William Edward Cousins

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

William Edward Cousins
His Excellency, The Most Reverend; William Edward Cousins
Archbishop of Milwaukee; titular bishop of Forma
Installed	December 18, 1958
Term ended	September 17, 1977
Predecessor	Albert Gregory Meyer
Successor	Rembert George Weakland
Previous post(s)	Auxiliary bishop of Chicago; (1948–1952); Bishop of Peoria (1952–1958)
Orders
Ordination	April 13, 1927; by George Mundelein
Consecration	March 7, 1949; by Samuel Stritch
Personal details
Born	William Edward Cousins; August 20, 1902; Chicago, Illinois, US
Died	September 14, 1988 (aged 86); Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US
Buried	Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
Alma mater	Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary; St. Mary of the Lake Seminary

William Edward Cousins (August 20, 1902 – September 14, 1988) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago in Illinois (1948–1952), as bishop of the Diocese of Peoria in Illinois (1952–1958) and as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee in Wisconsin (1958–1977).

Biography

Early life

William Cousins was born on August 20, 1902, in Chicago, Illinois. He studied at Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago and was a member of the first graduating class of St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.

Cousins was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal George Mundelein on April 27, 1927.^[1]Following his ordination, Cousins served as an assistant pastor at St. Bernard Parish for five years and then at Holy Name Cathedral Parris for a year.^[2] In 1933, he was appointed director of the Archdiocesan Mission Band, a group of priests who conducted missions throughout Chicago. He became pastor of St. Columbanus Parish in 1946.

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago

On December 17, 1948, Cousins was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago and titular bishop of Forma by Pope Pius XII. He received his episcopal consecration on March 7, 1949, from Cardinal Samuel Stritch, with Bishops John Boylan and Albert Zuroweste serving as co-consecrators.

Bishop of Peoria

Pius XII appointed Cousins as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Peoria on May 21, 1952. He was installed at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria on July 2, 1952. During his tenure as bishop, Cousins established five new parishes and six new grade schools.^[1]

Archbishop of Milwaukee

Cousins was appointed as the eighth archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Pope John XXIII on December 18, 1958. From 1962 to 1965, Cousins attended the Second Vatican Council in Rome, during which he sat on the Commission on Communications Media and on the Lay Apostolate.^[3]

During the civil rights movement, Cousins was pressured to respond to the activities of his priests, particularly Reverend James Groppi, who led many civil rights marches and protests. In 1967, in response to many Milwaukee Catholics' dissatisfaction with Groppi, the Archbishop stated his support for open housing and Groppi's other objectives, but rejected the priest's tactics.

Retirement and legacy

On September 17, 1977, Pope Paul VI accepted Cousins' resignation as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. William Cousins died in Milwaukee on September 14, 1988, at age 86.

In recent years, allegations have surfaced that Cousins was involved in the cover-up of child sexual abuse cases in the Milwaukee diocese. One notable case was that of Reverend Lawrence Murphy, whom Cousins allowed to relocate to the Diocese of Superior in 1974 after he received reports that Murphy sexually abused children.^[4]

In March 2019, the archdiocese announced that it was removing Cousins' name from its buildings and institutions.^[5] On March 22, 2019, the Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center was renamed the Mary Mother of the Church Pastoral Center.^[6]

References

^ ^a ^b "Previous Bishops". Catholic Diocese of Peoria. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
^ Kenan Heise (September 15, 1988). "Milwaukee Archbishop William E. Cousins, 86". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
^ "Archbishop William E. Cousins". Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
^ "40 Year Coverup". awrsipe.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2022.
^ ""Milwaukee Archdiocese Removes Names Of 2 Priests From Buildings", AP, March 19, 2019". Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
^ "Devine, Andy. "Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center renamed", WDTT -CBS58, March 22, 2019". Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.

External links

Official site of the Holy See

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Albert Gregory Meyer	Archbishop of Milwaukee 1958–1977	Succeeded by Rembert George Weakland
Preceded by Joseph Henry Leo Schlarman	Bishop of Peoria 1952–1958	Succeeded by John Baptist Franz
Preceded by –	Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago 1948–1952	Succeeded by –

[peoria-1] "Previous Bishops". Catholic Diocese of Peoria. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2017.

[tribune-2] Kenan Heise (September 15, 1988). "Milwaukee Archbishop William E. Cousins, 86". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 29, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2017.

