Catholic archbishop reverses parish transfer of priest identified in AG’s investigation

BALTIMORE — Monsignor J. Bruce Jarboe, recently identified as one of the high-ranking Catholic clerics cited in an attorney general’s investigation into how the church handled child sex abuse cases, will not transfer to a prominent Towson parish as planned.

Archbishop William Lori told parishioners Friday that instead of moving in July to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Jarboe will remain pastor of St. Ann in Hagerstown. Lori sent letters to members of both parishes and discussed the change in the Catholic Review, an archdiocesan publication.

Jarboe also serves on the board of trustees for St. Mary’s Seminary & University in Baltimore (Lori is the board chair) and is an ex officio member of the St. Maria Goretti Catholic High School board of trustees in Hagerstown.

Jarboe is one of five clerics whose identities were redacted in a public version of the report by the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. The Baltimore Sun named them last week.

The Sun obtained Friday the letter Lori sent to Immaculate Conception parishioners and parents of students at the parish school, in which he wrote that Jarboe “was not involved in a ‘cover-up.’”

Jarboe served as the archdiocese’s associate director of clergy personnel, then its director, from 1995 to 2002. During that time, according to the attorney general’s report, Jarboe conferred with law enforcement officials in Harford County about their investigation into Father Kenneth Farabaugh, who was accused of raping a 15-year-old girl in the ‘80s.

In 2000, Jarboe counseled Father David G. Smith, who may have had a relationship with a business partner when that person was a student at Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in Baltimore, where Smith had taught, according to the report. Smith told Jarboe he wanted to receive psychological treatment, and Jarboe suggested he consider a facility that would not “mark him unfairly” in the future.

In another case, Smith pleaded guilty in 2002 to a charge of “perverted practice” in Baltimore County. A judge gave him probation and the archdiocese continues to pay him a pension and health insurance benefits, according to the report.

The victim in that case, Brian P. Hannon, told The Sun recently that he met with Jarboe about his allegations against Smith. He recalled Jarboe as “very condescending” during the exchange.

The archdiocese and Jarboe have repeatedly declined to comment to The Sun. Jarboe did not return a call Friday afternoon.

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