Archdiocese of Washington Sexual Abuse Claims
Thousands of children have suffered abuse over the past 75 years at the hands of members of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington. We are filing church sexual abuse lawsuits now for survivors.
At The Yost Legal Group, we stand with survivors, providing the guidance and support needed to pursue justice and begin healing.
Our dedicated team is here to listen, support, and assist you in filing an Archdiocese of Washington sexual abuse lawsuit.
A child sexual abuse lawyer represents survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Our legal team has the experience to successfully manage the complex and challenging process of pursuing legal action against formidable institutions, such as the Catholic Church.
Holding the Archdiocese Accountable: Justice for Survivors
The Yost Legal Group currently represents over 100 survivors in the litigation against the Archdiocese of Baltimore. The Archdiocese of Baltimore hired and protected pedophiles and sexual predators for many years. The Archdiocese of Washington did the same.
- The Yost Legal Group is here for survivors.
- We will listen to you with care and compassion
- Our team can provide resources and information to assist in your healing
- We’ll take on your case when you are ready to file a claim
- Let us hold abusive institutions accountable for decades of crimes against children
- This was NOT your fault, and we will fight for your justice
If you or someone you care about was molested by an employee of the Archdiocese of Washington, you may have a case. You could be entitled to significant compensation.
The abuse may have happened in a church, a parish, a Catholic school, or an after-school program run by the Church. Contact our experienced sexual assault attorneys for a free consultation. We are available via call and text at 410-659-6800.
Fighting for Survivors of Abuse in the Archdiocese of Washington
We know it can be hard to share your past experiences. This is especially true when talking to a stranger about childhood sexual abuse. To properly investigate and work your case, we will need details about your experience.
With that said, your comfort and well-being are our priority, so we will do our best to work at your pace as we investigate the details of your claim.
When abuse happens to a family member in a religious institution, filing a lawsuit against the roman catholic church is the first step. As a victim of sexual assault, bringing your alleged abusers to justice can start the healing process.
Child molestation within the Catholic dioceses and other religious organizations must be stopped. We are lawyers for abuse survivors who will gently walk you through the legal process.
Legal Support for Survivors of Clergy Childhood Sexual Abuse
The Archdiocese of Washington covers areas beyond Washington, DC, and has many parishes in Maryland.
Are you a survivor of rape or molestation by a priest, teacher, or employee of the Archdiocese of Washington in Maryland? You may qualify to file a church molestation claim to seek financial compensation.
Filing a clergy abuse lawsuit will help us hold the Church accountable. We want to ensure they face consequences for allowing years of abuse to many children.
It will send a strong message that can protect children in the future from suffering abuse at the hands of the Church. The DC church sex abuse scandal has been going on for decades. When church leaders fail to protect their parishioners against catholic church sexual abuse, they must be held accountable.
The Archdiocese of Washington, established on July 29, 1939, comprises the District of Columbia (DC) and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Saint Mary’s.
Among the six “territories,” Washington’s archdiocese oversees 144 parishes and over 680,000 Catholic worshipers. Managing many churches that host many churchgoers is an immense undertaking requiring tremendous care.
You can find a list of every parish below, sorted by territory.
