Rev. Albert J. "Al" Blanchard
Summary of Case: Blanchard admitted when confronted in 1993 to sexual abuse of a girl over a four year period, beginning in 1971 when the girl was 15. She had gone to him as her priest for counseling. Blanchard left the priesthood in 1977 and got married. He became a social worker, which included work with "street kids". The girl he had victimized in the 1970s discovered in 2009 that Blanchard was a volunteer in a Springfield diocesan program, in which teens sometimes participated. He had also been allowed to teach CCD.
Ordained: 1966
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| Start | Stop | Assignment | Town/Accusations | State | Position | Notes |
1966 Springfield bishop was Christopher Joseph Weldon (1950-1977) |
1972 | St. John the Evangelist | Agawam • Accused of sexual abuse of a girl beginning in 1971, when she was 15 years old, and continuing for four years. The girl had gone to the priest for counseling. (Boston Globe |
MA | 2/2 | The girl reported Blanchard's behavior to the diocese in 1993, and the diocese found her claims to be credible. He "accepted responsibility" for his behavior and agreed to stay away from minors. |
| 1972 | 1977 | St. Patrick's | South Hadley | MA | 2/3 | |
1977 Weldon was replaced as bishop by Joseph Francis Maguire (1977-1991), followed by John Aloysius Marshall (1991-1994), Thomas Ludger Dupre (1995-2004), then Timothy Anthony McDonnell (2004- ) |
1978 | Leave of Absence | Blanchard left the priesthood in 1977 and got married. He went on to work with street kids in the western Boston suburbs, with the elderly in southern Worcester County, and he became a certified social worker. (observe His victim discovered in 2009 that Blanchard was a volunteer in the Springfield diocese, as a co-leader of a support group for families of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. The support group included teenagers. Blanchard's victim complained to the diocese. The diocese did not remove Blanchard from the volunteer position until a news reporter called them a year after the victim's complaint. (iobserve |
Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1967-1978)
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This assignment record was last updated on June 14, 2010