Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Walter George DeRoeck

This page outlines the documented assignments, substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Fr. Walter George DeRoeck, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Walter George DeRoeck
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Walter DeRoeck, Fr. Walter DeRoeck, Walter G. DeRoeck
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest; Seminary Faculty Member
• Current Status: Laicized (former priest)

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Walter George DeRoeck was publicly identified as a Catholic priest with substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse through official Church disclosures and government reporting in Illinois. His name appears in public listings released after internal Church review processes and later statewide investigation of diocesan records.

He was identified by the Archdiocese of Chicago, which included him on its official list of clergy members with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors. Fr. DeRoeck was also named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 Report on Catholic Clergy Abuse, which compiled findings from diocesan files, survivor reports, and institutional records across the state. These disclosures occurred years after allegations were reported to Church authorities.

Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Chicago; Illinois Attorney General’s Office (2023 report)

Reason for Listing: Substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse identified through an internal Church review and documented in public government reporting

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Date: May 12, 1971
• Years in Active Ministry: 1971–2001
• Locations Where He Served: Archdiocese of Chicago, including Park Ridge, Cicero, Chicago, Glenview, and Elmwood Park, Illinois
• Reported Survivors: Nine
• Restrictions / Removal: Placed on administrative leave in March 1999; removed from public ministry in August 2001
• Resignation / Laicization: Resigned in August 2001; laicized by the Vatican in January 2002
• Public Disclosure / Listing Date: Publicly listed by the Archdiocese of Chicago on March 20, 2006; named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Fr. Walter George DeRoeck served in multiple parish and institutional assignments within the Archdiocese of Chicago. Publicly released diocesan records and personnel documents reflect the following documented assignments, which establish the institutional and parish settings relevant to the allegations later reported.

Parish and Institutional Assignments (as documented in public records):

• St. Paul of the Cross Parish in Park Ridge, Illinois (June 1971 – June 1976)
• Mary Queen of Heaven Parish in Cicero, Illinois (June 1976 – February 1985)
• Quigley Preparatory Seminary (North) in Chicago, Illinois (Faculty Member, June 1976 – February 1985)
• St. John Berchmans Parish in Chicago (Logan Square neighborhood) (February 1985 – 1991)
• St. Catherine Laboure Parish in Glenview, Illinois (1992 – 1996)
• St. Celestine Parish in Elmwood Park, Illinois (1996 – 2001)

These assignments reflect Fr. DeRoeck’s service in parish leadership and seminary education roles, during which he had regular access to minors through parish activities, school-related functions, and pastoral responsibilities.

Non-Church Assignments: In addition to parish ministry, Fr. DeRoeck appeared as a rotating host on the religious television program Sanctuary. His participation in the program was suspended following the reporting of abuse allegations.

Known Allegations

Fr. Walter George DeRoeck has been the subject of multiple reports of child sexual abuse connected to his ministry assignments in the Archdiocese of Chicago. According to public disclosures, Church authorities determined the allegations against him were substantiated, and the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy investigation lists nine reported survivors.

Where the abuse was reportedly connected to: Public records identify reported abuse locations associated with Cicero, Illinois, and Chicago, Illinois, including allegations tied to his time as pastor at St. John Berchmans Parish in the Logan Square neighborhood. Additional reported locations include Michigan City, Indiana; Colorado; Hawaii; and Tennessee, reflecting allegations related to travel or out-of-state settings during the same general period.

Approximate year or period of reported abuse: The reported misconduct spans the 1970s through the mid-1980s, with specific reported periods including 1976–1978, 1982–1986, and discrete reports involving 1983–1985 and 1986, depending on survivor accounts and location.

Church determination/status of allegations: Fr. DeRoeck appears on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s official list of clergy with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, indicating that Church authorities concluded the allegations met the Archdiocese’s substantiation standards following internal review.

Whether multiple allegations were reported: Yes. Public reporting identifies multiple survivors and multiple reported locations and timeframes.

Summary: Fr. Walter George DeRoeck was publicly listed by the Archdiocese of Chicago following findings of substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse, with reports spanning multiple years and locations, including Illinois and out-of-state settings.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods (Archdiocese of Chicago):

• Cardinal John Cody — Archdiocese leadership during much of the 1970s
• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin — Archdiocese leadership during the 1980s
• Cardinal Francis George — Archdiocese leadership at the time allegations were reported and reviewed in 1999

Institutional Actions and Review

Publicly released Church documents and contemporaneous reporting indicate that allegations against Fr. DeRoeck were reported to the Archdiocese of Chicago in March 1999, when two men came forward alleging sexual abuse as minors during his tenure at St. John Berchmans Parish in Chicago.

Following these reports, the Archdiocese referred the allegations to its independent review board, which determined there was reasonable cause to suspect abuse and recommended withdrawal from ministry. Cardinal Francis George placed Fr. DeRoeck on administrative leave in March 1999, and the allegations were forwarded to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, according to contemporaneous reporting.

Following the initial allegations, Fr. DeRoeck was placed in a monitored setting. In August 2001, he resigned from priestly ministry and was formally removed from public ministry by the Archdiocese. The Vatican laicized him in January 2002.

Fr. DeRoeck was not publicly identified at the time of his removal. His public disclosure came years later, after broader diocesan transparency initiatives and a retrospective review of clergy files. He was subsequently included on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s public accounting of clergy with substantiated allegations and later named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 clergy abuse report. His inclusion on the list of accused clergy in Illinois reflects findings from an institutional review, not contemporaneous public disclosure.

There is no public record indicating that Fr. DeRoeck returned to ministry following his removal.

Timeline

May 12, 1971 — Ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago

1971–1976 — Assigned to St. Paul of the Cross Parish (Park Ridge, Illinois)

1976–1985 — Assigned to Mary Queen of Heaven Parish (Cicero, Illinois); faculty member at Quigley Preparatory Seminary (North)

1976–1978 — Reported period of alleged abuse (Cicero and Chicago)

1982–1986 — Additional reported period of alleged abuse (Illinois and out-of-state locations)

1985–1991 — Pastor at St. John Berchmans Parish (Chicago)

March 1999 — Allegations reported; placed on administrative leave

1992–1996 — Assigned to St. Catherine Laboure Parish (Glenview, Illinois)

1996–2001 — Pastor at St. Celestine Parish (Elmwood Park, Illinois)

August 2001 — Resigned and removed from public ministry

January 2002 — Laicized by the Vatican

March 20, 2006 — Publicly listed by the Archdiocese of Chicago

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

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Fr. Walter George DeRoeck or by any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. Survivors of clergy abuse often have questions about accountability and institutional responsibility. You can speak confidentially with an experienced Illinois clergy abuse attorney to better understand your rights and potential next steps.

Sources and Public Records

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

• The Illinois Attorney General’s abuser list entry for Walter George DeRoeck (reported survivor count, locations, and timeframes)
• The Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of clerics with substantiated allegations
• The BishopAccountability profile and document release timeline for Walter George DeRoeck

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.