Father William Joseph
Archdiocese of Philadelphia
Ordained: 1966
Inpatient evaluation: 1998
Retired (voluntarily): 1998
Permanently restricted: 2005
Died: 2013
Assigned as follows:
- 1966-1971: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Doylestown, PA)
- 1968-1969: Asst. Director, Regional CYO
- 1968-1971: Regional Director, Office of Vocations
- 1971-1976: St. John of the Cross (Roslyn, PA)
- 1972-1973: Archbishop Wood Boys High School (Warminster, PA)
- 1976-1980: St. Martha (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1980-1985: St. Cecilia (Philadelphia, PA)
- 1985-1990: St. Alice (Upper Darby, PA)
- 1990-1996: St. George (Glenolden, PA)
- 1996-1998: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Bensalem, PA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father William Joseph:
According to the Philadelphia 2005 Grand Jury Report, in 1998, Father William Joseph was accused of sexually abusing a fifth-grade boy at St. Martha in Philadelphia. The abuse occurred in the late 1970s when the boy worked in the parish rectory. Joseph was removed from his position at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and sent to St. John Vianney, a notorious treatment facility for pedophile priests in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, for evaluation. SJV is owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
On June 19, 1998, he officially resigned his position at St. Elizabeth and was allowed to retire voluntarily a week later. He retained limited faculties to minister.
In 2004, in lieu of a canonical trial that could result in his laicization (removal from the priesthood), Joseph accepted a voluntary resignation of his remaining faculties and agreed to a "supervised life of prayer and penance."
He resided at Villa St. Joseph retirement home with other accused priests living "supervised lives of prayer and penance" until his death in 2013.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Pennsylvania, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia may have legal options, but filing deadlines will apply so please do not delay in reaching out to us.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or adam@adamhorowitzlaw.com to discuss your options today.