- Annunciation (Church of), Washington
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Church of), Washington
- Epiphany Catholic Church, Washington
- Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian, Washington
- Holy Name of Jesus, Washington
- Holy Redeemer, Washington
- Holy Rosary, Washington
- Holy Trinity, Washington
- Immaculate Conception, Washington
- Incarnation (Church of), Washington
- Kidane-Mehret Ge’ez Rite, Washington
- Most Blessed Sacrament (Shrine of), Washington
- Nativity of Our Lord Jesus (Church of), Washington
- Our Lady of Victory, Washington
- Our Lady Queen of Peace, Washington
- Our Lady Queen of the Americas, Washington
- Sacred Heart (Shrine of), Washington
- St. Ann, Washington
- St. Anthony of Padua, Washington
- St. Augustine, Washington
- St. Benedict the Moor, Washington
- St. Dominic, Washington
- St. Francis de Sales, Washington
- St. Francis Xavier, Washington
- St. Gabriel, Washington
- St. Ignatius , Ft. Washington
- St. Joseph on Capitol Hill, Washington
- St. Louis de France, Washington
- St. Luke, Washington
- St. Martin of Tours, Washington
- St. Mary Mother of God, Washington
- St. Matthew the Apostle (Cathedral of), Washington
- St. Patrick, Washington
- St. Peter’s Church on Capitol Hill, Washington
- St. Stephen Martyr, Washington
- St. Teresa of Avila, Washington
- St. Thomas Apostle, Washington
- St. Thomas More, Washington
- St. Vincent de Paul, Washington
- Holy Ghost, Newburg
- Our Lady Help of Christians, Waldorf
- Sacred Heart, La Plata
- St. Catherine of Alexandria, Port Tobacco
- St. Francis de Sales, Benedict
- St. Ignatius, Chapel Point
- St. Ignatius Loyola, Hilltop / Port Tobacco
- St. Joseph, Pomfret
- St. Mary, Charlotte Hall (Newport)
- St. Mary, Bryantown
- St. Mary Star of the Sea, Indian Head
- St. Peter, Waldorf
- Christ the King, Silver Spring
- Holy Cross, Garrett Park
- Holy Redeemer, Kensington
- Little Flower (Church of), Bethesda
- Mother Seton, Germantown
- Our Lady of China, Rockville
- Our Lady of Grace, Silver Spring
- Our Lady of Lourdes, Bethesda
- Our Lady of Mercy, Potomac
- Our Lady of Sorrows, Takoma Park
- Our Lady of the Presentation, Poolesville
- Our Lady of the Visitation, Darnestown
- Our Lady of Vietnam, Silver Spring
- Our Lady Queen of Poland, Silver Spring
- Resurrection (Church of), Burtonsville
- St. Andrew Apostle, Silver Spring
- St. Andrew Kim, Olney
- St. Bartholomew, Bethesda
- St. Bernadette, Silver Spring
- St. Camillus, Silver Spring
- St. Catherine Labouré, Wheaton
- St. Elizabeth, Rockville
- St. Francis of Assisi, Derwood
- St. Jude (Shrine of), Rockville
- St. Jane Frances de Chantal, Bethesda
- St. John Neumann, Gaithersburg
- St. John the Baptist, Silver Spring
- St. John the Evangelist, Silver Spring
- St. Martin of Tours, Gaithersburg
- St. Mary, Barnesville
- St. Mary, Rockville
- St. Michael the Archangel, Silver Spring
- St. Patrick, Rockville
- St. Paul, Damascus
- St. Peter, Olney
- St. Raphael, Rockville
- St. Rose of Lima, Gaithersburg
- Ascension, Bowie
- Holy Family, Hillcrest Heights
- Holy Family, Mitchellville
- Holy Redeemer, College Park
- Holy Spirit (Church of), Forestville
- Most Holy Rosary, Upper Marlboro
- Mount Calvary, Forestville
- Nigerian Catholic Community at St. Jerome, Hyattsville
- Our Lady of Fátima, Riverdale Park
- Sacred Heart, Bowie
- St. Ambrose, Cheverly
- St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Riverdale Park
- St. Bernardine of Siena, Suitland
- St. Columba, Oxon Hill
- St. Dominic, Brandywine
- St. Edward the Confessor, Bowie
- St. Francis of Assisi Deaf Catholic Church
- St. Hugh, Greenbelt
- St. James, Mt. Rainier
- St. Jerome, Hyattsville
- St. John Baptist de la Salle, Chillum
- St. John the Evangelist, Clinton
- St. Joseph, Largo
- St. Joseph, Beltsville
- St. Margaret of Scotland, Seat Pleasant
- St. Mark the Evangelist, Hyattsville
- St. Mary, Clinton
- St. Mary, Landover Hills
- St. Mary of the Assumption, Upper Marlboro
- St. Mary of the Mills, Laurel
- St. Matthias the Apostle, Lanham
- St. Michael, Brandywine
- St. Nicholas, Laurel
- St. Philip the Apostle, Camp Springs
- St. Pius X, Bowie
- Holy Angels, Avenue
- Holy Face, Great Mills
- Immaculate Conception, Mechanicsville
- Immaculate Heart of Mary, Lexington Park
- Our Lady of the Wayside, Chaptico
- Our Lady’s Church, Medley’s Neck
- Sacred Heart, Bushwood
- St. Aloysius, Leonardtown
- St. Cecilia, St. Mary’s City
- St. Francis Xavier, Leonardtown
- St. George, Valley Lee
- St. John Francis, Hollywood
- St. Joseph, Morganza
- St. Michael, Ridge
- St. Peter Claver, St. Inigoes
- Holy Angels, Avenue
- Holy Face, Great Mills
- Immaculate Conception, Mechanicsville
- Immaculate Heart of Mary, Lexington Park
- Our Lady of the Wayside, Chaptico
- Our Lady’s Church, Medley’s Neck
- Sacred Heart, Bushwood
- St. Aloysius, Leonardtown
- St. Cecilia, St. Mary’s City
- St. Francis Xavier, Leonardtown
- St. George, Valley Lee
- St. John Francis, Hollywood
- St. Joseph, Morganza
- St. Michael, Ridge
- St. Peter Claver, St. Inigoes
For decades, many innocent children have had their lives destroyed by sexual abusers in the Catholic Church. These abusers were employed and protected by the Church.
Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Washington
Allegations against members of the Archdiocese of Washington are not new.
In December 2006, the archdiocese paid a $1.6-million settlement to 16 men who had accused eight priests of sexual abuses over a 20-year period between 1962 and 1982, even though no lawsuit was officially filed because of the lapsed statute of limitations.
Then, in the fall of 2018, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced and investigated the Archdiocese of Washington.
The following month, the Archdiocese of Washington released the names of 31 clergy members who had been “credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors,” with the earliest reported incident having taken place in 1948.
(The Archdiocese of Washington’s list of child sexual abusers is available here.)
This story was so big that The Washington Post and USA Today (among other mainstream media outlets) all featured articles.
In November 2019, Urbano Vazquez, one of the priests named in the report, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for four felony accounts of child sexual abuse.
Formerly a priest at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Columbia Heights since his assignment to the parish in 2014, Vazquez was found guilty after being accused of groping a 13-year-old in 2015 and kissing and groping a nine-year-old in 2016. He was also accused of sexually assaulting an adult female in 2016.
Unveiling Patterns of Child Sex Abuse in the Catholic Church’s History
When the Maryland Office of the Attorney General released its report on Child Sexual Abuse in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in April of 2023, it detailed abuses committed by 156 members of the Baltimore Archdiocese.
The attorney general launched a grand jury investigation in 2018, which resulted in a landmark 463-page report.
The investigation used subpoenas to gather many documents from as early as the 1940s. This included treatment reports, personnel records, transfer reports, and policies.
A year before the attorney general’s report, Netflix released “The Keepers.” This documentary series looks into the unsolved murder of a nun from 1969. It revealed a cover-up and sexual abuse allegations from former female students of Archbishop Keough High School, an all-girls Catholic institution in Baltimore, Maryland, managed by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Many of the abusers highlighted in “The Keepers” were named in the attorney general’s report with additional information and evidence.
What’s more, long before The Keepers, The Boston Globe’s now-world-renowned “Spotlight Investigation” series from 2002 into the Archdiocese of Boston’s decades of abuses and cover-ups, in many ways, laid the groundwork for putting the Catholic Church under the microscope.
Confidential Legal Help for Childhood Sexual Abuse Survivors
If you or someone you care about is a survivor of childhood sexual abuse or assault by a member of the Archdiocese of Washington, you don’t have to face this alone.
At The Yost Legal Group, we have skilled sexual assault lawyers. They are here to offer caring support and guidance. We can help you explore your possible claim against the Church.
We offer a free, confidential consultation to listen to your story and help you take the first step toward justice. It takes courage to come forward. We are committed to handling your case with the utmost care and respect.
Call us today at 410-659-6800 or 1-800-YOST-LAW. Your voice matters, and we’re here to support you.
Seeking Justice for Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse
There is a clear history of sexual abuse and misconduct within the Archdiocese of Washington. The archdiocese released a 2018 report naming 31 clergy members with credible sexual abuse allegations against them. The Yost Legal Group believes there is much more to be uncovered.
We fight for survivors to help them get the clarity, compensation, and justice they deserve. By filing Sexual Abuse Lawsuits, you hold those responsible and help to bring about change.
We are here to listen, help, and fight for you. Know that you are not alone.
If you or a loved one was sexually abused as a child by a member of the Archdiocese of Washington, you may have a case. We are here to listen if you are ready to tell your truth. Call or text the experienced and compassionate childhood sexual abuse survivor attorneys at The Yost Legal Group today: 410-659-6800.
Church Sexual Abuse Lawyer – Catholic Church Molestation Lawyer – Catholic School Sexual Molestation Claims
Catholic Church Sex Abuse Lawyer – Clergy Sexual Abuse Lawyers – Archdiocese of DC Sex Abuse Lawyer
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