Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Joseph “Joe” Owens

This page outlines the known parish assignments, publicly reported allegations of child sexual abuse, and documented institutional actions involving Fr. Joseph “Joe” Owens, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Joseph Owens
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Joseph Owens, Fr. Joseph Owens, Fr. “Joe” Owens
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic priest, parish ministry involvement
• Current Status: Laicized (formerly resigned from ministry)

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Joseph “Joe” Owens has been publicly identified as an accused Catholic priest by Church authorities and state officials following a later review of historical allegations. His name appears in disclosures concerning clergy members with reported allegations of sexual abuse of minors connected to the Archdiocese of Chicago. These disclosures were made as part of broader efforts by Church and state authorities to document and publicly acknowledge abuse allegations involving clergy, including cases where the priest left ministry decades earlier.

Public records indicate that Owens resigned from active ministry in April 1970 and was later laicized in April 1971. The allegations associated with him involve reported sexual abuse of minors during his time in parish ministry, prior to his departure from the priesthood. There is no indication that criminal charges were pursued at the time of the alleged misconduct, and his public identification occurred years later through institutional review and public reporting processes.

• Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Chicago; Illinois Attorney General (statewide clergy abuse reporting)
• Reason for Listing: Substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse included in public disclosures following institutional review

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Date: April 29, 1965
• Years in Active Ministry: 1965–1970
• Locations Where He Served: Archdiocese of Chicago (Illinois)
• Restrictions: No publicly documented restrictions prior to resignation
• Removal / Resignation: Resigned from active ministry in April 1970
• Laicization: Laicized in April 1971
• Public Disclosure / Listing Date: March 20, 2006 (Archdiocese of Chicago public list); later included in 2023 Illinois Attorney General reporting
• Reported Survivors: 7, as reflected in statewide reporting

Assignment History in Primary Diocese or Order

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Parish Assignments (as documented in public disclosures):

• Saint Gertrude — Chicago, Illinois (date range not publicly specified)
• Saint Philomena — Chicago, Illinois (date range not publicly specified)
• Our Lady of Lourdes — Chicago, Illinois (date range not publicly specified)
• Saint John Fisher — Chicago, Illinois (date range not publicly specified)

These parish assignments establish the Chicago-area ministry settings relevant to the reported allegations, which are associated with Owens’ time in active priestly service prior to his resignation in 1970.

Non-Church Assignments / Other References: Public summaries also reference alleged abuse occurring outside Illinois, including in Minnesota. No specific parish, institution, or formal assignment has been publicly identified in connection with those reports.

Known Allegations

Fr. Joseph “Joe” Owens has been accused in public records and Church disclosures of sexually abusing minors during his time in ministry connected to the Archdiocese of Chicago. Reported abuse locations include Chicago, Illinois, and Minnesota, with the alleged misconduct occurring primarily during the mid-to-late 1960s.

Public reporting indicates:

• Where the abuse allegedly occurred: Chicago-area parish settings associated with his Archdiocese of Chicago assignments, including St. Philomena, as well as reported incidents in Minnesota
• Approximate period of alleged misconduct: 1965–1968 (Chicago) and 1965–1967 (Minnesota)
• Parish-specific allegation: Public summaries reference an allegation tied to St. Philomena in 1969
• Church assessment/status: Allegations reflected in public Church and state reporting as substantiated through inclusion on disclosure lists following institutional review
• Whether multiple allegations were reported: Public reporting references multiple survivors, with statewide reporting indicating seven individuals
• Date of first notice to the Archdiocese: February 1968

Summary: Public Church and Illinois reporting describe Owens as an accused priest with reported child sexual abuse involving multiple survivors, with alleged misconduct occurring during the 1960s in both Illinois and Minnesota.

Overseeing Authority During Key Periods (Archdiocese of Chicago):

• Cardinal John Cody (served as Archbishop of Chicago beginning in 1965)

Legal / Public Record Body Referenced:

• Illinois Attorney General clergy abuse reporting (2023)

Institutional Actions and Review

Publicly available Church disclosures indicate that the allegations involving Fr. Joseph “Joe” Owens relate to conduct reported during the 1960s, while he was serving in parish ministry within the Archdiocese of Chicago. Public summaries indicate that the Archdiocese first received notice of alleged abuse involving Owens in February 1968.

Owens resigned from active ministry in April 1970, prior to the establishment of modern clergy abuse reporting and review protocols. There is no publicly documented evidence that restrictions, supervision conditions, or disciplinary measures were imposed before his resignation. Available records also do not indicate that information regarding alleged misconduct was shared during parish transfers, nor do they reflect contemporaneous complaints being formally addressed in his personnel file.

Owens was later laicized in April 1971. Years later, his name was publicly disclosed through the Archdiocese of Chicago transparency initiatives and included among Illinois records of accused clergy following retrospective institutional review.

Timeline

April 29, 1965 — Ordained as a Catholic priest

Mid-1960s — Assigned to parish ministry within the Archdiocese of Chicago

1965–1967 — Alleged sexual abuse reportedly occurred in Minnesota

1965–1968 — Alleged sexual abuse reportedly occurred in Chicago-area parish settings

February 1968 — First notice of alleged abuse received by the Archdiocese

1969 — Alleged abuse associated with St. Philomena, Chicago

April 1970 — Resigned from active ministry

April 1971 — Laicized

March 20, 2006 — Placed on the Archdiocese of Chicago public list

2023 — Included in the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse report

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Joseph “Joe” Owens or by any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse throughout the state and understands the sensitive nature of these cases.

Contact us to book a confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse attorney. We are here to help you understand your rights and take legal action.

Sources and Public Records

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, and survivor reports, including the following:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s individual clergy abuse profile for Joseph Owens summarizes reported allegations involving multiple survivors and locations, including Illinois and Minnesota.
• The Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse, which includes Fr. Joseph “Joe” Owens among clergy publicly identified following statewide review and disclosure.
• The Archdiocese of Chicago’s official list of clerics with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, where Fr. Owens appears, following institutional review.
• The BishopAccountability.org profile for Joseph Owens, which compiles Church records, public disclosures, and survivor reports related to allegations from the 1960s.

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records or official Church reports.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.