Rev. William J. Farrell

Summary of Case: Farrell's name was on a list released in 2004 by the Milwaukee archdiocese of 43 priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors against them. He died in 1999.

Ordained: 1947
Retired: 1990
Died: 1999


   

Start Stop Parish Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1947

Milwaukee archbishop was Moses Elias Kiley (1940-1953), followed by Albert Gregory Meyer (1953-1958). Meyer was succeeded by William Edward Cousins (1958-1977)

1961 St. Frederick's Cudahy WI 3/3, 2/3 Parish had a school with 393-628 students.
1953 1966 Catholic Family Life Office Milwaukee WI   This assignment is per the Milwaukee archdiocese.
1961 1962 St. Dominic's Sheboygan WI   This assignment is per Farrell's obituary, and the Milwaukee archdiocese. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
September 19, 1999)
1961 1966 St. Cecilia's Thiensville WI 2/2 Parish had a school with 318-355 students.
1966 1967 Holy Family Reeseville WI

2/2

In residence.

 
1966 1967 St. Columbkill Elba WI   This was a mission of Holy Family in Reeseville.
1967 1967 St. Thomas Waterford WI   This assignment is per the Milwaukee archdiocese.
1967 1968 St. Patrick's Erin WI 1/1  
1967 1969 St. Joseph Hospital Milwaukee     This assignment is per the Milwaukee archdiocese.
1968 1973 Presentation of the Blessed Virgin North Fond du Lac WI 1/1, 1/2 Parish had a school with 263-306 students.

1973

Cousins was replaced by Rembert George Weakland, O.S.B. (1977-2002)

1990 St. Gerard's Milwaukee WI 1/2, 1/1  
1990 1995 Retired Milwaukee WI   Address was 5200 S. Tuckaway Blvd. #109.
1995 1999 Retired Wauwatosa WI  

The address given in the Directories during these years is for St. Camillus which is a facility for the elderly with independent living to skilled nursing and hospice care.

Farrell died Sept. 18, 1999

 

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1948-1999)

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Farrell's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on March 3, 2011