Father Ronald Michaud
Diocese of Portland
Ordained: 1973
Removed: 1989
Assignment History
- 1973-1976: St. Ann (Hagerstown, MD)
- 1977-1978: St. Rose of Lima (Gaithersburg, MD)
- St. Ignatius (Sanford, ME)
- St. Andre (Biddeford, ME)
- St. Hyacinth (Westbrook, ME)
- St. Joseph (Sinclair, ME)
- Holy Family (Daigle, ME)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Ronald Michaud:
Fr. Ronald Michaud, a native of Maine, was ordained for the Archdiocese of Baltimore in 1973 and served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Portland. According to media reports, in 1979 a man reported to the Archdiocese of Baltimore that he had been sexually abused by Fr. Michaud in the mid-1970s. Information about the age/gender of his alleged victim and the nature of the alleged sexual abuse was not provided by the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Fr. Michaud was transferred to the Diocese of Portland In 1979.
In 1989, a man contacted the Archdiocese of Baltimore with an allegation of sexual abuse in 1973 against Fr. Ronald Michaud. The Archdiocese notified the Diocese of Portland, where Fr. Michaud was assigned. Michaud was placed on leave and sent for treatment. Information regarding the victim’s age and the nature of the alleged abuse was not released by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The Diocese of Portland publicly named Fr. Ronald Michaud as a priest accused of sexual abuse of children in 2007. Bishop Malone referred the case to the Vatican and recommended that Fr. Michaud be laicized.
In 2007, a former altar boy from St. Hyacinth’s Church in Westbrook sued Fr. Ronald Michaud and Bishop Malone alleging sexual abuse in 1985 against Fr. Michaud. The alleged victim was 16 years old when Fr. Michaud began abusing him. The alleged abuse started with kissing and fondling and progressed to Fr. Michaud forcing himself on the victim after serving him alcohol. The suit also alleges that the Diocese of Portland was aware of other allegations of sexual abuse but continued to reassign Michaud to other parishes. The judge awarded the victim $3.46 million in compensatory damages and an additional $1 million in punitive damages in Kennebec County Superior Court, according to that complaint.
In July 2021, the state removed a 34-year statute of limitations for civil claims of childhood sexual abuse. As a result, another victim came forward in a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, claiming he was abused by Michaud in the 1980s when he was a teenager at St. Andre’s Catholic Church in Biddeford. At the time of the abuse, Michaud was subsequently moved to St. Hyacinth Catholic Church in Westbrook.
Ronald Michaud was last seen living in Bradenton, Florida.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Portland in Maine. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Maine, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Portland now have legal options, but filing deadlines may apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in Maine and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.