Father Albert Julian
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1958
Laicized: 1970
Died: 2006
Assignment History:
- 1958-1963: Saint Dominic's (Baltimore, MD)
- 1963-1964: Saint Patrick's (Baltimore, MD)
- 1965-1967: Saint William of York (Baltimore, MD)
- 1967-1968: Residence at Saint Paul's (Baltimore, MD)
- 1968-1970: Our Lady of Good Counsel (Baltimore, MD)
- 1969-1970: Saint Anthony of Padua (Baltimore, MD)
- 1970: Laicized
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Albert Julian:
Fr. Albert Julian was ordained a Catholic priest and worked in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. 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 Albert Julian.
According to the Attorney General's report, in 1968, the Archdiocese of Baltimore received a letter from a former parishioner of St. William of York accusing Fr. Julian of sexually abusing his daughter, who was a college student. The father saw a letter to his daughter from Julian which led to the discovery. Nothing was seemingly reported or investigated, but a letter was found dated March 31, 1970, from Cardinal Shehan to Vatican authorities recommending the laicization of Julian. Shehan described the allegation and an admission by Julian.
According to the letter, Julian revealed to him "that for some years he had been beset with almost uncontrollable sexual attraction toward young people of the opposite sex, that he had yielded to temptation from time to time and was later terrified of the consequences of his actions and his probable future conduct." Cardinal Shehan's 1970 letter to Vatican authorities states that Julian "was removed from active parish work," received psychiatric treatment, and was later "assigned to desk work and part-time parish work of a kind where he would not be exposed to temptation."
The 1970 recommendation that Julian be laicized was made at Julian's request because he wished to marry. Also, the laicization documents contained a letter that Julian wrote saying he would not do well if he continued as a priest and did not want to hurt the people he was serving. Julian was laicized that year.
The Maryland Report also revealed that in 2002, a woman reported she was sexually abused by Fr. Julian in the 1960s when she was in 8th or 9th grade and continuing through high school. She was a student at St. William of York and was very active in the Catholic Youth Organization. In 1961, Fr. Julian took a special interest in her and found ways to drop her off last and be alone with her in the rectory. He "necked" and "petted" her and touched her breasts and genitals. He also orally raped her. The abuse occurred at William of York and at Julian's shore house on the Eastern Shore. The abuse often occurred two to three times a week. She also referenced a second victim who was in high school but one year behind her and abused during the same time. The information provided was consistent with the information provided in 1968, and the Archdiocese later confirmed that the second victim who was referenced by the victim who reported in 2002 was indeed the same person whose father had contacted Cardinal Shehan in 1968.
Fr. Julian died in 2006. In 2023, Fr. Julian was listed on the Archdiocese of Baltimore's Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list.
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.