Father William Ward
Diocese of Charlotte
Ordained: 1950
Retired: 1998
Died: 2008
Assigned as Follows:
- 1951: St. Leo’s (Winston-Salem, NC)
- 1952: St. Joseph’s (Albion, NY)
- 1953-1955: St. Stephen (Buffalo, NY)
- 1956-1962: Basilica of Our Lady of Victory (Lackawanna, NY)
- 1963-1966: Working Boys Home of the Sacred Heart (Buffalo, NY)
- 1967: Our Lady of Loreto (Falconer, NY)
- 1968-1970: Prince of Peace (Niagara Falls, NY)
- 1971-1978: St. Charles (Niagara Falls, NY)
- 1979: Bishop Burke Manor (Buffalo, NY)
- 1980-1997: Our Lady of Fatima (Elba, NY)
Summary of Sexual Abuse Allegations against Father William Ward:
Father William Ward was ordained a priest in 1950, and served in multiple parishes in the Diocese of Raleigh. According to media reports, in March 2018, the Diocese of Buffalo released a list of priests who have been credibly accused of child sexual abuse. The list only included deceased priests if there was more than one substantiated claim of abuse against them. On its list of deceased priests was Father William Ward. The alleged abuse occurred in New York from 1955-1956 and 1966-1971.
Father Ward is believed to have voluntarily retired in 1998, and lived in Clarence and Buffalo until his death in 2008.
In August 2019, Father Ward became one of many priests named in civil lawsuits filed under the New York Child Victims Act. The approximate number of victims is unknown.
Father Ward’s name is also included on the Raleigh diocese’s list of accused priests as of October 2019. The Raleigh list notes the alleged abuse in 1955 was outside of the diocese and was reported to the Diocese of Raleigh in 2019.
According to media reports, Father Ward was named in a lawsuit filed against the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo in October 2019, alleging that the repeatedly sexually abused a 12 or 13 year old former altar boy in the late ’60s and early ’70s.
Father Ward name also appeared on the Diocese of Charlotte’s list released in December 2019.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Raleigh in North Carolina. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in North Carolina, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Raleigh now have legal options, 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 North Carolina and nationwide. We can help.
Contact us at 888-283-9922 or [email protected] to discuss your options today.