would not believe him, and he would be rewarded if he did not tell anyone.” Michaud “worked with another credibly accused priest, Fr. Lou Affrica,” at St. Ann’s parish, “which was described as a ‘party house’ during the time that Affrica was there. Affrica served alcohol to underage girls. Michaud was described in one interview in connection with Affrica as “messing” with the girls.” In Maryland, Michaud worked at two churches in Baltimore (Shrine of the Little Flower, St Rose of Lima), one in Cumberland (St. Mary), one in Gaithersburg (St. Rose of Lima), and one in Hagerstown (St. Ann, where he was also chaplain at St. Maria Goretti High School). In Cumberland, according to the Maryland AG, Michaud was one of six credibly accused priests who worked at St. Mary’s over the years: Fr. Thomas R, Bevan, Fr. Jeremiah M. Helowicz, Fr. Robert Hopkins, Fr. Richard Smith, Fr. Michael J. Spillane. In Maine, Michaud was assigned to parishes in Sanford (St. Ignatius), Biddeford (St. Andre), Westbrook (St. Hyacinth), Sinclair (St. Joseph), and Daigle (Holy Family). He attended two seminaries (St. Thomas in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and St. Mary’s in Baltimore).
If you know Catholics or former Catholics who lived or currently reside in these states, have them to at least skim this new report. One of these child molesters may be living right now across the street from your friends or relatives.
If you have been sexually abused by a priest – or anyone else working in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland – you may have a limited time to seek justice due to the expected passage of a new law suspending the statute of limitations in child sexual abuse cases in Maryland temporarily. Horowitz Law is now evaluating legal claims for anyone sexually abused by a priest, brother, nun, teacher, coach, or other lay employees of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Contact us at 844-598-2376 or [email protected] to learn more.