Cumberland pastor removed over abuse allegations
The Archdiocese of Baltimore has removed the pastor of a Cumberland church as it investigates allegations that he sexually abused a minor in the 1970s, the archdiocese annouced on Sunday. Monsignor Thomas Bevan, pastor of St. Patrick Church since 1997, has denied the allegations, according to the archdiocese.
Representatives of the archdiocese met with parishioners and staff at St. Patrick on Sunday to inform them of the allegations and to answer questions, according to the archdiocese. Counseling assistance has been offered to all those affected, according to the archdiocese.
The individual alleging the abuse says it occurred on a number of separate occasions in the mid-1970s while he was a student at the parish school of St. John Catholic Church in Frederick, according to the archdiocese. Bevan was assigned to St. John from 1974 to 1979, according to the archdiocese.
The archdiocese says it learned of the allegations in June, and immediately reported them to civil authorities in Frederick County. The archdiocese says the authorities instructed the archdiocese not to take any further action, including continuing its own investigation or making contact with Bevan.
The archdiocese says it received permission from the authorities last Tuesday to resume its investigation and representatives of the Archdiocese met with Bevan on Wednesday. Bevan denied the allegation, according to the archdiocese. The archdiocese removed him from ministry and revoked his faculties to function as a priest, pending an archdiocesan investigation, according to the archdiocese.
In 2005, the archdiocese says, it received an allegation of child sexual abuse against Bevan that dates back to 1974. The archdiocese says it reported it to the Frederick County State’s Attorney and conducted its own investigation into the claim. The archdiocese determined that there was not sufficient evidence at the time to remove him.
The archdiocese's independent review board, which reviews the church’s handling of child sexual abuse allegations, affirmed its handling of the 2005 allegation and the civil authorities in Frederick County did not pursue the matter, according to the archdiocese.
Thomas Bevan was ordained in 1963. In addition to his assignments at St. Patrick in Cumberland and St. John in Frederick, he was associate pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middle River from 1963 to 1974 and pastor of St. Mark in Fallston from 1979 to 1991. He was a temporary administrator at St. Mary in Cumberland from 1991 to 1992 and at St. Patrick in Mount Savage in 1992.
While at Mount Carmel, he taught at the parish high school; while at St. John, he taught at Mount St. Mary's. He also has been executive director of the Secretariat for Priestly Life & Ministry for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (now the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and has worked in the archdiocese's Office of Clergy Education.
The archdiocese is asking anyone with information relevant to the allegations against Bevan to contact its Office of Child and Youth Protection at 410-547-5599.
In its statement, it also urges anyone with knowledge of any child sexual abuse to report it immediately to civil authorities. If clergy or other church personnel are suspected of committing the abuse, the archdiocese asks that those with knowledge also call the Archdiocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection Hotline at 1-866-417-7469.
Comments
In the United States, can people be removed from their jobs, spirited away, not permitted to contact their coworkers because of an alleged crime that allegedly happened over 40 years ago? If you are a priest in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, apparently it can.
Father Bevan's parishioners are not allowed to know where he is and he was not allowed to contact even the deacons and staff who worked most closely with him.
Is he allowed to hire a lawyer?
Does he get to know the name of his accuser?
How old was the person who now accuses Father Bevan when this incident occurred? Father is now in his 70s. Why accuse a man on the brink of retirement for something that allegedly happened so long ago? There are no answers. The "secret police" of the Archdiocese of Baltimore have made sure of that.
Posted by: ssmith | August 23, 2009 5:27 PM
Anyone suspected of the sexual abuse of a child should be immediately removed from any position which there is close proximity to children whether that person is a priest, minister, rabbi, teacher, pediatrician, coach, etc., while an investigation is being done, preferably by the police, social service agencies or the like.
This should be the case here as it would be with a male doctor who has been accused of sexually abusing one of his women patients. The medical board would immediately remove his and his credentials would be revoked while some sort of an investigation took place.
The primary concern should be for any possible victims, past or present, no matter their age. The investigation should proceed while an individual's due process rights are respected.
As a citizen of this country everyone has the freedom to speak to whomever one wishes, engage a lawyer etc., because such rights are not abrogated by one's state of life, unless this church believes it is a branch of the Legionaries of Christ or some other religious cult and has completely brainwashed its members into believing such.
Posted by: C. M. Henry | August 23, 2009 6:34 PM
Im sorry that such a honest&good person should be accused of an allegation that may have happened forty years ago,He has been wonderful in Cumberland,He presided at my Granddaughters funeral,He made us all feel that she is in a better place.
Also he has done many things to improve St Patrick's parish.
I don't believe such a good man is guilty of any crimes as discribed
Posted by: Edward Dillon | August 23, 2009 9:12 PM
Whether it happend forty years ago, four weeks ago or four days ago does not change the horrid nature of what this person is accused of.
Like murder, the soul murder of children that Cardinal William Keeler spoke of should have no statute of limitation criminally or civilly.
Let justice take its course while this individual is accorded his due process rights.
We would all like it to be untrue but keeping our heads buried in the sand is not helpful.
Posted by: C. M. Henry | August 24, 2009 7:05 AM
I believe that the Archdiocese is acting correctly in this case. If it didn't take these actions--even in the accusations turn out to be totally baseless (and many in the past have)--you will never hear the end of the complaining from SNAP, Voice of the Faithful, or other such groups. In fact, the way the Archdiocese is acting should be a model for public institutions and schools as well. Unfortunately, as an AP report from last fall revealed, the extent of the cover-up and lies by public school officials across the nation and the incidence of pedophilia and ephebophilia by public school teachers is out of control. The harsh light of public scrutiny needs to be turned on the public schools.
Posted by: John | August 24, 2009 12:49 PM
it seems strange that someone would dredge something up from 35 or 40 years ago; memory can change the reality of what really happened. From now one, when a representative from the Archdiocese stands at the pulpit to give a homily and beg for money, I, for one, am walking out; and I don't think I will be alone.
Posted by: jack s kegg | August 24, 2009 9:38 PM
He is a worthless piece of s--t. I've waited years for things to catch up to him. He's responsible for ruining the life of someone who trusted him.
Posted by: NamVet | November 26, 2009 5:37 PM
I for one left that parish because they kept telling me to eat fish. Plus I no longer believe in most of its rules.like eating fish on Friday's not because of Father Bevan and joined a Baptist Church. Don't worry it is not a Church where females are required to wear a dress or no fun. A Southern Baptist minded denomination
Posted by: John | June 13, 2010 9:25 PM
I was a staff member at the Church of St. Mark Fallston while Father Bevan was assigned there. He was highly respected by all and I had occasion to work and socialize with him on many occasions. He is a fine man and I sincerely pray that these allegations will be proved wrong. While training to be a CCD teacher, I was surprised to learn that if I said that I had ever been abused the trainer would be required to report it to the authorities. I wonder how many times someone perceives they were abused and it gets reported because it is mandated. If the allegations are true then justice should be served.
Posted by: Rosa | October 12, 2010 2:48 PM