As the Nazi doctor in Martin Amiss novel Times Arrow puts it, Because I am a healer, everything I do heals, somehow.. After giving graphic details of her alleged abuse, she was pressed for the names of witnesses or other victims. Rev Anthony Joseph Maskell. Resend Activation Email. She claims the priest watched her administer douches, as well as enemas. MAUCIONE: Maryland's grand jury probe is one of a handful of recent state investigations into the Catholic Church. Hes dead. Oh, God, Cesnik allegedly said. I was confused, she says, yet excited that someone out there was going to take action.. Could the recently recovered memory of a long-forgotten offense become grounds for a proper lawsuit? And to go on a new road. That was Jennifers last memory of her high school days at Archbishop Keough. Maskell also worked as a psychologist in private practice in Wexford and nearby Castlebridge from 1995 to 1998. Taken to St. Agnes Hospital, she drifted in and out of a coma for two weeks, while doctors struggled to come up with a definite explanation. In the 1990s, Jean Wehner came forward and alleged that Father Maskell had sexually abused her and allowed other men to do the same. One day, Nelson opened the door to Evas hospital room to find Maskell, bent close over her daughter, his arm resting on the edge of her bed. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Well, Maskell died in 2001, at the age of 62, from the effects of a major stroke. Maskell served at Sacred Heart of Mary (Baltimore) from 1965 to 1966, at St. Clement (Lansdowne) from 1966 to Chronicling one of the most infamous such cases, Lawrence Wright, in his gripping 1994 book Remembering Satan, goes so far as to argue that a Washington state policeman remembered abusing his daughters in a series of bizarre cult rituals only because overzealous interrogators convinced him of it. You know whether shes telling the truth, Erlandson insisted, towering over Dantes. HARGEDON WEHNER: It's going to validate survivors to their families and to those loved ones that didn't necessarily know how to believe such a horrible thing. Copies of the ad were also mailed directly to Keough alums. Jennifer claims she now remembers a cold dayMaskell was wearing gloves; she, a coatwhen he took her to visit Cesniks corpse. Once ordained, Maskell was known for delivering thoughtful homilies with a compelling bass voice, and for excelling in the heroic moment. When the doctor prescribed a thrice-weekly douche, Maskell offered the private bathroom adjoining his office for that purpose. Birth. The priest advised her to stay away from Maskell and shut the door in her face, she says. The priest who is apt to be corrupted by this process might rationalize that in the service of cleansing other of their sins, he needs to examine that sin in great detail, Sipe postulates. Maskell was born in Baltimore, but his family was from Ireland, said Baltimore archdiocese spokesman Sean Caine. Teresa Lancaster, who was featured in "The Keepers" as an abuse survivor, said Maskell spoke about Ireland when he was working at Archbishop Keough. As a student in high school, she went to Maskell for advice on the usual teenage stuff. Decades later, Mroz said she is only now beginning the process of healing from what transpired during those visits. According to diocesan spokesman William Blaul, investigators talked with dozens of other Keough students and came away empty-handed. Accounts from legal plaintiffs are taken from their court appearances and public documents. In heavily Catholic Central Maryland, these are no academic questions. (Though during the years that Jennifer was in high school, some 1,500 students attended Keough.). The silver-haired lawyer went on to list six additional male abusers, including the city politician who Jennifer claimed had given a pretend political speech while she was required to perform oral sex on him. I could tell by the arch of his back that he was personally feeling the suffering that was in front of him, remembers Chaplain Robert K. Shaffer. But with charges mounting nationally that the Catholic church lacked the fortitude to police its own ranks, the pressure was on for a show of self-prosecution. The archdiocese, says this family source, countered with more restrictive choices: Either check in to a Connecticut psychiatric facility, or step down from the pulpit. For six hours, she says, he interrogated her. At 14, Maskell went off to St. Charles Seminary in Catonsville, but returned after about a week because he was homesick. This flower has been reported and will not be visible while under review. So, he went on to lead a normal life following the alleged abuse and there is relatively little information about him online. In his search for relevant information, Judge Hilary Caplan, a 12-year veteran jurist, had personally sorted through the load of papers that Maskell had ordered buried four years earlier in Holy Cross cemeteryostensibly to protect parishioner privacy without violating a ban against outdoor burning. and you declare another group superior, and then thirdly you reserve the power to this superior