Milwaukee Archdiocese Removes Names Of 2 Priests From Buildings

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee will remove the names of former archbishops William Cousins and Rembert Weakland from its buildings as part of the Catholic Church’s response to clergy sexual abuse of minors.

Archbishop Jerome Listecki says it hopes changing the names of the two buildings will bring healing to abuse victims and their families. Archdiocese records show that both Cousins and Weakland re-assigned priests after substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor were received.

The Weakland Center in downtown Milwaukee, north of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, houses parish offices. The Archbishop Cousins Catholic Center was named in 1983 when archdiocese offices were consolidated in St. Francis.

The move has been sought by abuse victims for years and follows similar moves by church officials around the country.