William Edwin Franklin

American prelate (born 1930)

For other men named William Franklin, see William Franklin (disambiguation).

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

William Edwin Franklin

Bishop Emeritus of Davenport
Church| Catholic Church
Diocese| Davenport
Appointed| November 12, 1993
Installed| January 20, 1994
Retired| October 12, 2006
Predecessor| Gerald Francis O'Keefe
Successor| Martin John Amos
Previous post(s)|

* Auxiliary Bishop of Dubuque and Titular Bishop of Surista (1987-1994)

Orders
Ordination| February 4, 1956
by Leo Binz
Consecration| April 1, 1987
by Daniel Kucera, James Joseph Byrne, and Francis John Dunn
Personal details
Born|  (1930-05-03) May 3, 1930 (age 94)

Parnell, Iowa

Motto| Faith Hope Love

William Edwin Franklin (born May 3, 1930) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, He served as an auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of Dubuque in Iowa from 1987 to 1993, and as bishop of the Diocese of Davenport, also in Iowa, from 1993 to 2006.

## Biography

[edit]

### Early life

[edit]

Franklin was born on May 3, 1930, in Parnell, Iowa, the son of John and Matilda (Milholin) Franklin.[1] He was educated in the local parochial school and at the former St. Patrick High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from Loras College in Dubuque, and studied for the priesthood at Mount St. Bernard's Seminary in Dubuque.[2]

### Priesthood

[edit]

Franklin was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Dubuque on February 4, 1956, by Archbishop Leo Binz in St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque.[3] His initial assignment after ordination was as secretary to Archbishop Emeritus Henry Rohlman before being named associate pastor of St. John's Parish in Independence, Iowa.[4] From 1959 to 1974, Franklin was a faculty member at Wahlert High School in Dubuque. From 1974 to 1976 he served as associate pastor of St. Mary's Parish and a member of the faculty of Columbus High School, both in Waterloo, Iowa.

Franklin served as the pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Fayette, Iowa and St. Francis Xavier Parish in Hawkeye, Iowa from 1976 to 1980. Franklin became pastor in 1980 of Immaculate Conception Parish in Gilbertville, Iowa before becoming pastor of St. Edward Parish in Waterloo, Iowa. In 1984, he was assigned as dean of the Waterloo Deanery.[1][5]

### Auxiliary Bishop of Dubuque

[edit]

On January 29, 1987, Franklin was named titular bishop of Surista and as an auxiliary bishop of Dubuque by Pope John Paul II. He was ordained a bishop by Archbishop Daniel Kucera on April 1, 1987, in St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque. Archbishop Emeritus James Byrne and Auxiliary Bishop Francis Dunn acted as the principal co-consecrators.[3] After his ordination, Franklin was assigned to be the episcopal vicar of the Waterloo Region of the archdiocese.[6] His office was in St. Joseph Rectory in Waterloo.[1]

### Bishop of Davenport

[edit]

St. Alphonsus Church in Davenport Franklin Hall at St. Ambrose University in Davenport

On November 12, 1993, John Paul II named Franklin as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Davenport. He was installed January 20, 1994, by Kucera in Sacred Heart Cathedral in the presence of the apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan.[3][2]

Franklin revised the diocesan staff, creating an Office of Pastoral Services that combined the ministries of liturgy, education, and social action into the same office to facilitate better communication. He replaced the diocesan pastoral council with a pastoral council convocation. The convocation drew together clergy, religious orders, and parishioners for their input and formation. Franklin also restructured the deaneries to include deanery councils, again to better facilitate communication between the diocese and its parishioners.

In 2002, Franklin received allegations of sexual abuse of minors in the 1970's by William Wiebler. After Wiebler confessed his crimes to Franklin, the bishop sent him to the Vianney Renewal Center, a treatment facility for priests in Dittmer, Missouri. Wiebler later checked out of the facility, however, and moved into a private residence in University City, Missouri, outside the diocese. In 2004, the diocese settled the claims of 37 sexual abuse victims for $9 million dollars; one of the priests named in the settlement was Wiebler. He was laicized in January 2006, several months before his death.[7]

On October 10, 2006, the diocese filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. According to Franklin, this was to properly managed the settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits facing the diocese.[8]

### Retirement and legacy

[edit]

On October 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Franklin's letter of resignation as bishop of Davenport.[3] Franklin Hall, a residence hall at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa is named in his honor.

## See also

[edit]

* Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
* List of Catholic bishops of the United States

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Sr. Mary Kevin Gallagher, BVM, ed. (1987). Seed/Harvest: A History of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Duduque, Iowa: Archdiocese of Dubuque Press. p. 163.
2. ^ a b Bunson, Matthew (2010). 2010 Catholic Almanac. Huntington, Indiana: Our Sunday Visitor. p. 401. ISBN 9781592766147.
3. ^ a b c d "Bishop William Edwin Franklin". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2008-06-20.
4. ^ "Honoring a bishop of 25 years". The Catholic Messenger. 2012-03-29. Retrieved 2023-11-01.
5. ^ "Franklin, William Edward (sic)". Encyclopedia Dubuque. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
6. ^ "Kucera, Daniel". Encyclopedia Dubuque. Retrieved 2010-05-11.
7. ^ "Abusive priest, from Iowa, dies in St. Louis-area hospice". STLPR. 2006-10-04. Retrieved 2022-01-19.
8. ^ "Diocese in Iowa files for bankruptcy". NBC News. Retrieved 2022-01-19.

