Rev. John C. Wagner

Summary of Case: Wagner's name was on a list released in 2004 by the Milwaukee archdiocese of 43 priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of minors against them. He was noted to be "Fully Restricted from Priestly Ministry", a status that remained until his laicization in December 2012.

Ordained: 1973
Laicized: December 2012

   

Start Stop Parish Town/Accusations State Position Notes

1973

Milwaukee archbishop was William Edward Cousins (1958-1977)

1974 St. William's Waukesha WI 2/2 Parish had a school with 241 students.
1974 1976 St. Mary's Sheboyan Falls WI 2/3 Parish had a school with 132-129 students.

1976

Cousins was succeeded by Rembert George Weakland, O.S.B. (1977-2002)

1981 University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan; Lakeland College Sheboygan WI Campus Ministry  
1981 1982 Catholic Ministry of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Milwaukee WI Diocesan Director  
1982 1985 St. Patrick's Whitewater WI 1/1  
1985 1986 Graduate Studies        
1986 1987 Absent on Sick Leave        
1987 1992 St. Catherine's Milwaukee WI 3/3, 2/2 Parish had a school with 180-213 students.
1992 1993 Awaiting Assignment        
1993 2002 On Leave      

Wagner is not indexed beyond the 2002 Directory.

In 2004 the Milwaukee archdiocesan website listed Wagner as "Fully Restricted from Priestly Ministry". (Archdiocese of Milwaukee, July 9, 2004) He remained as such until his laicization in December 2012.

 

Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, 1974-2002)

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 and 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.

This assignment record collates Wagner's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on February 18, 2021.