Order: CSP
Ordained: 1961
Status: Accused
Died: 08/31/2013
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD
In December of 1993, the Archdiocese of Baltimore announced that it had removed Father Francis Sweeney from his position as chaplain of the Charlestown Retirement Community in Catonsville, citing “inappropriate sexual contact with minors.” On September 25, 2002, Cardinal Keeler released a list of accused priests, which included Father Francis Sweeney, stating that Sweeney had “disclosed that he had sexually abused two individuals during the late 1970s and early 1980s” in 1993.
Keeler provided a partial assignment history for Sweeney, omitting his position as adjunct faculty from 1986-1994 at St. Mary Seminary, where Keeler served as Chancellor. Sweeney was sent for evaluation and treatment in 1993 and then transferred to Boston, where he worked at the Paulist Center faith community from 1997-2002, according to the Directory. Following the release of Keeler’s list, Sweeney’s name was adjusted from “Francis M” to “Frank M” in the 2003-2004 Directories, and he was listed as residing at the Paulist Generalate in the New York archdiocese. Sweeney died on August 31, 2013, in the New York Archdiocese, and was included on the Archdiocese of Los Angeles list of accused priests in January 2013.