Father Daniel J. Maher
Ordained: 1962
Removed: 2020
Assigned as follows:
- 1963-1965: St. Teresa of Avila (Albany, NY)
- 1966: St. Mary (Clinton Heights, NY)
- 1967-1973: St. Francis de Sales (West Albany, NY)
- 1974-1994: Sacred Heart of Mary (Watervliet, NY)
- 1995-2008: Church of the Holy Cross (Albany, NY)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Daniel J Maher:
According to media reports, in May 2005, an Albany man reported allegations of sexual abuse against Fr. Daniel J Maher. The alleged victim claimed that Maher raped him twice in 1973, during weekend trips to a Saratoga Lake camp. He was a twelve-year-old altar boy when the alleged incidents took place at St. Frances de Sales church in West Albany, New York. Maher denied the allegations.
Later that year in September, the victim's attorney said that a second victim had come forward and filed a $2 million lawsuit against the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese. Maher was exonerated by the Diocese of Albany's Sexual Misconduct Review Board which found that there was "no reasonable cause" to believe the allegations brought against Maher. He was returned to his ministry without restriction.
The Diocese of Albany later announced that Maher was the subject of additional allegations in 2003. In that instance, the internal review board also concluded that the allegations were unsubstantiated and without merit, again recommending that Maher be kept in ministry.
In February 2020, the Diocese of Albany quietly announced that it removed Maher from ministry yet again, following an internal review of an allegation first made in April 2018. The Diocese stated that the removal was only temporary pending the completion of the internal review of the allegation, meaning that Maher might be returned to ministry yet again, depending upon the Diocese of Albany's own investigative findings.
In 2020, Maher's name appeared publicly on the Diocese of Albany's list of clergy credibly accused of sex abuse of minors.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Albany. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Albany, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Albany now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.