Baltimore's Catholic Church covered up the sexual abuse of more than 600 kids over 6 decades. A single parish employed 12 accused priests: state AG report

• A report found that the Archdiocese of Baltimore covered up the abuse of more than 600 children.
• The Maryland attorney general identified 156 abusive priests in the report released this month.

As holy houses across the world prepare to celebrate Easter, some are making apologies for past transgressions and abuse. Baltimore's Catholic Church might be among them.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore covered up the sexual abuse of more than 600 children over the course of decades, though the true number of victims is "likely far higher," according to a report released this month by the Maryland attorney general.

The report from Attorney General Anthony Brown listed 156 abusive priests. The names of some on the list were redacted. But most included detailed reports of their assignments nationwide within the church system and the accusations against them.

The attorney general's report found that a dozen were based out of a single parish — Catonsville's St. Mark Church. The church released an apology to its congregation following the report's release.

"In particular, is the sickening notification of several sexual abusers of children living and working here at St. Mark between the years of 1964 and 2004," Father Santhosh George said in the statement. "As a priest, and on behalf of all priests throughout the world, I offer my most sincere apology to the victims of this abuse. There is no excuse for this act of violence."

Rev. William E. Lori, the Archbishop of Baltimore, said in his own statement that the "shocking and soul-searing" report was a reminder of the "tremendous harm caused to innocent children and young people by some ministers of the Church."

The Archdiocese of Baltimore previously "enjoyed a special prominence" among Catholic churches in America as it was the "first diocese established in the United States," according to the report.

"The incontrovertible history uncovered by this investigation is one of pervasive and persistent abuse by priests and other Archdiocese personnel. It is also a history of repeated dismissal or cover-up of that abuse by the Catholic Church hierarchy," the attorney general's report says. "What was consistent throughout was the absolute authority and power these abusive priests and church leadership held over victims, their families, and their communities."