Fr. Ronald Belschner
The Archdiocese announced in 8/2019 that it had received an allegation that Belschner sexually abused a child in the mid-1970s, while assigned to St. Gregory the Great. He denied the allegations. Belschner went on leave of absence in 1991 and his faculties were permanently removed. Included in the MD Attorney General’s 4/5/2023 report. It shows a report in 12/2017 to the Archdiocese that Belschner abused a boy, age 14 or 15, in 1975-1976. Another man told the Archdiocese in 10/2020 the priest sexually abused him, including rape, 1976-1979. Belschner adopted a 17-year-old boy in the mid-1980s. Parishioners and staff voiced concerns about Bechtel’s behavior to the Archdiocese in 1990. In 1991 Bishop Murphy told Belschner to have the young man living with him move out. Belschner defied this and was placed on leave. He agreed to treatment, but did not follow through.
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