Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Fr. Walter A. Breuning

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

• Primary Entity Name: Walter A. Breuning
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Walter Breuning, Fr. Walter Breuning, Walter Breuning, Walter Bruening
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic Priest, Parish Priest
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Fr. Walter A. Breuning was publicly identified as a priest accused of sexual abuse through formal disclosures by Church authorities and state officials. His name appears on official lists acknowledging allegations of abuse involving minors during his time in ministry in Illinois.

He has been included in the Illinois Attorney General’s list of accused clergy, published as part of the Attorney General’s statewide investigation into sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Illinois. In addition, the Catholic Diocese of Peoria has publicly listed Fr. Breuning among priests removed from ministry following allegations of sexual abuse.

The allegations referenced in these disclosures relate to reported abuse of minors during his priestly service within the Diocese of Peoria, particularly during parish assignments in central Illinois. There is no public record of a criminal conviction. His inclusion on these lists reflects institutional determinations that the allegations warranted public disclosure following diocesan and statewide review.

Entity that Listed Him: Catholic Diocese of Peoria; Illinois Attorney General’s Office

Reason for Listing: Reported and publicly disclosed allegations of child sexual abuse involving minors; inclusion following diocesan review and the Illinois Attorney General’s investigation

Key Status Facts

• Ordination Year: 1954
• Years in Active Ministry: 1954–1999
• Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Peoria (Illinois)
• Reported Survivors: At least five publicly identified survivors; some public sources reference additional accusers
• Retirement: Retired from ministry in 1999
• Removal from Ministry: Removed from public ministry by the Diocese of Peoria in 2002
• Laicization: Not publicly documented
• Died: November 2, 2009
• Public Disclosure: Listed by the Diocese of Peoria in November 2018 and named in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 clergy abuse report

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Catholic Diocese of Peoria (Illinois)

Fr. Walter A. Breuning served in multiple parish assignments within the Diocese of Peoria over several decades. Publicly available diocesan disclosures and advocacy databases indicate that his ministry was limited to Illinois parishes. These assignments establish the geographic and institutional settings relevant to the allegations later reported.

Parish Assignments (as documented in public records):

• St. Patrick Catholic Church – Urbana, Illinois
• St. Joseph Catholic Church – Pekin, Illinois
• St. Anthony Catholic Church – Atkinson, Illinois
• St. Mary Catholic Church – Hooppole, Illinois
• St. Augustine Catholic Church – St. Augustine, Illinois
• St. Patrick Catholic Church – Raritan, Illinois
• St. Mary Catholic Church – Henry, Illinois
• St. Joseph Catholic Church – Henry, Illinois

Exact start and end dates for each assignment have not been consistently published due to the age of the records. However, these placements span the period during which reported abuse is alleged to have occurred.

Non-Church Assignments: No publicly documented non-parish roles—such as school administration or hospital chaplaincy—have been disclosed in connection with Fr. Breuning.

Known Allegations

Multiple individuals alleged that Fr. Walter A. Breuning sexually abused minors during his service as a priest in the Diocese of Peoria. These allegations were disclosed through diocesan listings, civil court filings, and the Illinois Attorney General’s statewide investigation into clergy sexual abuse.

According to public records, the reported abuse allegedly occurred during the late 1960s and early 1970s, primarily in connection with his assignment at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pekin, Illinois, as well as elsewhere in Henry County, Illinois. Allegations indicate that victims were minors at the time of the alleged abuse, with some reports stating that children as young as nine years old were affected.

Civil lawsuits filed in December 2005 alleged that Fr. Breuning sexually abused minors decades earlier. Two brothers alleged abuse during his assignment at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Pekin, Illinois, and later public summaries referenced additional claims. Some cases were initially dismissed at the trial-court level, but at least one was reinstated on appeal in January 2009. Public records further indicate that the litigation was ultimately resolved through settlement.

The Illinois Attorney General’s report identifies at least five reported survivors, though some public sources reference a higher number of accusers. There is no public record of any criminal prosecution or conviction arising from these allegations.

Summary: Public records indicate that multiple individuals accused Fr. Walter A. Breuning of sexually abusing minors during his ministry in Illinois, and he was later publicly listed by Church authorities and the Illinois Attorney General following an institutional review.

Overseeing Authority During Key Period: Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria during Fr. Breuning’s years of active ministry

Associated Organizations: Catholic Diocese of Peoria; parish communities in Pekin and Henry County, Illinois

Legal Bodies Referenced: Illinois civil courts; Illinois Attorney General’s Office

Institutional Actions and Review

Public disclosures indicate that the Catholic Diocese of Peoria first received reports concerning Fr. Breuning in 1999, decades after the alleged abuse occurred. That year, he retired from ministry. In 2002, the diocese formally removed him from public ministry following allegations of sexual abuse involving minors.

There is no public documentation showing that restrictions were placed on his ministry prior to retirement, nor is there evidence that information about allegations was shared during earlier parish assignments. Available records do not indicate whether prior complaints were in his personnel file prior to the first report.

Public disclosure occurred later, when the Diocese of Peoria released its list of priests removed from ministry in November 2018, followed by inclusion in the Illinois Attorney General’s 2023 report. Fr. Breuning was subsequently included on the publicly accessible list of accused clergy in Illinois.

There is no indication in public records that the diocese referred the matter to law enforcement at the time of the alleged abuse.

Timeline

1954 — Ordained as a priest for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria

1954–1999 — Served in parish assignments within the Diocese of Peoria

Late 1960s–Early 1970s — Alleged sexual abuse of minors reportedly occurred in Pekin and Henry County, Illinois

1999 — Allegation reported to diocesan authorities; Fr. Breuning retired

2002 — Removed from public ministry by the Diocese of Peoria

December 2005 — Civil lawsuits filed alleging child sexual abuse

January 2009 — One civil case was reinstated on appeal

November 2, 2009 — Died

November 29, 2018 — Listed by the Diocese of Peoria on its public disclosure list

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 A. Breuning or any Catholic clergy member in Illinois, you may still have legal options. The Injury Lawyer Team represents survivors of clergy abuse statewide and provides confidential legal guidance.

You can contact our team to speak with an experienced Illinois clergy abuse lawyer and learn more about 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 following:

• The Illinois Attorney General’s clergy abuse abuser list entry for Walter “Bruening” a/k/a Walter “Breuning”, which provides identifying details, reported survivor counts, assignment information, and public disclosure dates.
• The BishopAccountability profile for Walter A. Breuning (Diocese of Peoria) compiles publicly reported allegations and references to related documentation and reporting.
• A State Journal-Register news report discussing appellate activity involving sexual-abuse civil lawsuits tied to the Diocese of Peoria.

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.