Catholic Church titles

Preceded by

Gerald Francis O'Keefe

|  Bishop of Davenport
1994-2006  | Succeeded by

Martin John Amos

* v
* t
* e

Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport

Bishops|

Ordinaries
John McMullen
Henry Cosgrove
James J. Davis
Henry P. Rohlman
Ralph L. Hayes
Gerald F. O’Keefe
William E. Franklin
Martin J. Amos
Thomas R. Zinkula
Dennis G. Walsh

Auxiliary
Edward Howard

Churches|

List

List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport

Cathedral
Sacred Heart Cathedral

Parishes
Church of St. John the Baptist, Burlington
St. Paul's Church, Burlington
St. Anthony’s Church, Davenport
Holy Family Parish, Fort Madison
St. Patrick's Church, Georgetown
St. Mary’s Church, Iowa City
St. Patrick's Church, Iowa City
Church of All Saints, Keokuk
St. Mary's Church, Nichols
St. Mary of the Visitation Church, Ottumwa
St. Mary's Church, Riverside

Former parishes
St. Joseph's Church, Bauer
Saints Peter and Paul Church, Clear Creek
St. Boniface Church, Clinton
St. Irenaeus Church, Clinton
St. Joseph's Church, Davenport
St. Mary’s Church, Davenport
St. Joseph's Church, Fort Madison
St. Michael's Church, Holbrook
Saints Peter and Paul Church, Solon

Education|

Higher education
St. Ambrose University

High schools
Assumption High School, Davenport
Holy Trinity Catholic Schools (HS), Fort Madison
Notre Dame High School, Burlington
Prince of Peace Preparatory, Clinton
Regina High School, Iowa City

Former
Aquinas Schools, Fort Madison
Cardinal Stritch High School, Keokuk
Immaculate Conception Academy, Davenport
Marquette Catholic Schools (HS), West Point
Marycrest College
St. Mary’s Academy

Priests|

* William Lawrence Adrian
* John George Alleman
* Ambrose Burke
* Edward Catich
* William J. Collins
* Martin Cone
* Maurice John Dingman
* John Flannagan
* Robert Dwayne Gruss
* William Hannon
* Ulrich Hauber
* Cletus Madsen
* Carl Meinberg
* Sebastian Menke
* Marvin Mottet
* J. A. M. Pelamourgues
* Aloysius Schulte
* William Shannahan
* Lawrence Donald Soens

Miscellany|

* Ambrose Hall
* Henry Kahl House
* Antoine LeClaire House
* F.H. Miller House
* Regina Coeli Monastery
* Mount Calvary Cemetery, Davenport
* St. Joseph Hospital, Ottumwa
* Old St. Mary's Rectory, Iowa City
* St. Thomas More Parish Center
* Pacem in Terris Award
* Selma Schricker House

* Catholicism portal

* v
* t
* e

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque

Ordinaries|

Bishops
Mathias Loras
Clement Smyth

Archbishops
John Hennessy
John Keane
James Keane
Francis Beckman
Henry Rohlman
Leo Binz
James Byrne
Daniel Kucera
Jerome Hanus
Michael Jackels
Thomas Robert Zinkula

Auxiliary bishops|

* Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald
* Loras Thomas Lane
* George Biskup
* Loras Joseph Watters
* Francis John Dunn
* William Edwin Franklin

Churches|

Cathedral
St. Raphael's Cathedral, Dubuque

Parishes
Basilica of St. Francis Xavier, Dyersville
St. John XXIII, Cedar Rapids
Holy Ghost, Dubuque
Holy Trinity, Luxemburg
Sacred Heart, Dubuque
Sacred Heart, Fillmore
St. Boniface, New Vienna
St. Donatus, St. Donatus
St. Joseph, Elkader
St. Joseph, Key West
Saint Joseph the Worker, Dubuque
St. Martin, Cascade
St. Mary, Guttenberg
St. Patrick, Dubuque
St. Patrick, Garryowen
St. Lawrence, Otter Creek
St. Paul, Worthington
Saints Peter and Paul, Petersburg

Former parishes
Saint Joseph's Prairie Church
St. Mary, Dubuque
St. Joseph, Stone City

Education|

Higher education
Clarke University
Divine Word College
Loras College
Mount Mercy University
St. Pius X Seminary, Dubuque

High schools
Beckman High School, Dyersville
Columbus High School, Waterloo
Don Bosco High School, Gilbertville
Marquette High School, Bellevue
Newman Catholic High School, Mason City
Wahlert High School, Dubuque
Xavier High School, Cedar Rapids

Primary schools
Mazzuchelli Middle School, Dubuque
Holy Family Catholic Schools, Dubuque
St. Mary's School, Guttenberg

Former schools
Sacred Heart School, Dubuque
St. Luke's School, St. Lucas

Religious orders|

* New Melleray Abbey
* Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey
* Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Priests|

* John George Alleman
* John Patrick Carroll
* James Vincent Casey
* Joseph Crétin
* Justin Albert Driscoll
* Thomas William Drumm
* Raymond Philip Etteldorf
* Daniel Mary Gorman
* Edward Howard
* William Michael Joensen
* Louis Benedict Kucera
* Mathias Clement Lenihan
* Thomas Mathias Lenihan
* William Menster
* J. A. M. Pelamourgues
* Aloysius Schmitt
* Joseph Clement Willging
* Thomas Zinkula

Miscellany|

* Mount Saint Bernard Seminary and Barn
* Our Mother of Sorrows Grotto Historic District

* Catholicism portal

Portals:

* Biography
* Catholicism
* Iowa

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template