Ordained: 1957
Status: Accused
Died: 01/19/2013
Diocese: Archdiocese of Baltimore MD
Father Joseph Krach faced accusations of misconduct dating back to 1968 when two priests from St. John the Evangelist in Severna Park voiced concerns about his behavior with boys. Following a hospitalization at Baltimore’s Seton Psychiatric Institute, it was recommended that Krach be under the “kind but firm” supervision of a pastor and avoid any contact with boys.
More than two decades later, when asked about their report, one of the priests claimed to have heard about Krach’s issues with altar boys at a prior post in Oakland, Maryland. However, there is no record of any efforts to identify victims, inform the public, or limit Krach’s access to children. In 1990, the archdiocese referred Krach to a mental health clinic in Pennsylvania due to his “questionable relationships with male teenagers and young adults,” as reported.
Krach’s public identification as a credible abuser was only made in the attorney general’s report, and he passed away in 2013 at the age of 81.