Father George L. Hopkins
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1939
Laicized: 1974
Died: 1980
Assignment History:
- 1939-1942: St. Brigid Church (Baltimore, MD)
- 1942-1965: Basilica of the Assumption (Baltimore, MD)
- 1965-1966: St Patrick Church (Cumberland, MD)
- 1967-1968: Church of the Immaculate Conception (Knoxville, TN)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father George L. Hopkins:
Fr. George L. Hopkins was ordained a Catholic priest and worked in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 2019, Fr. Hopkins 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 George Hopkins.
According to the Attorney General's report, Fr. George L. Hopkins worked at the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption from 1942 until 1965, where he served in various positions that elevated him to Chancellor. In 1965, after working at Basilica for over 20 years, he was moved to a parish in Western Maryland because of his romantic relationship with a woman he counseled during her divorce. When the Archdiocese discovered their relationship, he was sent for mental treatment in Iowa. He left St. Patrick's Church after a year, then spent another year at a church in Tennessee. Ultimately Hopkins left the priesthood and filed for laicization and marriage validation in 1974. Hopkins died in 1980.
In 2002, a woman reported that when she attended the Cathedral School from first to third grades, Hopkins took a special interest in her. He came to her home and asked her parents if he could take her for "rides in the country." During the car rides, he kissed her on the lips. She never told anyone, but eventually, she just refused to go with him again. The archdiocese made the mandatory report of abuse to authorities.
In April 2007, a woman reported to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles that in 1951, when she was 25 years old, a nun, Fr. Hopkins, raped her. She knew him in high school and went to the Cathedral to say goodbye because she was moving to California. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles notified the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
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 adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.