group, it lines up the inferior group to be used at the service of the superior group. The temptation for members of the elite, he continues, is to hold themselves blameless for breaking certain codes of behavior, and even for thinking themselves above such codes. ", Rolling Stone reports that Magnus was the Director of Religious Studies at Keough Catholic High School throughout the late '60s and '70s. Wehner says this action was her final personal interaction with the Archdiocese of Baltimore. WebAccording to media reports, the police investigated the charges and interviewed Maskell. Cesnik, however, met a different fate, and was found murdered in 1969. After police met with Jennifer in the spring of 1994, they reactivated their investigation, but were unable to verify her account, which differed from the original crime scene, says Homicide Commander Captain Rustin Price. Documents show that the Archdiocese reached settlements with 15 of Maskell's The field where she lay was four and a half miles from her apartment, but not far from Maskells former parish, St. Clement, in Lansdowne. Her face has changed since high school: Her features are sharper, her gaze more penetrating. She said Maskell wasnt the only man present, and described abuse by Maskell and another school official that included taking photos of her, as a minor, naked, and calling her in for joint counseling sessions during which they would masturbate in front of her. Once you get ordained, it all falls into place.. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. And I couldnt help wondering if maybe one of the Catholic officials had gotten to somebody high up in the police.". Tracy claims Maskell hugged her and told her that, although he wasnt supposed to touch the girls, they found it calming. Try again later. GREAT NEWS! JENNIFER WORTHAM: We need significant reform, and we can have uniform federal laws to protect children everywhere, because what applies to the Catholic Church also applies to other not-for-profit organizations. Maskell died in 2001, but just prior to the premiere, the Baltimore County police department announced that they'd exhumed the priest's grave to compare his DNA evidence with the little remaining evidence in Cesnik's cold case. Many of those interviewed remember Maskell for his imperious, manipulative or lewd behavior. Ann*, who doesnt wish to be named because I still have a fear of the man, says Maskell invited her on a boat ride with some other girls. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. I am one of his victims.". The Latest Assault Victim Since 'The Keepers' Comes Forward In the first of these alleged abuses, she recalls confessing to a Keough priest that her uncle had urged her to let a dog lick her sexually, and that the dog later died. To the victims of sexually abusive priests, mere explanations such as craving disorder or narcissism or doubling surely provide thin solace indeed, and a wholly inadequate foundation upon which to repair ones spirituality. He has been accused of molesting dozens of students during that time, and as WJZ investigations have revealed, some of his alleged victims think the abuse relates to the 1969 murder of a nun who also worked at the school, Sister Cathy Cesnik. But Babe Nelson doubted her daughter was lucid enough to make a confession; the girl even seemed to be asleep. Perhaps the show of force would prompt a confession. Joseph Maskell. During the 10-minute break that followed, Sun reporter Robert Erlandson buttonholed Dantes in the back of the courtroom. Friends from his teen years cant recall Maskell ever expressing a libido. Physical pain. But other cases are better explained as the consequence of narcissistic personality disorder, according to some experts. She and Teresa Lancaster, then both known anonymously as Jane Doe and Jane Roe, filed charges against Maskell in 1994, in a case that was eventually thrown out on a technicality in 1995. Meanwhile, doctors at the Connecticut psychiatric facility, the Institute of Living, conducted a nearly six-month course of evaluation, after which the archdiocese determined Maskell was able to return to ministry, says Blaul. On another occasion, she claims, he held an unloaded gun to her head and pulled the trigger, allegedly warning that her policeman father, if he ever learned what was going on, would surely do the same thing with a loaded gun. I had no clue that my memories going back that other girls in my class had been going through the suffering they did too. Being dropped off at the St. Clement rectory. Do you believe those girls trying to accuse Father Maskell of such outrageous behavior? one of them said. Nonetheless, for some celibate priests, the fact that all sex is forbidden arguably blurs distinctions among different types of sexual behavior. Please complete the captcha to let us know you are a real person. It is our place to be back here, recalls long-time friend and fellow seminarian William Kern. You need a Find a Grave account to continue. I just ask the questions, Dantes replied, his back near the rear wall of the courtroom. This represents significantly