Father Francis Wagner
Ordained: 1940
Died: 1984
Assignment History:
- 1940-1943: St. Augustine (Washington, DC)
- 1943-1946: U.S. Army
- 1946-1959: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Essex, MD)
- 1959-1963: St. Joseph (Taneytown, MD)
- 1963-1983: St. Joan of Arc Church (Aberdeen, MD)
- 1983: St. Joan of Arc Church (Aberdeen, MD)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father Francis Wagner:
Father Francis Wagner was a Catholic priest who worked in multiple parishes in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. 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 Wagner.
According to the AG's report, in 1995, a victim reported that she was sexually abused by Fr. Wagner in the late 1960s when she was 11 or 12 years old and a third-grade student at St. Joan of Arc School in Aberdeen, MD. The victim spent the night in the rectory on the night before a school field trip. Fr. Wagner, who lived in the neighboring room, sexually abused her several times throughout the night. The victim recalled that Wagner smelled like alcohol and threatened the victim that she would go to hell if she reported the incident.
In 2017, the Archdiocese reached a settlement agreement with the victim.
Fr. Wagner's name does not appear on the Archdiocese of Baltimore's list of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse. Fr. Wagner died in 1984.
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.