Former Delco priest admits lying to FBI about his past

Was charged with child sexual abuse in 2013

PHILADELPHIA » A former Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest with ties to Delaware County pleaded guilty this week to lying to federal investigators about knowing a former parishioner who allegedly suffered sexual abuse.

Robert Brennan, 83, of Perryville, Md., pleaded guilty to four counts of making materially false statements during a 2019 interview with agents from the

FBI as part of an investigation into child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, according to a release from Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams.

Brennan was ordained in 1964 and previously served as assistant pastor at St. Pius X in Broomall from 1964 to 1970 and at St. George in Glenolden from 1981 to 1986. He was also associate director of CYO Regional for Mid-Delaware County from 1968 to 1970 and was the chaplain at Archbishop Prendergast

High School in Upper Darby for the first six months of 1986. Brennan later served as a parochial vicar at Resurrection of Our Lord parish in Philadelphia from 1993 to 2004.

A 2005 Philadelphia Grand Jury report indicated the archdiocese was made aware of inappropriate or suspicious behavior by Brennan with more than 20 boys from four different parishes since Brennan was made a pastor in 1988.

Then-Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua would either transfer Brennan to another parish with unsuspecting families or ignore reports and leave Brennan in the parish with his current victims, the report says. Brennan was psychologically evaluated — or “treated” — four times, but the archdiocese allegedly never restricted or supervised his access to youths.

When Bevilacqua retired in 2003, Brennan was still a parochial vicar at Resurrection parish, despite reports from staff that he had inappropriate contact with several students from Resurrection’s grade school, according to the report. Brennan was removed from active ministry in 2005 and placed on permanent leave in 2007. He was officially defrocked in 2017.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office criminally charged Brennan in September 2013, alleging he had sexually abused a minor, Sean McIlmail, during his time at Resurrection, according to a redacted indictment.

But McIlmail died of a drug overdose in October 2013 and the criminal charges were dismissed. Members of the McIlmail family filed a civil lawsuit against the archdiocese and Brennan in November 2013, which was settled for an undisclosed amount in May 2018.

During an FBI interview in April 2019, Brennan claimed not to know Sean McIlmail, his father, mother or brother prior to the filing of the criminal and civil cases, according to the indictment. He was charged with making four false statements, one for each person, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in September 2019.

“Making false statements to the FBI is a serious crime that threatens the integrity of our justice system and we will hold offenders accountable no matter who they are,” said Williams in a statement.

Brennan is scheduled for sentencing March 15 before U.S. District Judge Anita B. Brody. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle L. Morgan is prosecuting. Brennan is represented by Catherine C. Henry and Katrina Young of the Federal Community Defender Office.

Brennan