higher rates, he believes, than among clergy of non-celibate denominations. For NPR News, I'm Scott Maucione in Baltimore. Bill began telling his friends to be careful around the priest. If you have questions, please contact [emailprotected]. "Nobody ever told me to back off the investigation in order to protect the Catholic Church," Roemer told the Baltimore Sun. He pulled his chair around to the front of his desk and allegedly removed her clothing, piece by piece, until she was completely naked, she says. Even before age 12, Eva Nelson had been tormented by two thoughts whose origins mystified her. Surprisingly, however, it was Maskells name under a nearby photo that caused in her an ugly stir., In the following months, Jennifer waded into a stream of increasingly chilling convictions. She said he showed her the dead body of a teacher, Sister Cathy Cesnik (pictured), whod gone missing and threatened her with the same fate if she ever told anyone about their sexual encounters. Why did they allow us harm when they are supposed to be following a loving god, a protecting god, and yet we were victimized? asked Mroz. Raymond F. Collins, dean of the Catholic Universitys School of Religious Studies, believes seminaries are much better able to prepare students for celibacy today than during the era when he and Sipe (as well as Maskell) were enrolled. How qualified was Maskell for this difficult course? Im sorry. What was his involvement?. In February 1995, Maskells priestly duties were permanently revoked. Overhearing this, 38-year old Eva Nelson Cruz felt rage, and she snapped back: Dont be surprised if someone right here at the table had a problem.. People who you knew, all of a sudden theyre not talking to you. MAUCIONE: David Lorenz, the Maryland director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says the reports are a way for victims to grieve and to hold the church accountable. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. Lancaster claims that he said, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. According to the Baltimore Sun, Maskell denied the accusations until his death in 2001. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Kneeling in the gravel by the railroad ties, he administered last rites and tried to comfort those still alive, including a woman who had been carried from the wreckage without one of her legs. But even the things she says shes always remembered were bad enough that, for part of her adult life, she kept track of Maskells whereabouts with the thought of killing him. Was it someone that Cesnik knew? They called Tracy to the stand, where she carefully recited her old, then new alleged memories of Maskell. Cruz asked her mother, Babe, what she remembered about Maskell. You wont remember. She had been having additional revelations about Maskell. To an accused brother? New alleged memories continued to surface: Maskell and two police men raping her in the back seat of his car; Maskell hypnotizing her; Maskell spraying her and himself with a feminine hygiene product before raping her as Irish music played. The results came back on May 17 and revealed that Maskell's DNA did not match crime scene evidence, according to The Washington Post. DAVID LORENZ: It is a growing body of evidence for a national scourge. Jennifer emotionally told them they should take the responsibility off of her and do something. As first reported by The Irish Times, Father Joseph Maskell moved to Ireland when those allegations first surfaced in the 1990s, and now that country's Health Service Executive is looking into how he spent his time there. This first week in May, Caplan was holding a preliminary hearing to consider whether so-called recovered memories constituted justifiable exception to the states three-year statute of limitations in civil suits. I dont think Father Maskells connected to her death in any way., The newspaper ad mailed to Keough alumnae arrived at the Howard County home of Tracy* in the fall of 1993. One of these women adds that Maskell was so taken with himself that, as part of her counseling, he put his face within a few inches of hers and asked her to look into his eyes and tell him how beautiful they were and how good looking he was. Found more than one record for entered Email, You need to confirm this account before you can sign in. And does the priesthoods celibate nature attract men who are earnestly fleeing their urges, only to leave them ill equipped in moments of temptation? In recent years, the mutability of memory and the related legal implications have ignited tremendous controversy among researchers and the public. (Toward that end, he says, todays seminarians undergo criminal background checks and a battery of tests designed to ferret out character flaws, though no test is completely reliable for detecting a predisposition to sexual abuse.). Sipe has interviewed or reviewed the histories of more than 2,000 Catholic priests. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. After leaving Keough, in August 1982, he became the principal of Towson Catholic High School before eventually passing away in 1988. