Donald O’Connor Sexual Abuse Allegations

This page summarizes the assignments, sexual abuse allegations, and institutional actions involving Father Donald G. O’Connor of the Diocese of Joliet.

• Primary Entity Name: Donald O’Connor
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Donald O’Connor, Fr. Donald O’Connor, Donald G. O’Connor
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic priest, Diocese of Joliet
• Current Status: Removed from ministry; listed as credibly accused by the Diocese of Joliet

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Father O’Connor was credibly accused of sexually assaulting former members of the clergy and children. He was publicly accused by various churches and government bodies, including:

• Diocese of Joliet
• Illinois Attorney General Report
• BishopAccountability.org

Allegations involved the abuse of children throughout the Chicago area, including Immaculate Conception and multiple other churches. He was removed from ministry after the allegations were deemed credible in 2002. 

• Entity that listed him: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois Attorney General’s Report on accused church leaders. 
• Reason for listing: Multiple allegations of abuse and sexual assault were deemed credible by the church. He was removed from ministry in 2002. 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1964

Years in Active Ministry: Mid-20th century until removal in the early 2000s

Primary Diocese: Joliet Diocese, Illinois

Parish Service Areas: Joliet, Coal City, and surrounding communities

Restrictions: Removed from ministry

Criminal Proceedings: No public record of arrest or indictment

Public Disclosure: Listed in multiple church lists, the Illinois AG report after review of files

Status: Credibly accused

Died: He passed away in 2011 after his removal from clerical work

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Joliet, Illinois

Based on diocesan summaries and historical reporting, he served in other parishes across multiple locations in Joliet and the surrounding areas of IL during the 1960s and 1970s.

Assignments included service at:

• 1964-1966: St. Rose, Wilmington, IL (Assistant)
• 1966-1967: Sacred Heart, Lombard, IL (Assistant)
• 1967-1970: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assumption B.V.M.), Coal City, IL (Assistant)
• 1970-1975: St. Rose, Wilmington, IL (Assistant)
• 1975-1987: Immaculate Conception, Braidwood, IL (Pastor)
• 1987-1999:St. Bernard, Joliet, IL (Pastor)
• 1999-2002: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assumption B.V.M.), Coal City, IL (Pastor)

His clerical work included sacramental duties such as preparing for first confession and regular pastoral interaction with children, altar servers, and families.

Known Allegations

He was accused of sexual abuse involving a minor during his time as a priest. According to diocesan summaries, the incident occurred while the victim was a child participating in church activities.

Reports describe behavior consistent with sexual assault, including taking indecent liberties with a minor in a parish setting. Other victims came forward in 2002, reporting crimes that dated back to the 1970s, such as one victim who said Father O’Connor was a good friend of the family, and molested him during a sleepover in 1975. 

The sleepover was supposed to involve two boys, but one was ill. The clerical worker used the families to build a bond with the children. His influence in the church gave him access to younger children. 

A 1980s memo mentions two boys whom the priest molested. In 2002, the file was released, revealing that six survivors made claims against the priest. 

The allegations, including interviews, memos, and internal files, were deemed credible. 

Summary: The Diocese of Joliet in the Chicago area determined that he faced credible allegations of sexually abusing a minor during his clerical work.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• The acting Bishop of the Diocese of Joliet oversees all priests 

The specific residential bishops (ordinaries) who held authority over him during his time were:

• Most Reverend Martin Dewey McNamara: From his ordination around 1964 until Bishop McNamara’s death in May 1966.
• Most Reverend Romeo Roy Blanchette: From July 1966 until his resignation in January 1979.
• Most Reverend Joseph Leopold Imesch: From June 1979 until Father O’Connor was placed on administrative leave in 2002. 

Several auxiliary bishops also served within the church during this time, including Raymond James Vonesh and Roger Louis Kaffer, who assisted the diocesan bishop in administrative and pastoral duties. 

Institutional Actions and Review

Claims were first noted in memos in the church file in 1980. However, the file does not indicate that he was immediately removed from clerical work or moved to another location. There are no documents stating that the church took any actions until 2002.

The church reviewed allegations against him as part of a broader internal examination of historical clergy cases that intensified in the early 2000s, following increased public scrutiny of how Catholic churches handled reports. 

According to diocesan disclosures summarized by BishopAccountability.org, the review involved examination of personnel files, archived correspondence, and other internal memos, sometimes referred to in church practice as a secret archive file or full secret archive file maintained under canon law.

The allegation was reported decades after the alleged abuse occurred, a delay consistent with patterns seen in many clergy cases involving minors. Diocesan officials evaluated the available evidence, including survivor statements and historical documentation. As a result of this determination, he was removed from active clerical work in 2002, according to diocesan summaries.

The diocese later publicly disclosed his name on its official list of clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse of minors, a step taken as part of transparency measures adopted by the diocese after nationwide reforms. 

There is no public record indicating that law enforcement agencies, such as the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, initiated a criminal investigation, nor is there evidence that O’Connor was arrested or indicted. 

The Diocese has not released detailed parish-level notices regarding the allegation, and no contemporaneous warnings to parishioners from the period of the alleged abuse have been documented. Although these actions have been observed in other accused priests, this church leader was removed from clerical work following the 2002 review, which may have eliminated the need to notify the members. Parishioners were encouraged to come forward and report any harm suffered by any clergy member at any time in 2002. 

Timeline

• 1964 — Ordained
• 1960s — Serves as a parish priest in Joliet, IL
• 1960s– 1970s — Period during which abuse cases reportedly occurred
• 1976 — Abuse of victim six happened at Braidwood
• 1978 — Abuse of victim three occurred; it was reported in the 2002 memo
• 2002 — Multiple victims reported abuse; diocesan files and records reviewed
• 2002 — Removed from ministry
• 2002-2003 — At least two former members filed civil lawsuits for justice against the Diocese of Joliet and Father O’Connor in 2002 and 2003, claiming abuse in the 1970s.
• 2006 — Diocese publicly lists him as credibly accused
• 2013 — As part of a major settlement (the Rudofski v. Joliet & Bennett case), the Diocese agreed to the release of personnel files, indicating that ongoing or related legal action was active around this time. 
• 2011 — Died; no criminal prosecution occurred

Speak With an Attorney

If you or a family member were abused by Father Donald O’Connor or another priest in the Joliet Diocese, you may still have legal options under Illinois law. We can help you seek justice, even if the abuse happened several years ago. 

The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse throughout IL. We encourage survivors to speak confidentially with an attorney to understand their rights and next steps. Contact us today to learn more. 

Sources

This page is based on public records, official diocesan disclosures, survivor reports, and independent documentation, including: 

• Bishop Accountability released a complete file on Father O’Connor, including memos, victim reports, and communications among now-former clergy members. 
• The Illinois Attorney General Abuser List, which lists approximate dates, locations, institutional responses, and information regarding the priest. 
• The Diocese of Joliet maintains a list of clergy with credible accusations, and lists Fr. O’Connor 

No criminal conviction is implied unless explicitly stated in public court records.

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.