Fr. Steven Girard
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1974
Remoced: 2002
Died: 2018
Assignment History:
- 1973-1975: St. Matthew Parish (Baltimore, MD)
- 1975: John Carroll High School (Belair, MD)
- 1975-1978: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish and High School (Middle River, MD)
- 1978-1982: Catholic Youth Organization Retreat House (Sparks, MD)
- 1982-1987: St. Clare Parish (Baltimore, MD)
- 1987-2002: St. Clement Parish (Lansdowne, MD)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Stephen Girard
Fr. Steven Girard was ordained a Catholic priest and worked at various parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 2019, Fr. Girard 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 Girard.
According to the Attorney General's report, In 2002, Girard resigned and had his faculties to function as a priest removed when he was charged with making a false statement to police. Girard falsely reported his car stolen twice to cover up he engaged in sexual activity with a male sex worker and was caught on a drug run. He ultimately told police that he "just wanted to have sex" and was sentenced to one year of supervised probation. He was also sent to St. Luke Institute for treatment.
In 2004, a man reported that Girard sexually abused him in 1991 when he was in 3rd grade at St. Clement. The victim claims that Fr. Girard first molested him during a sacramental confession and threatened him with castration if he told his parents. Girard later orally raped the victim and anally raped him two times "in the little room near the gym" at school. The victim thought other boys at the school had been abused by Girard, but he didn't ask others because he didn't want anyone to know what had happened to him. Girard denied the allegations. The victim committed suicide in 2005, and his parents sued the archdiocese, which settled for $200K.
There were previous reports in 1991 that the archdiocese received regarding complaints about Girard's increasingly erratic and problematic behavior and alcohol abuse, but no reports of child sexual abuse.
Fr. Girard died in 2018.
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