Father William Mannion, Jr
Archdiocese of Baltimore
Ordained: 1989
Laicized: 2004
Assignment History:
- 1989-1994: St. Anthony of Padua Church (Baltimore, MD)
- 1994-2098: St. Agnes Church (Catonsville, MD)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Father William “Bill” Mannion, Jr.
Father William Mannion, Jr. was a Catholic priest who worked in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Mannion left the ministry in May of 1998, and his priestly faculties, or ability to act publicly as a priest, were removed for reasons unrelated to child abuse. He requested to be formally removed from the clerical state (laicized) by the Vatican. He was laicized in 2004 and later married and started a family.
According to recent media reports, on March 24, 2025, Baltimore County announced that William “Bill” Mannion was arrested and charged with second-degree child abuse and 15 felonies and multiple sex offenses. Mannion, 62, was released on home detention following his arrest. According to the police, Mannion began abusing a seven-year-old altar boy starting when he was in second grade (1991) and continuing through fourth grade (1994) at St. Agnes School.
According to charging documents, the man told his therapist that Mannion would pull him out of class and take him to the monastery where the abuse would happen, and the priest would play Christian rock music and use puppets. Manion is barred from having any contact with minors until trial.
Baltimore County State’s Attorney Scott Shellenberger said there’s evidence Mannion worked with youth from other parishes while he was at St. Anthony and believes there could be other victims.
The Archdiocese of Baltimore released a statement saying:
“The Archdiocese of Baltimore is saddened to learn of allegations of abuse by Mannion and is committed to cooperating fully with law enforcement,” the Archdiocese said in a statement. “The Archdiocese of Baltimore is committed to protecting children and helping to heal victims of abuse.”
In April 2023, the Maryland Attorney General’s Office released a 450-page report that identified 156 priests, deacons, Catholic teachers, and seminarians within the Archdiocese accused of abusing more than 600 victims. The incidents detailed in the report date back to the 1940s. Maryland’s Child Victims Act was made into law in October 2023, eliminating the statute of limitations on child sexual abuse cases. About 4,000 alleged victims have filed lawsuits against the state since the Child Victims Act was imposed. Mannion’s name does not appear in the attorney general’s report.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Baltimore in Maryland. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Maryland, contact our office today. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse nationwide. We can help. Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.