Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. William Virtue

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

• Primary Entity Name: William D. Virtue
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father William Virtue, Fr. William Virtue, Rev. William Virtue
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Associate Pastor
• Current Status: Removed from Ministry

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. William Virtue was publicly identified as a priest accused of sexual abuse of minors by multiple Catholic dioceses in Illinois and through statewide public reporting. His name appears on official diocesan lists of accused clergy and in the Illinois Attorney General’s Catholic Clergy Abuse Database, following diocesan reviews and survivor reports connected to his parish assignments.

Public records indicate that allegations against Virtue involve reported sexual abuse of minors during his years in parish ministry, with reported periods spanning from the late 1960s through the 1980s. After these allegations were reported to Church authorities, Virtue was removed from active ministry, and his name was later disclosed publicly through diocesan and government listings.

Entity that Listed Him: Diocese of Joliet, Diocese of Peoria, Diocese of Rockford, Illinois Attorney General’s Office

Reason for Listing: Reported allegations of child sexual abuse resulting in removal from ministry and subsequent public disclosure through diocesan lists and statewide reporting.

Key Status Facts

• Birth Year: 1948
• Ordination Year: 1975 (Diocese of Joliet)
• Years in Active Ministry: 1975–2006
• Incardination: Diocese of Peoria (1988)
• Locations Where He Served: Numerous parish assignments across Illinois within the Dioceses of Joliet and Peoria; later associations referenced by the Diocese of Rockford
• Reported Survivors: At least three survivors identified in public reporting
• Restrictions: Faculties to minister revoked; directed not to function publicly as a priest
• Removal from Ministry: 2006
• Laicization: Not publicly confirmed
• Public Disclosure: Listed by the Diocese of Joliet (2013), Diocese of Rockford (2018), Diocese of Peoria (2018), and included in statewide Illinois clergy abuse reporting

Assignment History

Primary Diocese (Ordination): Diocese of Joliet

Subsequent Affiliation: Diocese of Peoria

Later Association: Diocese of Rockford

Public diocesan disclosures and clergy accountability records document that Fr. William Virtue served in numerous parish assignments across Illinois during his priesthood. These assignments establish the church settings referenced in survivor reports and public listings.

Parish Assignments (as documented in public records):

• St. Mary Magdalene — Joliet, Illinois
• St. Dominic — Bolingbrook, Illinois
• St. Mary Nativity — Joliet, Illinois
• St. Mary Catholic Church — Mokena, Illinois
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church — Joliet, Illinois
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church — Campus, Illinois
• St. Mary Catholic Church — Loretto, Illinois
• Sacre Coeur Catholic Church — Creve Coeur, Illinois
• St. Joseph Home — Lacon, Illinois
• St. Theresa Catholic Church — Cedar Point, Illinois
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church — Granville, Illinois
• Sacred Heart Catholic Church — Farmer City, Illinois
• St. John Catholic Church — Bellflower, Illinois
• St. Flannen Catholic Church — Harmon, Illinois
• St. James Catholic Church — Lee, Illinois
• St. Patrick Catholic Church — Maytown, Illinois
• St. Mary Catholic Church — Walton, Illinois
• St. Theresa Catholic Church — Earlville, Illinois (multiple assignments)

Non-Parish / Institutional Assignment: Mount St. Mary’s Seminary / University, Maryland (approximately 2000–2002). Public disclosures state that Virtue did not hold faculties from the Archdiocese of Baltimore during this period.

Known Allegations

Fr. William Virtue has been publicly identified in connection with multiple reported allegations of child sexual abuse involving minors during his service as a parish priest in Illinois. Public reporting reflects allegations spanning several distinct time periods.

The most specifically documented allegation concerns reported sexual abuse at St. Mary Catholic Church in Mokena, Illinois, during 1981–1982, while Virtue was serving in parish ministry within the Diocese of Joliet.

Additional reported periods of alleged abuse listed in public records include:

• 1968 (location not publicly specified)
• 1970s (location not publicly specified)
• 1986 (location not publicly specified)

These reported allegations resulted in Virtue’s removal from ministry in 2006 and his later inclusion on official diocesan lists of accused clergy and in statewide Illinois clergy abuse reporting.

No criminal conviction has been publicly reported in connection with these allegations.

Summary: Fr. William Virtue has been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors during parish ministry in Illinois across multiple periods and was removed from ministry following a Church review.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods:

• Diocese of Joliet: Bishop Joseph L. Imesch
• Diocese of Peoria: Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, C.S.C.

Institutional Actions and Review

Public disclosures indicate that Church authorities were formally notified of allegations involving Fr. William Virtue in 2006. Following this notification, Virtue was removed from active ministry.

According to diocesan statements, Virtue was instructed not to serve in any public priestly capacity, not to wear clerical attire, and not to use clerical titles. He was not reassigned to another parish, and he was not permitted to continue in public ministry.

Public records do not indicate that formal restrictions were imposed prior to 2006. Public disclosure occurred after the diocesan review, through diocesan lists of accused clergy and, later, through statewide reporting by the Illinois Attorney General, including the list of accused clergy in Illinois.

Timeline

1948 — Born

1975 — Ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Joliet

1968 — Reported alleged abuse period (location not publicly specified)

1970s — Reported alleged abuse period (location not publicly specified)

1981–1982 — Reported alleged abuse at St. Mary Catholic Church, Mokena, Illinois

1986 — Reported alleged abuse period (location not publicly specified)

1988 — Incardinated into the Diocese of Peoria

2000–2002 — Taught at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary / University, Maryland

2006 — Allegations reported; removed from active ministry

2013 — Listed by the Diocese of Joliet

2018 — Listed by the Dioceses of Peoria and Rockford

2020s — Included in statewide Illinois clergy abuse reporting

Speak With an Attorney

If you or someone you care about was sexually abused by Fr. William Virtue or another Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse across the state and offers confidential guidance focused on accountability and survivor rights. You can speak privately with an Illinois clergy abuse lawyer to learn more about your legal options.

Sources and Public Records

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

• The Illinois Attorney General’s Catholic Clergy Abuse Database, which lists Fr. William Virtue as a priest publicly identified through diocesan disclosures and survivor reports, including reported abuse periods and dates of removal from ministry.
• A BishopAccountability.org assignment record for the Diocese of Peoria documenting Fr. Virtue’s publicly reported parish assignments, dates of service, and diocesan actions following abuse allegations.
• The Archdiocese of Baltimore’s list of priests and brothers accused of abuse, which references Fr. William Virtue in connection with his teaching role at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary / University and notes that he did not hold faculties within the Archdiocese.

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.