Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Alvin L. Campbell

Father Alvin L. Campbell was a chaplain and Catholic priest who was accused of multiple instances of sexual abuse against young boys. Although the church was aware of these issues, Campbell continued to receive ministry assignments until his arrest in 1985.

• Primary Entity Name: Alvin L. Campbell
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Campbell, Fr. Alvin, Fr. Campbell, Alvin Campbell
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest, Army Chaplain
• Current Status: Deceased (2002)

This page summarizes the history of abuse allegations against Father Alvin L. Campbell, his ministry assignments, and the institution’s response to his behavior.

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Campbell served a long career as a clergy member, beginning in 1952. Even though he was accused of sexual abuse, he was allowed to continue in ministry, and the church failed to publish the allegations for many years. The following entities eventually identified Campbell as a substantiated sexual abuser:

• The Diocese of Springfield, IL, on November 29, 2018
• The Office of the Attorney General, in a 2023 report on clergy abuse in Illinois

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1952 in the Diocese of Springfield

Years in Active Ministry: 1952-1985 (roughly 34 years)

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Springfield, United States Army (Fort Carson, CO)

Restrictions: Sentenced to prison in 1985

Criminal Convictions: Pleaded guilty (but mentally ill) to sexual assault of children in Illinois

Laicization: 1992

Public Disclosure: November 2018 in the Diocese of Springfield

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Springfield

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1952 – Saint John the Baptist in Quincy, IL

1952-1956 – Saint Patrick in Decatur, IL

1956-1960 – Church of the Little Flower in Springfield, IL

1960-1963 – Our Saviour in Jacksonville, IL

1978 – Saint Jude in Rochester, IL

1978-1979 – Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield, IL

1979-1981 – Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Assumption, IL, and Mission Church of St. Francis de Sales in Moweaqua, IL

1982 – Mother of Perpetual Help in Maryville, IL, and Christ the King in State Park, IL

1982-1985 – Saint Maurice in Morrisonville, IL

Non-Church Assignments:

1963-1977 – U.S. Army Chaplain

Known Allegations

Alvin L. Campbell served as a chaplain in the US Army from 1963 to 1977. He retired from the military and sought an assignment in the Diocese of Springfield. However, army personnel informed Bishop Joseph McNicholas of Springfield that Campbell had a moral problem with young men and boys. According to this representative, the accusations against Campbell prompted his resignation.

Even so, Bishop McNicholas assigned Campbell to St. Jude in Rochester and, eventually, to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Diocesan records indicate that Campbell began abusing children immediately at Assumption. These records also suggest that the diocese was informed of the abuse as early as 1980. 

In 1981, a family contacted the Bishop about Campbell’s inappropriate conduct with their daughter. Following Campbell’s expression of remorse, he resigned from his pastoral role and left the parish. However, he was re-assigned to another parish within several months. 

While Campbell was at St. Maurice for the next three years, he allegedly abused at least 26 children. The allegations included many forms of abuse, assault, rape, and inappropriate conduct. Eventually, Campbell was indicted in 1985 on multiple counts of molesting boys between the ages of 11 and 15. He pleaded guilty, but mentally ill, to all the counts, and it is estimated he abused 33 children during his assignments in the Diocese of Springfield. Twenty-six of those children were abused after the first allegation was brought to the church, and all 33 were abused after the warnings from the US Army official. 

Campbell was imprisoned from 1985 to 1992. He was laicized the year of his release and passed away in 2002. 

Summary: Although the Bishop of Springfield was warned of allegations against Campbell by an Army official, the priest was assigned to multiple parishes throughout the years, during which he sexually abused dozens of children until his arrest. 

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods: 

• Bishop William A. O’Connor (1949-1975)
• Bishop Joseph A. McNicholas (1975-1983)
• Bishop Daniel L. Ryan (1984-1999)

Institutional Actions and Review

This case highlights the damaging impact of inaction when a priest is accused of sexual abuse. Bishop McNicholas was warned about Campbell’s misconduct involving young boys before assigning him to a parish in 1978. The Diocese was also aware of abuse allegations in 1980. However, the only significant action taken by the church was re-assigning Campbell to new parishes when allegations arose.

After the US Army’s warning, 33 children were sexually abused by Campbell throughout the rest of his ministry career. Twenty-six of those children were abused after the church received reports of misconduct in 1980. The inaction of the diocese eventually led to the police arresting Campbell in 1985 on multiple counts of sexual assault of children. 

Campbell finally agreed to laicization in 1992 and eventually died in 2002. One civil lawsuit was settled with the diocese in 2004. Six more victims were awarded $625,000 in 2007 in another lawsuit against the Diocese of Springfield. The priest was publicly identified as a sexual abuser by the Diocese of Springfield in 2018 in a list of accused Illinois priests and in the Attorney General’s report in 2023. 

Timeline

1952 – Ordained in the Diocese of Springfield

1952-1985 – Assigned to multiple parishes as a priest and the US Army as a chaplain

1977 – Retires from the Army when allegations of abuse arose

1978 – Assigned to the Diocese of Springfield, immediately starting to abuse children

1980 – Diocese receives the first reports of abuse

1981 – Campbell is re-assigned when further allegations are brought forth

1985 – Arrested by police for child sexual assault, sentenced to 14 years in prison

1992 – Released from prison and laicized 

2002 – Dies

2018 – Identified in a public list in the Diocese of Springfield

2023 – Named in the Attorney General’s report

Speak With an Attorney

Clergy abuse can have a lifelong impact on the victim’s physical and emotional health. If you have suffered at the hands of a church official in Illinois, you deserve the chance to seek justice. The Injury Lawyer Team will stand by your side throughout the civil claims process to fight for fair compensation for legal damages. 

If you have suffered from sexual abuse connected to the church in this state, contact us today to schedule a free and confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse lawyer. 

Sources

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

• A survivor narrative from the Attorney General’s 2023 report
• Alvin L. Campbell’s profile from the Office of the Attorney General
• Bishop Accountability’s profile of Alvin L. Campbell
• The Attorney General’s report on the Diocese of Springfield

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.