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Assignment Record– Rev. Bruce E. Ball

Ordained: 1978
Died: September 15, 2002

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State Position Notes

mid 1970s

Bishop of Baltimore archdiocese was William Donald Borders (1974-1989).

  St. Mary's Seminary

Baltimore

• In 1993 the Diocese of La Crosse informed the Archdiocese of Baltimore that there were two claims that Ball sexually abused while he was a seminarian in Baltimore. (Baltimore Sun
August 21, 2002)

MD seminarian  
1974 1975 Villa Maria School Timonium MD   Ball worked at Villa Maria as a seminarian during this time, per news reports. (Baltimore Sun
September 26, 2002)
1975 1978 Shrine of the Sacred Heart School Mount Washington MD   Ball worked at this school while a seminarian, per news reports (Baltimore Sun
September 26, 2002)

1978

Bishop of La Crosse was Frederick William Freking (1964-1983).

1980 Our Lady of Peace Marshfield WI

2/2

Pastors were Rev. Lawrence Berger and Rev. Walter J. Dillenburg.

Parish had a school with more than 200 students.
1980 1981 Immaculate Conception Eau Claire WI

2/2

Pastor was Rev. Daniel J. O'Reilly.

Parish had a school with 280 students.
1981 1982 St. Thomas More La Crosse WI

2/2

Pastor was Rev. James J. Falconer

Parish had a school with 166 students.

1982

La Crosse Bishop was John Joseph Paul (1983-1994).

1987 St. Vincent De Paul Wisconsin Rapids WI

2/2

Pastor was Rev. Carl J. Dockendorff. Ball and pastor lived in separate residences, in the same town.

Parish had a school with 200-300 students.
1987 1991 St. Mary Help of Christians/ St. Mary-St. Kilian

Colby

• Removed from St. Mary's in late 1991 due to accusations of sexual abuse of boys, ages 12-14. Convicted of sexual abuse of a boy and sentenced to five years in prison. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel [Neillsville Wisconsin]
March 17, 1996)

WI 1/1

Parish had a school with 150-200 students.

Parish name changed to St. Mary-St. Kilian from St. Mary Help of Christians after 1987.

1991 1992 Absent on Leave Richmond? VA?   Official Catholic DIrectory gives a Richmond, VA phone number for Ball.

1992

Raymond Leo Burke was Bishop of La Crosse (1994-2003).

1997 Absent on Leave

Oskosh

• Ball was in prison beginning in Oct. 1992 at the Oshkosh Correctional Facility , and released in March 1996. (Chicago Tribune [Neillsville Wis]
October 14, 1992, Wisconsin State Journal [La Crosse]
March 22, 1996

WI  

Ball's name no longer appears in the Directories after 1997.

He died September 15, 2002.


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1979-1997).

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy & Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

 
 

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