Brother William (Francis Jerome) Burns
Diocese of Brooklyn/Baltimore/Xaverians
Joined: 1923
Died: 1974
Assignment History:
- 1924-1926: Holy Cross (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1927: St. Michael (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1929: St John’s (Worcester, MA)
- 1930-1931: Assumption High School (Utica, NY)
- 1932-1933: St. John’s Preparatory School (Danvers, MA)
- 1934: John Baptist (Bangor, ME)
- 1935-1938: Malden Catholic (Malden, MA)
- 1939: St. Xavier (Louisville, KY)
- 1940: Cardinal Hayes High School (Bronx, NY)
- 1941-1943: Good Counsel Annex (New York, NY)
- 1944-1945: Holy Cross (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1945-1949: St. Michael (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1950: Keith Academy (Lowell, MA)
- 1951-1953: St. John’s Prep (Danvers, MA)
- 1954: Flaget Retreat Center (Louisville, KY)
- 1955: Holy Name (Brooklyn, NY)
- 1956-1957: Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore, MD)
- 1958: Working Boys Home (Newton, MA)
- 1959: Xaverian College (Silver Spring, MD)
- 1960: Working Boys Home (Newton, MA)
- 1961: St. John’s Preparatory School (Danvers, MA)
- 1963-1965: Xavier High School (Middletown, CT
- 1966:Xaverian Brothers High School (Westwood, MA)
- 1967: St. John’s (Shrewsbury, MA)
- 1968-1974: Malden Catholic High School (Malden, MA)
Summary of Abuse Allegations Against Brother William (Francis Jerome) Burns:
Brother William Burns, AKA Francis Jerome, was a member of the Brothers of St. Francis Xavier and worked in the Diocese of Brooklyn and the Archdiocese of Baltimore. In 2019, Fr. Burns was listed on the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Credibly Accused of Sexual Abuse of Minors list and on the Xaverian Brothers’ list. In April 2023, Maryland’s Attorney General released a report alleging 156 Catholic clergy members sexually abused at least 600 children over six decades. The report lists the names of the abusers, including Father Burns.
According to the AG’s report, Burns was transferred quite frequently throughout his career, almost every year or two, with the exception of his last six years at Malden Catholic in Massachusetts. It noted that multiple allegations of child sexual abuse were made beginning in 2003. The alleged sexual abuse occurred from the 1950s to 1970s in Brooklyn, New York, and in Shrewsbury, Danvers, and Malden, Massachusetts.
Burns died in 1974.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Brooklyn, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Brooklyn now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.