Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Ronald Williams

This page is an overview of Ronald Williams’s clerical assignments, publicly reported allegations of sexual abuse, and the institutional actions taken against him, as part of Injury Lawyer Team’s work on Michigan clergy abuse cases.

• Primary Entity Name: Ronald Williams
• Common Variations / Aliases: Father Ronald Williams, Fr. Ronald Williams, Rev. Ronald Williams, Ron Williams
• Role/Title at Time of Incident: Catholic parish priest and pastor
• Current Status: Deceased

Public Identification and Clergy Status

Ronald Williams was publicly identified as a Catholic priest against whom credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor were reported by the Archdiocese of Detroit. Following the report, he was placed on administrative leave, later permanently removed from public ministry through the Church’s canonical process, and prohibited from functioning publicly as a priest.

Given the age of the alleged misconduct and the expiration of the criminal statute of limitations, law enforcement reviewed the allegations and determined the case could not be prosecuted, resulting in no arrest or criminal charges.

• Entity that Listed Him: The Archdiocese of Detroit
• Reason for Listing: Credible allegation of sexual abuse of a minor

Key Status Facts

Ordination Year: 1979

Years in Active Ministry: 1979-2002

Locations Where He Served: Archdiocese of Detroit

Restrictions: Placed on administrative leave in 2002; permanently removed from public ecclesiastical ministry in 2007; barred from wearing clerical clothing and publicly representing himself as a priest

Laicization: Not laicized; remained a priest but permanently restricted from public ministry following canonical and Vatican review

Died: July 6, 2010

Public Disclosure: Identified as a Catholic priest credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor by the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Assignment History

Primary Archdiocese: Archdiocese of Detroit

Parish Assignments (as documented in public reports):

• Blessed Sacrament Cathedral – Detroit, MI (early 1980s)
• St. Mary’s of Redford. (1979, associate pastor assignment)
• Our Lady Queen of Peace – Harper Woods, MI (mid-1980s)
• St. Benedict the Moor (Administrator, 1985)
• St. Juliana–St. John Berchmans – Detroit, MI (1990s)
• St. Mary’s of Redford – Detroit, MI (late 1990s–2002)

Non-Church Assignments: Served as a chaplain or administrator in additional roles, including chaplaincies with the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan State Police, the Michigan National Guard, youth-related organizations, and Bishop Gallagher High School in Harper Woods.

Known Allegations

Public records and contemporaneous reporting indicate that allegations against Ronald Williams involved the sexual abuse of a minor during the early years of his priesthood while he was serving in parishes within the Archdiocese of Detroit. 

The alleged misconduct was reported to have occurred in parish and rectory-related settings, with one complainant describing an incident in 1979, at age sixteen, involving alcohol, exposure to pornographic material, and an attempted act of oral sex.

After Williams was placed on administrative leave in 2002, two additional men reportedly came forward to prosecutors, alleging similar misconduct. One described a pattern consistent with the 1979 allegation involving intoxication and attempted sexual contact, while another reported being fondled at age seventeen in approximately 1984. 

The Archdiocese reviewed the allegations through its internal procedures and determined that they met its standard for credibility, which led to his removal from active ministry and, following canonical proceedings and appeals, his permanent removal from public ecclesiastical ministry in 2007.

Law enforcement authorities reviewed the allegations after they were referred by Church officials, but the alleged acts fell outside the applicable criminal statute of limitations. As a result, no arrest or criminal charges followed. 

While the allegations were never adjudicated in criminal court, they remained substantiated within Church processes, shaping the institutional actions taken against him until his death in 2010.

Summary: Ronald Williams was a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit who was credibly accused of sexually abusing minors in the early years of his ministry, removed from public ministry following Church review, and never criminally charged due to the age of the allegations.

Overseeing Authorities During Key Periods

• John Francis Dearden – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Edmund Casimir Szoka – Archdiocese of Detroit
• Adam Joseph Maida – Archdiocese of Detroit

Institutional Actions and Review

Church records and public reporting indicate that authorities within the Archdiocese of Detroit were first notified of an allegation against Ronald Williams in late spring 2002, when a complaint was brought forward alleging sexual abuse of a minor dating back to the early years of his priesthood. 

Upon receiving the report, the Archdiocese removed Williams from his role as pastor and placed him on administrative leave in September 2002, notifying parish leadership and congregants and appointing a temporary administrator. 

The allegation was referred to civil authorities under the Archdiocese’s information-sharing practices, while the Church simultaneously initiated its own internal and canonical review process.

There is no public record indicating that Williams was reassigned to another parish after the allegation was reported, nor that he returned to active ministry at any point. Instead, the matter proceeded through extended canonical proceedings, including internal appeals, which culminated in 2007 with a determination that permanently barred him from public ecclesiastical ministry. 

Available disclosures do not document earlier formal complaints in his personnel file prior to 2002, though later reporting indicates that additional allegations surfaced during the review period.

Public disclosure of his status occurred after internal review and canonical proceedings. At that point, the Archdiocese of Detroit publicly named him on the list of Michigan clergy with credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.

Timeline

1979 — Ordained as a Catholic priest in the Archdiocese of Detroit

1979 — First alleged incident of sexual abuse reported to have occurred, involving a minor

Early 1980s — Served as associate pastor at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, Detroit

Mid-1980s — Served as associate pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Harper Woods

Mid-1980s (circa 1984) — Second alleged incident of sexual abuse reported to have occurred, involving a minor

1990s — Served as pastor at St. Juliana–St. John Berchmans, Detroit

Late 1990s–2002 — Served as pastor at St. Mary’s of Redford, Detroit

Late spring 2002 — Allegation of sexual abuse reported to Church authorities

September 2002 — Placed on administrative leave by the Archdiocese of Detroit

2002 — Allegation referred to law enforcement; reviewed and deemed outside the statute of limitations

2002–2007 — Canonical proceedings and internal appeals conducted within the Church

2007 — Permanently removed from public ecclesiastical ministry following canonical review

July 6, 2010 — Died

June 10, 2019 — Included on an Archdiocese of Detroit publication of its clergy credibly accused list

Speak With an Attorney

If you were harmed by Ronald Williams or any member of the Catholic clergy in Michigan, you are not alone, and you may still have legal rights. Injury Lawyer Team works with survivors statewide and helps them understand their rights and take informed legal action.

Reach out today to arrange a private consultation with a Michigan clergy abuse attorney and discuss your options in a confidential setting.

Sources and Public Records

This page is drawn from publicly available records, official Church disclosures, contemporaneous media reporting, and survivor-related documentation. The information summarized here is supported by the following sources:

• An official disclosure published by the Archdiocese of Detroit, identifying clergy members who were removed from ministry following credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, in which Ronald Williams is listed.
• A clergy profile maintained by BishopAccountability, which compiles assignment history, allegations, and institutional actions based on Church records and reporting.
• A 2010 investigative news report examining the Archdiocese of Detroit’s handling of clergy abuse cases, including priests permanently removed from ministry and the processes used to review allegations.
• A separate 2010 news article addressing broader Church responses to clergy sexual abuse, including disclosures, canonical proceedings, and the treatment of priests removed from public ministry.

No criminal conviction is stated or implied unless expressly documented in public court records or official Church determinations.

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.