Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Walter Huppenbauer

This page outlines the assignments, allegations, and institutional actions involving Fr. Walter Edward Huppenbauer, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s work representing survivors of clergy abuse in Illinois.

• Primary Entity Name: Walter Edward Huppenbauer
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Walter Huppenbauer, Fr. Walter E. Huppenbauer, Walter Huppenbauer
• Role/Title at Time of Alleged Abuse: Parish Priest, Parochial Vicar, Pastor
• Current Status: Removed from public ministry, laicized, deceased 

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Walter Huppenbauer was publicly identified as a priest with credible and substantiated allegations of child sex abuse by multiple entities, including:

• The Archdiocese of Chicago 
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office (Clergy Report database and narrative)
• BishopAccountability.org 

Public records state that the Archdiocese received an initial allegation in October 1992, while Huppenbauer was pastor at St. Thomas of Villanova in Palatine, involving reported abuse of a girl during fifth through eighth grade at St. Hilary in Chicago roughly 30 years earlier. 

• Entity that Listed Him: Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois Attorney General, BishopAccountability.org 
• Reason for Listing: Substantiated and credible allegations of child sex abuse involving multiple reported survivors and documented Archdiocesan review actions 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1957
Years in Active Ministry: 1957–2002, with later limited ministry decisions and eventual laicization
Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago, Illinois
Locations Served: St. Hilary (Chicago), St. Odilo (Berwyn), St. John Chrysostom (Bellwood), St. Thomas of Villanova (Palatine), St. Gilbert (Grayslake), St. Eugene (Chicago)
Restrictions: Directed in October 1992 to avoid anyone under 18, later placed into limited ministry with restrictions and monitoring
Removed from Public Ministry: 2002
Laicization: 2010
Reported Survivors: 3 (per Illinois Attorney General database)
Died: December 2014
Public Disclosure: Listed publicly by March 20, 2006, and the personnel file was released in November 2014 

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Chicago

Based on Archdiocesan documentation and timelines compiled in public records, Walter Huppenbauer served in parish ministry in the following roles and date ranges:

• St. Hilary – Chicago, IL (Parochial Vicar, 6/26/1957–6/11/1964)
• St. Odilo – Berwyn, IL (Parochial Vicar, 6/11/1964–10/02/1968)
• St. John Chrysostom – Bellwood, IL (Parochial Vicar, 10/02/1968–8/25/1971)
• St. Thomas of Villanova – Palatine, IL (Parochial Vicar, 8/25/1971–6/10/1977; later Pastor beginning 7/25/1983)
• St. Gilbert – Grayslake, IL (Parochial Vicar, 6/10/1977–6/07/1983)
• St. Eugene – Chicago, IL (Parochial Vicar/Associate Pastor, 6/07/1983–7/25/1983)
• Little Sisters of the Poor (Chaplain, beginning 6/05/1994)

These assignments placed him in settings involving regular interaction with children and minors through parish and sacramental life. 

Known Allegations

According to the Illinois Attorney General’s database and narrative summary, Walter Huppenbauer is accused of child sex abuse involving three reported survivors, with reported abuse date ranges including 1961–1963 in Chicago, 1971–1973 in Palatine, and the mid-1970s in Wildwood, Illinois. 

The Illinois Attorney General’s narrative states that the Archdiocese first received an allegation in October 1992, when an anonymous woman contacted Church officials describing abuse that allegedly occurred around 1962–1964 while she was a student in fifth through eighth grades at St. Hilary in Chicago. 

The same timeline materials indicate that in October 1992, Huppenbauer was instructed to avoid anyone under 18, yet internal communications later noted continued contact with younger children, including references to private confessions.

Publicly compiled records also reflect that an allegation was substantiated in October 1993 relating to the reported abuse of a minor female in 1961–1963. Later documentation referenced an allegation involving a minor male reported to have been abused between 1971–1973 connected to St. Thomas of Villanova, with a Review Board substantiation date noted in May 2005.

