Father Michael Spillane
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1968
Removed: 1992
Retired: 2002
Assignment History
- 1969-1973: St. Thomas More Parish (Baltimore, MD)
- 1973-1974: St. Paul Parish (Ellicott City, MD)
- 1974-1975: Church of the Resurrection Parish (Ellicott City, MD)
- 1975-1976: Our Lady of Fields (Millersville, MD)
- 1975-1976: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Crofton, MD)
- 1976-1986: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Crofton, MD)
- 1984-1985: St. Mary’s (Cumberland, MD)
- 1986-2002: Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commission (Washington, DC)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Michael Spillane
Father Michael Spillane was a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. In 2002, Fr. Spillane 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 Michael Spillane.
According to the Attorney General’s report, in 1991, a man reported having been sexually abused by Fr. Spillane from 1975 to 1976, when the victim was 13 years old. The victim was an altar boy at the Church of the Resurrection in Ellicott City, where, along with another altar boy, he met Fr. Spillane at the church, where Fr. Spillane sexually abused the victims.
In 1992, Fr. Spillane admitted to Archdiocesan officials having sexually abused six boys between 1975 and 1983, identifying one victim, with whom the Archdiocese entered a settlement, according to Archdiocesan records. Spillane was placed on administrative leave and was banned from ministry but was still receiving pension benefits.
In 2002, a man reported being sexually abused by Fr. Spillane in approximately 1968, when the victim was about 13 years old. Fr. Spillane took the victim and other boys on a sailing trip, where Fr. Spillane sexually abused him. Approximately eight years later, when the victim was 22 years old, Fr. Spillane took him on several trips to Bethany Beach, where he repeatedly sexually abused the victim, according to the report.
According to the report, in 2005, a man reported having been sexually abused by Fr. Spillane from 1986 to 1989, when the victim was a teenager, in Ocean City, Nevada, and California. The victim met Fr. Spillane at St. Paul Resurrection Parish and sexually abused him on trips to numerous locations.
In 2012, a woman reported that her deceased brother had been abused by Spillane when he was a minor, according to the report.
In 2016, a man reported being sexually abused by Fr. Spillane at a series of parties in the 1980s while a teenager. The victim and his friends were encouraged by Fr. Spillane to expose themselves to him, drink alcohol, and use drugs, according to the report.
In 2021, a man reported that his adult son had been sexually abused by Fr. Spillane at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton when he was a minor. Another man then reported that a friend of his son had also been sexually abused by Fr. Spillane at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, according to the report.
According to the report, Fr. Spillane entered treatment at St. Luke’s Institute in 1985 for a sexual disorder that included sexual contact with adolescent males. He was additionally diagnosed with alcoholism, believed to be related to his sexual disorder. Fr. Spillane attended treatment from 1985 until 1988, where he admitted to having sexually abused at least six victims.
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.