Catholic Review Deacon Goedeke suspended from ministry and employment following arrest

The Archdiocese of Baltimore has suspended the ministerial faculties of Deacon Kenneth Goedeke after he was arrested by the Harford County Sheriff’s Office on charges of soliciting a minor.

He has served as a deacon at St. Margaret Parish in Bel Air and began employment at St. Ignatius Church in Hickory in July of 2026.

A statement from the archdiocese said, “According to communications from law enforcement officials, these charges are not related to anyone at the parishes or schools where he served.”

According to archdiocesan policy, the archdiocese removed Deacon Geodeke’s faculties to function as a deacon and he has been suspended from ministry and employment, pending the results of a full investigation.

Deacon Goedeke was ordained as a deacon in 2023. He served at St. Patrick Havre de Grace and St. Joan of Arc in Aberdeen before working at St. Margaret Church in Bel Air, beginning in 2025. Before being ordained to the diaconate, Deacon Goedeke previously worked at St. Isaac Jogues Church, 2005-12, and The John Carroll School, 2020-26.

The statement from the archdiocese noted that prior to his employment with the archdiocese and prior to his enrollment as a deacon candidate, a thorough employment screening, which included FBI/CJIS fingerprint criminal history check, and a comprehensive background and reference check were completed.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact the Harford County Sheriff’s Office tip line at catips@harfordsheriff.org.

The statement said, “The Archdiocese of Baltimore is committed to protecting children and helping to heal victims of abuse. We urge anyone who has any knowledge of any child sexual abuse to contact law enforcement, and if clergy or other church personnel is suspected of committing the abuse, we ask that you also call the archdiocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection at 1-866-417-7469. If you have any other information relevant to this matter, please contact the archdiocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection at 410-547-5348.”