Father Bernie Ward
Diocese of Santa Rosa
Ordained: 1977
Retired: 1979
Assignment History:
- 1977-1979: Society of the Precious Blood Province of the Pacific (Santa Rosa, CA)
- 1978-1979: Cardinal Newman High School and Ursuline High School (Santa Rosa, CA)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations Against Father Bernie Ward:
Fr. Bernie Ward was ordained a priest in 1977, who served in the Diocese of Santa Rosa. According to media reports, in 2008, he was convicted of obtaining and sending child pornography over the internet. He was a priest of the Society of the Precious Blood from 1977-1979. Fr. Ward became a husband and father of four, and a popular radio personality. He claimed to have had the child porn for research purposes.
Fr. Ward pled guilty in 2008 to one count, and he was sentenced to more than seven years in prison. He was released from jail in 2014.
In 2008, two women publicly stated that the priest had unwelcome “sexual contact” with them when they were students at Ursuline High School in the 1970s.
Fr. Ward’s name is included on the Diocese of Santa Rosa’s 2019 list of Credibly Accused Clergy of Sexual Abuse to Minors.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Santa Rosa in California. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in one of California’s Catholic dioceses, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Santa Rosa now have legal options due to a voluntary compensation fund created by the Diocese of Santa Rosa, but filing deadlines will apply so do not delay in reaching out to us. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing survivors of clergy sexual abuse in California and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.