Summary: Walter Huppenbauer was credibly and substantively accused of child sex abuse involving multiple survivors across several decades, was removed from public ministry in 2002, and was laicized in 2010. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Cardinal Joseph Bernardin – Archdiocese of Chicago 
• Cardinal Francis George – Archdiocese of Chicago 

Institutional Actions and Review

Publicly available timeline records and the Illinois Attorney General narrative describe institutional responses that began after the Archdiocese received an allegation in October 1992. In the days following that report, internal directives restricted Huppenbauer’s interactions with anyone under 18, yet documentation later indicated continued contact with younger children. 

By October 1993, an allegation had been substantiated, and in December 1993, Cardinal Bernardin asked Huppenbauer to resign from his role voluntarily; internal correspondence indicated that his term would not be renewed if he did not. Huppenbauer resigned in June 1994 and moved into a chaplaincy role with the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Later documentation reflects that retirement and status decisions continued into the early 2000s, including a May 10, 2002, letter from an attorney regarding a client who alleged abuse at St. Hilary, followed by an August 21, 2002, Review Board recommendation for immediate withdrawal from ministry. 

A protocol described as “individual specific” was established in May 2003, and in July 2003, Cardinal George informed Huppenbauer that the case would be forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, while indicating that formal penal restrictions were unnecessary because he was already observing restrictions. 

Additional allegations and attorney communications appear in the public timeline record in late 2003, and a Review Board substantiation date is listed for May 23, 2005. The timeline then notes a decision allowing limited ministry at a nursing home in September 2005, followed by Huppenbauer’s request for laicization proceedings in March 2009 and laicization in August 2010.

Separate public summaries also note that at least one claim involving Huppenbauer was included in a reported 2003 settlement by the Archdiocese and that he was permanently removed from public ministry in September 2005, with additional settlement reporting referenced for May 2007.

Walter Edward Huppenbauer was publicly placed on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s list of accused priests on March 20, 2006, and was later included in the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide clergy abuse report released in December 2018.

Timeline

1957 — Ordained
1957–1964 — Parochial Vicar, St. Hilary (Chicago, IL)
1964–1968 — Parochial Vicar, St. Odilo (Berwyn, IL)
1968–1971 — Parochial Vicar, St. John Chrysostom (Bellwood, IL)
1971–1977 — Parochial Vicar, St. Thomas of Villanova (Palatine, IL)
1977–1983 — Parochial Vicar, St. Gilbert (Grayslake, IL)
1983–1983 — Parochial Vicar/Associate Pastor, St. Eugene (Chicago, IL)
1983 — Pastor, St. Thomas of Villanova (Palatine, IL)
1992 — Archdiocese receives report describing alleged abuse of a minor female in 1962–1964
1992–1992 — Internal restrictions issued to avoid contact with minors
1993 — Allegation substantiated regarding reported abuse of a minor female (1961–1963)
1993 — Cardinal Bernardin requests voluntary resignation
1994 — Resigns from St. Thomas; becomes Chaplain, Little Sisters of the Poor
2002 — Attorney letter regarding alleged abuse at St. Hilary
2002 — Review Board recommends immediate withdrawal from ministry
2003 — Case forwarded to CDF, per internal correspondence
2005 — Allegation substantiated by Review Board
2005 — Limited ministry at nursing home noted; public summaries also reference permanent removal from public ministry in 9/2005
2010 — Laicized
2014 — Personnel file released publicly
2014 — Died
2023 — Included in Illinois Attorney General clergy report materials, noting three reported survivors 

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you love was abused by Fr. Walter Huppenbauer or another priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, you may still have legal options under Illinois law. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse statewide.

Contact a clergy sexual abuse lawyer in Illinois to learn more about your legal options.

Sources

This page is based on public records, official Church disclosures, and survivor reports. 

Sources include:

The Illinois Attorney General maintains a Clergy Abuse Database and narrative summary for Walter Edward Huppenbauer, including reported survivors, abuse date ranges, first report date, and Archdiocese actions.

BishopAccountability.org maintains an accused-clergy profile and a detailed public timeline for Walter E. Huppenbauer, including assignment dates and internal action dates, and hosts the Archdiocese document release PDF.

The Archdiocese of Chicago published information about its 2014 document release regarding priests with substantiated allegations.

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.