Fr. Francis Bach – Diocese of Harrisburg

According to the petition, the Diocese of Harrisburg received a 1994 report of abuse by a man who said that Bach abused him as a 13-year-old boy in 1969.  Bach invited the boy to his boat in Maryland. In the middle of the night, the boy awoke to Bach fondling his penis, and it progressed to oral sex and taking photographs of the boy while he was naked.  Bach neither admitted nor denied the incident when confronted by Diocese officials; instead, he admitted that there were multiple incidents of similar behavior. He agreed to retire from active ministry, considering the scandal that could come to the Church if he continued in ministry.

Following his removal from ministry, Bach was sent to Villa St. John Vianney, a notorious pedophile priest treatment center in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.  During his evaluation, he admitted to abusing at least 14 boys aged 14-16 during his priesthood.

In 2002, the Diocese of Harrisburg received a new report from a man who was also abused on Bach’s boat in Maryland and at the Cathedral in Harrisburg during the 1970s.

In 2007, another man contacted the Diocese of Harrisburg, who reported multiple instances of sexual abuse by Bach.  At the time, the man was 12. No details were provided by the grand jury as to the date or Bach’s parish assignment during the time. The incidents with this boy occurred at a motel and included sodomy of the child. He was later abused on Bach’s boat as well.

In 2009, yet another man reported his sexual abuse by Bach to the Diocese of Harrisburg.  He reported that he, too, was taken to a motel on multiple occasions and sexually assaulted by Bach, including sodomy.  When confronted with this allegation, Bach responded that he could not remember the incidents but, “with my history, anything is possible.  I’m not saying he is fabricating the story.” Bach’s assignment at the time of the abuse was not provided by the grand jury.

In 2016, another many contacted the Diocese of Harrisburg to report being abused in 1960 as an 8-year-old altar boy at St. Patrick in York, Pennsylvania.

According to the grand jury report and several victims of Fr. Joseph Peas, Bach and Pease owned a boat together and often used it to abuse boys.  The two were also known to “share” victims.

According to the 2007 laicization petition, the Diocese of Harrisburg did not want the matter to be subject to a Canonical trial because it could bring scandal to the Church if the allegations were aired.  Bishop Rhodes wrote, “…the true reason Francis Bach left all priestly ministry is unknown to others. If his case is now brought to trial or given any kind of publicity, I fear it will cause scandal to many, as he is still a priest who is beloved by many in our diocese.”  The Vatican agreed, and Bach was eventually laicized quietly.

While the petition does not mention any incidents during these time periods, there are multiple red flags in Bach’s assignment history that suggest, in our experience, that the Diocese of Harrisburg was aware of allegations against Bach well before 1994.  In 1967, he was relieved of all duties relating to Youth Ministry, which is certainly unusual unless there was concern about his interaction with the children he encountered. Moreover, he has an unexplained leave of absence in 1976 that does not appear to be for any type of educational or professional development.  In our experience, the length and abruptness of the leave certainly suggest that it may have been related to allegations of abuse. Of course, these issues would be examined more closely in litigation to determine the reason for these maneuvers with certainty.