[milwaukee-3] "Archbishop William E. Cousins". Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Archived from the original on March 17, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2017.

[4] "40 Year Coverup". awrsipe.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2022.

[5] ""Milwaukee Archdiocese Removes Names Of 2 Priests From Buildings", AP, March 19, 2019". Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.

[6] "Devine, Andy. "Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center renamed", WDTT -CBS58, March 22, 2019". Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.

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v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee
Archbishops	John Henni Michael Heiss Frederick Katzer Sebastian Gebhard Messmer Samuel Stritch Moses E. Kiley Albert Gregory Meyer William Edward Cousins Rembert Weakland Timothy M. Dolan Jerome Edward Listecki
Auxiliary bishops	Joseph Maria Koudelka Edward Kozłowski Roman Richard Atkielski Leo Joseph Brust Richard J. Sklba William P. Callahan Donald J. Hying Jeffrey Robert Haines James Thomas Schuerman
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee Cathedral Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist Basilicas Basilica of St. Josaphat, Milwaukee Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, Hubertus Parishes St. John Vianney Church, Brookfield St. John the Baptist Church, Johnsburg Gesu Church, Milwaukee Holy Trinity Church, Milwaukee Old St. Mary's Church, Milwaukee St. Adalbert's Church, Milwaukee St. Hedwig's Church, Milwaukee St. Stanislaus Church, Milwaukee St. Patrick's Church, Milwaukee Saints Peter and Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Vincent de Paul Church, Milwaukee St. Mary's Church, Port Washington St. Patrick's Church, Racine St. Joseph's Church, Waukesha Former St. John of God Church, Kewaskum St. Patrick's Church, Adell St. Augustine Church, Trenton Chapel St. Joan of Arc Chapel, Milwaukee Shrine Archdiocesan Marian Shrine
Education	Higher education Alverno College Marian University Marquette University Mount Mary University Seminaries Saint Francis de Sales Seminary Sacred Heart School of Theology High schools Burlington Catholic Central High School, Burlington Catholic Memorial High School, Waukesha Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Milwaukee Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Milwaukee Dominican High School, Whitefish Bay Marquette University High School, Milwaukee Messmer High School, Milwaukee Pius XI High School, Milwaukee St. Anthony High School, Milwaukee St. Catherine's High School, Racine St. Joan Antida High School, Milwaukee St. Joseph Catholic Academy, Kenosha (previously as St. Joseph High School) St. Lawrence Seminary High School, Mt. Calvary St. Mary's Springs Academy, Fond du Lac St. Thomas More High School, Milwaukee Former Cardinal Stritch University St. John's School for the Deaf
Priests	Peter Abbelen Dismas Becker Fabian Bruskewitz Jan Romuald Byzewski Kilian Caspar Flasch Raphael Michael Fliss Augustus F. Gearhard Boleslaus Goral James Groppi Hyacinth (Jacek) Gulski Francis J. Haas Jerome J. Hastrich James Michael Harvey Wacław Kruszka David John Malloy Aloisius Joseph Muench William Patrick O'Connor Joseph Perry Augustine Francis Schinner Charles Asa Schleck Paul Francis Tanner
Cemeteries	Calvary Cemetery, Milwaukee Mount Olivet Cemetery, Milwaukee
Miscellany	Saint Dismas Prison Ministry
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Peoria
Bishops	Ordinaries John Lancaster Spalding Edmund Michael Dunne Joseph Henry Leo Schlarman William Edward Cousins John Baptist Franz Edward William O'Rourke John J. Myers Daniel R. Jenky Louis Tylka Coadjutor Louis Tylka (2020-2022) Auxiliary Peter Joseph O'Reilly
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Peoria Parishes Holy Trinity Church, Bloomington Shrine Queen of the Holy Rosary Memorial Shrine, LaSalle
Education	Newman centers St. John's Catholic Newman Center, Champaign High schools Alleman High School, Rock Island Central Catholic High School, Bloomington Marquette Academy, Ottawa Notre Dame High School, Peoria St. Bede Academy, Peru St. Thomas More High School, Champaign Schlarman Academy, Danville Former high schools Academy of Our Lady/Spalding Institute, Peoria Bergan High School, Peoria Villa de Chantal, Rock Island
Priests	Gerald Thomas Bergan James Ryan John George Alleman Fulton J. Sheen
Catholic Church portal

Authority control databases
International	VIAF FAST WorldCat
National	United States