Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Joseph R. Schwaegel

This page outlines the assignments, credible allegations of child sexual abuse, and institutional actions involving Msgr. Joseph R. Schwaegel, as part of the Injury Lawyer Team’s legal representation of survivors in Illinois clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Joseph R. Schwaegel
• Common Variations / Aliases: Monsignor Joseph R. Schwaegel, Msgr. Joseph Schwaegel, Father Joseph Schwaegel, Fr. Joseph Schwaegel, Joseph Schwaegel
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Rector, School Superintendent, Diocesan Administrator
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Msgr. Joseph R. Schwaegel was publicly identified as a credibly accused priest by multiple Church and government entities, including:

• The Catholic Diocese of Belleville
• The Illinois Attorney General’s Office, 2023 investigation and public database

Schwaegel was ordained for the Diocese of Belleville in 1965 and later held prominent roles in diocesan leadership, including senior administrative responsibilities connected to the bishop’s office. 

• Entity that Listed Him: Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Illinois Attorney General’s Office
• Reason for Listing: Credible allegations of child sexual abuse; removal from ministry; inclusion in diocesan public disclosures and the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide clergy abuse investigation

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1965

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Belleville, Illinois

Reported Survivors: 2, as reported in diocesan and state investigative materials

Known Abuse Locations in Public Records: St. Clair County, Illinois

Reported Abuse Timeframe in Public Records: 1972; 1974–1988

Diocese Claim of First Report: 1999

Restrictions: Removed from ministry on December 6, 1994

Criminal Convictions: None publicly recorded for child sexual abuse

Public Disclosure: Listed on diocesan public lists and included in the 2023 Illinois Attorney General clergy abuse investigation materials

Died: July 13, 2016

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Belleville

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• St. Mary, Trenton, Illinois (1965–1966)
• St. Bernard, Albers, Illinois (1966)
• St. Mary, Belleville, Illinois (1984)
• St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belleville, Illinois (1988–1993)

Schwaegel’s career also included additional roles in Belleville connected to Catholic institutions and schools, and he was associated with Cathedral Grade School while serving at St. Peter’s Cathedral.

Non Church Assignments: Non parish roles connected to his clerical work have been described in public reporting and court records, including senior diocesan administrative duties and institutional roles in Belleville. These include:

• Vice Chancellor and Secretary to the Bishop, Diocese of Belleville (1982)
• Chaplain, Meredith Home, Belleville, Illinois (1966–1967)
• Chaplain, Academy of Notre Dame, Belleville, Illinois (beginning 1967, exact end date not consistently stated in public records)
• Diocesan leadership positions described in public reporting, including Vicar General and Chancellor, with dates not consistently listed in the same public source set

Known Allegations

Msgr. Joseph R. Schwaegel has been accused of sexually abusing minors, with allegations documented in multiple public record sets.

State investigative materials list the date and location of reported abuse as:

• 1972, St. Clair County, Illinois
• 1974–1988, St. Clair County, Illinois

In addition to those ranges, civil litigation and public reporting describe allegations involving minors connected to Cathedral Grade School and St. Peter’s Cathedral in Belleville. One widely reported allegation states that a boy was abused in 1973 when he was eight years old. Another civil complaint filed decades later alleged abuse occurring during the late 1980s while the child was a student at Cathedral Grade School.

Summary: Msgr. Joseph R. Schwaegel was credibly accused of sexually abusing minors; allegations and public investigative records describe abuse occurring in St. Clair County across multiple years, and he was removed from ministry in 1994, then later publicly identified in diocesan disclosures and the Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse investigation.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Bishop Albert Rudolph Zuroweste, Diocese of Belleville (1948–1976)
• Bishop William Michael Cosgrove, Diocese of Belleville (1976–1981)
• Bishop John Nicholas Wurm, Diocese of Belleville (1981–1984)
• Bishop James Peter Keleher, Diocese of Belleville (1984–1993)
• Bishop Wilton Daniel Gregory, Diocese of Belleville (1994–2005)

Institutional Actions and Review

Public disclosures reflect that Schwaegel was removed from ministry in December 1994. Later, diocesan lists and state investigative materials publicly identified him on a list of Illinois priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse.

Civil litigation and reporting also raised broader institutional questions, including whether diocesan officials had earlier notice of risk factors or allegations, and whether safeguards for children were delayed or insufficient. 

Court records from separate Belleville Diocese abuse litigation describe Schwaegel’s diocesan administrative authority in the early 1980s, which is relevant to public allegations that diocesan leadership and internal processes failed to prevent harm.

Timeline

May 1, 1965– Ordained for the Diocese of Belleville

1965–1966– Assigned to St. Mary, Trenton, Illinois

1966– Served at St. Bernard, Albers, Illinois

1966–1967– Chaplain at Meredith Home, Belleville, Illinois

1967– Associated with Academy of Notre Dame, Belleville, Illinois; also connected to St. Peter’s Cathedral ministry in Belleville in that period

1972– Reported abuse entry, St. Clair County, Illinois

1974–1988– Reported abuse entries, St. Clair County, Illinois

1982– Served as secretary to the bishop and vice chancellor, Diocese of Belleville

1984– Assignment listed at St. Mary, Belleville, Illinois

1987–1989– Alleged abuse of a minor described in a later civil complaint involving Cathedral Grade School, Belleville

1988–1993– Assignment listed at St. Peter’s Cathedral, Belleville, Illinois

December 6, 1994– Removed from ministry by the Diocese of Belleville; some sources say that he left due to his sex addiction

August 1999– First widely reported civil lawsuit filed alleging abuse of a minor in 1973

2001– The 1999 civil case was refiled in federal court, as described in public reporting

February 2003– Settlement reported in connection with the federal litigation

October 18, 2018– Placed on Diocese of Belleville public list of clergy removed from ministry

July 19, 2019– New civil complaint filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court alleging abuse of a minor during the late 1980s

May 23, 2023– Included in Illinois Attorney General clergy abuse investigation resources and database

July 13, 2016– Died

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you know was sexually abused by Msgr. Joseph R. Schwaegel or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse across the state.

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

Sources

• Illinois Attorney General, Abusive Clerics and Religious Brothers, Joseph R. Schwaegel (ordination, assignments, reported survivors, reported abuse date and location entries, first report year, public list date, removal and death)
• Illinois Attorney General, Diocese of Belleville overview page (bishop succession timeline for overseeing authorities and diocesan context)
• Catholic Diocese of Belleville, Listing of Diocesan Clergy Removed from Ministry dated October 18, 2018 (removal date and death date listing)
• St. Louis Public Radio, published July 31, 2019, reporting on the July 19, 2019 St. Clair County Circuit Court complaint and describing earlier litigation history and allegations timeline
• Bishop Accountability, Fr. Joseph R. Schwaegel profile (lawsuit filing month and year, refiling year, settlement month and year, and public listing references)
  https://www.bishop-accountability.org/accused/schwaegel-joseph-r-1965/
• Illinois Courts, Wisniewski v. Diocese of Belleville, Appellate Court opinion filed January 13, 2011 (court record describing Schwaegel’s diocesan administrative role in 1982 and related testimony)

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.