Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Walter Weerts

Father Walter Weerts was a Catholic priest who sexually abused more than 20 minors throughout his ministry career. Despite the allegations of abuse, Weerts was simply moved from parish to parish as he continued to engage in misconduct. 

• Primary Entity Name: Walter Weerts
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Walter Weerts, Fr. Walter, Fr. Weerts
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Parish Priest
• Current Status: Laicized and removed from ministry

This page summarizes the history of abuse allegations against Father Walter Weerts, his ministry assignments, and the institution’s response to his conduct.

Public Identification and Clergy Status

After decades of sexually abusing children in various parishes around Illinois, Walter Weerts was finally charged criminally and arrested in 1985. Weerts was publicly identified as a sexual abuser by several entities, including:

• The Diocese of Springfield, IL, on November 29, 2018
• The Attorney General’s office released a clergy abuse investigation report in 2023

These entities included Walter Weerts in these reports due to his criminal charges and the existence of substantiated allegations of sexual abuse against children. 

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1960 in the Diocese of Springfield

Years in Active Ministry: 1960-1985 (roughly 26 years)

Locations Where He Served: Diocese of Springfield (Altamon, Godfrey, Granite City, Decatur, Highland, Villa Grove, Hume, Brocton, St. Marie, Bend, Edwardsville, Liberty, and Camp Point)

Restrictions: Resigned from multiple parishes in 1978 and 1985, granted leave of absence for “health reasons” in 1985, arrested in 1986, and removed from ministry in 1989

Criminal Convictions: Pleaded guilty to sexually abusing three boys in Illinois, sentenced to six years in prison

Laicization: 1989

Public Disclosure: Added to the public list of sexual abusers in the Diocese of Springfield in 2018

Assignment History

Primary Diocese: Diocese of Springfield

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

1961 – Saint Clare in Altamont, IL

1961-1963 – Saint Ambrose in Godfrey, IL

1963-1967 – Sacred Heart in Granite City, IL

1967-1972 – Saint Thomas the Apostle in Decatur, IL

1972 – Saint Paul in Highland, IL

1972-1978 – Sacred Heart in Villa Grove, IL, Saint Michael in Hume, IL, and Saint Thomas Aquinas in Brocton, IL

1978-1979 – Saint Mary of the Assumption in St. Marie, IL, and Saint Valentine in Bend, IL

1979-1980 – Saint Boniface in Edwardsville, IL

1980-1985 – Saint Brigid in Liberty, IL, and Saint Thomas in Camp Point, IL

Non-Church Assignments:

1955 – Catholic Children’s Home in Alton, IL

1957 – Camp Star of the Sea in Springfield, IL

1957 – Camp Pere Marquette in Grafton, IL

Known Allegations

Reports of Walter Weerts sexually abusing young boys span decades, from the early 1960s to the 1980s. Three survivors reported their experiences to investigators from the Attorney General’s office. In their accounts, Weerts had a familiar pattern of abuse established. First, he befriended the boys’ parents. Then, he purchased gifts for the future victims, took them to fancy restaurants, and even invited them on private plane rides. 

This eventually led to sexual abuse of the victims in the 1960s and 1970s. According to files from the Diocese of Springfield, Bishops William O’Connor and Joseph McNicholas knew about Weerts sexually abusing multiple boys, including in the early years of his ministry career. Whenever these allegations surfaced, Weerts would resign from his parish assignments and be transferred to new parishes in Illinois. 

In the early 1960s, one survivor, “Bruce,” recalled that Weerts repeatedly attempted to get him alone. Weerts would place the 11-year-old boy on his lap and fondle him. At one point, Weerts invited Bruce to a trip to his parents’ home, but it ended up being just the two of them at the house. Bruce struggled to recall exactly what happened during that trip. 

When Bruce’s father found out about the sexual abuse, he demanded to meet with the bishop about it. Weerts was suddenly gone from the parish, with no explanation given. 

In 1985, Weerts was finally arrested on felony charges of aggravated child sexual abuse involving three boys under the age of 16. Although the church had first been informed about abuse in 1962, it wasn’t until Weerts’s indictment that action was taken. Bishop Daniel Ryan requested a sentence of probation because Weerts’s behavior outside of these acts was always “of the very best.” His conduct was finally published when the Diocese of Springfield released a list of substantiated sexual abusers in 2018.

Summary: Walter Weerts destroyed many lives across multiple decades of ministry assignments because of sexual abuse, often being transferred to new parishes rather than disciplined until his eventual arrest in 1985. 

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 represents a clear failure to discipline a child sex abuser. Walter Weerts began abusing young boys in the early 1960s and continued to do so until his arrest in 1986. The bishops in the Diocese of Springfield reportedly were aware of this behavior, even when it first began. Rather than removing Weerts from ministry or disciplining him, they simply sent him to other parishes in Illinois. 

Church leadership repeatedly stated that Weerts’s behavior outside the allegations was the “very best.” Even when the accused priest was arrested in 1986, Bishop Daniel Ryan still pleaded for probation, despite the mountain of accusations against Weerts. In both 1978 and 1985, Weerts was allowed to resign from the parishes at which he was being accused. 

In 1989, the Diocese of Springfield permanently removed him from ministry. Weerts was also laicized in that year and placed on a list of accused Illinois priests in 2018.

Timeline

1960 – Ordained in the Diocese of Springfield

1961-1985 – Assigned to numerous parishes in Illinois

Early 1960s – First reported incidents of sexually abusing children, a behavior that continues until the 1980s

1978 – Resigns from several parishes due to mounting concerns about his behavior and is transferred to new assignments

1985 – Resigns from several parishes as more accusations come forth

1986 – Indicted on multiple felony counts of aggravated sexual abuse against minors, sentenced to six years in prison

1989 – Removed from ministry and laicized

2000s-2010s – The Diocese of Springfield pays settlements to at least eight survivors

2018 – The Diocese of Springfield publicly identifies Weerts for substantiated sexual abuse allegations

2023 – Weerts is named in the Attorney General’s report on clergy abuse in Illinois

Speak With an Attorney

If you have been affected by clergy abuse in Illinois, the Injury Lawyer Team will stand by your side throughout the claims process. Our attorneys will provide compassionate legal support as you fight for justice and fair compensation for your losses, while holding the at-fault parties accountable. 

Contact us today for a free, confidential consultation with an Illinois clergy abuse lawyer. We will guide you through the legal process while protecting your rights as a victim of sexual abuse. 

Sources

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

• A profile of Walter Weerts from the Office of the Attorney General in Illinois
• A survivor narrative on the Attorney General’s website
• The 2023 investigation report on clergy abuse in Illinois from the Attorney General’s office
• A report on the Diocese of Springfield from the Attorney General
• A profile of Walter Weerts on the Bishop Accountability website

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.