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. / CBS Baltimore. MAUCIONE: The archdiocese declined to be interviewed for this story, but Baltimore Archbishop William Lori acknowledged its role in the sexual abuse of children in a YouTube video. Bill graduated on time, and within three months Maskell, though continuing to reside and perform some duties at St. Clement, was assigned to Archbishop Keough High School for girls. Maryland's Attorney General will soon release results of an investigation of abuse by 150 priests over eighty years. BRIAN FROSH: What we heard from survivors was that the abuse changed their lives. By 1994, Maskell no longer worked at the high school and was the pastor of Holy Cross Church in Baltimore. According to the Los Angeles Times, Maskell (who denied initial accusations until his death in 2001) was removed from the ministry in 1994 and afterwards fled to Ireland. Cruz brought her mother. The report implicates 158 priests. They often started out talking about sports, but invariably wound to the subject of male anatomy, alleges Bill. Von Den Bosh said Maskell would pull her out of class, call her into his office and assault her. A crucifix, she announced. Oops, we were unable to send the email. Try again. As sexual orientations, they are not curable, only containable, usually through a combination of drug and talk therapies as well as eternal vigilance. "The Archdiocese reported this matter immediately to civil authorities. 2023 BDG Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The nun's former students have since launched their own amateur investigation into who killed her, while also bringing forth allegations of a rampant sexual abuse ring, allegedly led by Father Joseph Maskell and Father Neil Magnus. Bill says he began to feel cautious around Maskell. As of now, the true nature of Cesnik's death and whether Maskell was actually involved are undetermined. He was my mentor, says one. Efforts by Baltimore magazine to speak with Woy and the other church administrators have all been referred to diocesan spokesman Blaul, who generally refrains from comment in matters of ongoing litigation. There were other Keough teachers whod abused her as well, Jennifer said, as had two of the nuns, including a high-ranking administrator of the school, who was with Father Maskel, and they were using the vibrator, and she went down on me.. Try again later. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. With the exception of the cape, everything Cruz brought up had been reported to Wallace by someone else. McHugh is on the board of the False Memory Syndrome Foundation, a national support and advocacy group that helps parents whose children are purportedly misled in therapy into believing they were abused. No matter what I said to him, he said, I understand, dear. Tired and distressed by what theyd witnessed at the crash, Shaffer and Maskell left the scene around 11 p.m. Shaffer, a Protestant, went home to his wife of 36 years. A newspaper account from the time, however, describes the field as a dump., And county detective Sam Bowerman, an FBI-trained expert in criminal personality profiling, believes Cesniks murderer was a stranger. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Tracy regarded the attorney coolly. The investigation might have been hindered by the church (and maybe the Despite his earlier declaration to parishioners, he asked the archdiocese if he could return to the Institute of Living, citing stress from the ongoing ordeal. Jean Wehner, who told police in '94 that priest had shown her Sr. Cesnik's body, plays central role in new series. Resend Activation Email, Please check the I'm not a robot checkbox, If you want to be a Photo Volunteer you must enter a ZIP Code or select your location on the map. Jennifer also claims Maskell once put a gun in her mouth. The hammer came down in two seven-count complaints, asking for a total reward to Jennifer and Tracy of $40 million. Failed to report flower. The priest, A. Joseph Maskell, worked in Wexford for about seven months in 1995 as a temporary clinical psychologist for an Irish public health board, according to There is yet another path of thought down which a narcissistic or otherwise maladjusted priest can be led astray, according to Sipe. Joseph Francis Maskell, an office-furniture salesman with Lucas Brothers, was known for his short fuse. The name is seen nearly 200 times throughout the over 450-page report Father Anthony Joseph Maskell. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Anthony Maskell (179180629)? You can customize the cemeteries you volunteer for by selecting or deselecting below. He raped me. Mrozs story rings eerily familiar with those brought to life by The Keepers. Another survivor, Donna Von Den Bosh, spoke in the docu-series about her experience with Maskell. The archdiocese released a statement prior to the docu-series release in May of last year stating the church did not become aware of abuse by Maskell until 199220 years after the abuse. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. Add to your scrapbook. Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. We feel shame and regret for anyone victimized and offer them our sincere prayers and support. (He denied initial accusations until his death in 2001.) Sean Caine, Vice Chancellor at the Archdiocese of Baltimore, confirmed the church has been in communication with Mroz's lawyers regarding her alleged assault, but also said they have not engaged in mediation. And it has forced a nationwide soul-searching both inside the Church and out, all of it eventually arising from one profound question: What mechanism of the mind could so effectively suppress the conscienceespecially the presumably higher conscience of a priestthat a man might permanently injure children entrusted to his care? Pedophilia the sexual attraction to pre-pubescents, and ephebophilia, the attraction to young adolescents, are often regarded nowadays as biological compulsionno more changeable than, say, adult heterosexuality. Raised in a devout Catholic family in Baltimore, Maryland, Mrozs parents sent her to Keough from 1968 to 1972. His sister Maureen says hes simply up north., Wherever he is, Maskell feels tremendously isolated, reports his longtime friend Rev. Catholicism is the true religion and youre going to go to hell if you believe any other way. She and her husband fired him. One of the Churchs most controversial codes, clerical celibacy has long been a time-honored tradition, but its hardly a founding doctrine. But, what happened to Father Neil Magnus? If I lose this parish, he told his half-brother Tom, I dont know if Ill be able to handle it.. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Your new password must contain one or more uppercase and lowercase letters, and one or more numbers or special characters. Since then, general interest in the case has increased. She claims that one day during ninth grade, Maskell summoned her to his office to mention that her reading aptitude was below par. Now, there was Brother [David*] also?. And Maskell himself addressed the issue from his new pulpit one Sunday morning, assuring the congregation that he would not run from these untrue allegations. After a four-year grand jury investigation, a judge will soon release details of what children and young adults endured over the past 80 years. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. She requested a meeting with one of the diocesan representatives without lawyers present and was told no. I remember kicking somebody in the mouth. Cruz told the group that Maskell had taken her to a boat and that she was convinced the two had had intercourse, and also that he had penetrated her with an object she couldnt picture. Lifton coins the term doubling for the mechanism through which a person, especially one of elevated moral standing, is able to reconcile his misdeeds with his conscience by creating an additional perspective. If his developmental years were any indication, Maskell displayed little outward interest in any sexual life at all. After receiving a card from an old friend and a news article about the rampant abuse at her alma mater from a family member, the details that flooded back from her teenage years were shocking. Suggestions of a cover-up by the archdiocese are speculative and false.. Often the object of abuse in their own childhoods, abusers with narcissistic personality disorder are extremely difficult cases, because they are unable to see their own actions from anothers point of view. But, what happened to Father Neil Magnus? Father A. Joseph Maskell, and possibly others, is accused of assaulting multiple students and teachers at Baltimores Archbishop Keough High School in the 1960s. Hard.. ), Cruz believes there was a second man on the boat: stocky, with a round face and thinning hair. The Keepers highlights components of the culture surrounding the church and practicing families that may have contributed to a continuation of the abuse. They quickly decided there was. For a brief moment, shortly after his exile to Connecticut, it looked like Fr. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Several detectives who worked on the case, including retired homicide detective Louis George "Bud" Roemer, reported having been told by "higher-ups" in the police department to lay off the investigation at various junctures. She claims the priest then began masturbating, saying that if she told anyone, she would go to hell. WebA woman received acknowledgment of crimes and financial assistance for counseling from the archdiocese in 11/2016 due to her claims of rape by Magnus and another priest, Rev. Priests and brothers were regular guests. Mroz said. One anonymous former detective on the case reported that the boxes had contained psychological evaluations of the students Maskell counseled at the school allegedly, the priest preyed upon the most "troubled" students under his care and even nude photos of underage victims. Judge Caplan, after listening to the experts on both sides, did not believe there was sufficient scientific foundation to support the contention that Jennifer and Tracy had lost and then somehow recovered their memories of abuse.