Misplaced Pages

Lawrence Harold Welsh (February 1, 1935 – January 13, 1999) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis in Minnesota from 1991 to 1999. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Spokane in Washington State from 1978 to 1989.

Biography

Early life

Lawrence Welsh was born on February 1, 1935, in Winton, Wyoming. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Helena by Bishop Joseph Michael Gilmore on March 26, 1962.

Bishop of Spokane

On November 6, 1978, Pope John Paul II appointed Welsh as bishop of the Diocese of Spokane. He was consecrated by Archbishop Raymond Gerhardt Hunthausen on December 14, 1978.

Welsh was accused of reassigning the priest Patrick O'Donnell to another parish after three families brought allegations of sexual abuse of children by O'Donnell to the knowledge of Bishop Welsh.

On August 21, 1991, John Paul II accepted Welsh's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Spokane. His resignation came after a recent arrest in Spokane for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Auxiliary bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

On November 5, 1991, John Paul II appointed Welsh as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and Titular Bishop of Aulon Lawrence Welsh died on January 13, 1999, at age 63 in Helena, Montana.

In October 2002, it was revealed that Welsh was investigated by the Spokane Police Department in 1986 on an assault allegation from Chicago. On September 9, 1986, a male sex worker claimed that Welsh, in Chicago for a Knights of Columbus convention, had taken him to a motel. While the man was performing oral sex, he said that Welsh "began to strangle him." During his police interview, Welsh admitted to picking up a so-called drug addict and taking him to his hotel room for counseling. On further questioning, Welsh admitted to putting his hands all over the accuser's body. The investigation resulted in Welsh being considered as a possible suspect for the Green River serial killings for which Gary Ridgway was later convicted.

On September 29, 1986, the Spokane police met with Welsh and Seattle Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen. At this meeting, Welsh stated that "he did not feel he did anything violent in the course of the sex act and that if he had it would have been as an outlet for frustrations that had built up within him." Welsh, Hunthausen, and the police detectives agreed that Welsh should be examined by a psychiatrist. Welsh was never charged in the incident; one former Spokane detective claimed that the story had been "handled in a hush-hush manner". This incident did not become public until October 2002, when the Spokane Spokesman-Review published the story.

Sources

1. ^ "Bishop Lawrence Harold Welsh". Catholic-Hierarchy.org. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
2. ^ Carla K. Johnson; Kevin Taylor (October 25, 2002). "Late bishop had secret". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013.
3. ^ Spokane police department (October 25, 2002). "1986 Spokane Police report". The Spokesman-Review. Archived from the original on November 7, 2013.
4. "1986 Spokane Police Report [Bishop Lawrence Welch], Spokesman-Review, October 25, 2002". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2024-01-31.

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Ordinaries	Bishops Joseph Crétin Thomas Grace Archbishops John Ireland Austin Dowling John Gregory Murray William O. Brady Leo Binz John Roach Harry Joseph Flynn John Clayton Nienstedt Bernard Hebda Coadjutor archbishop Leo Christopher Byrne
Auxiliary bishops	John Jeremiah Lawler James J. Byrne Leonard Philip Cowley Gerald Francis O'Keefe James P. Shannon John Roach Raymond Alphonse Lucker Paul Vincent Dudley John Francis Kinney William Henry Bullock James Richard Ham Robert James Carlson Joseph Charron Lawrence Welsh Frederick F. Campbell Richard Pates Lee A. Piché Andrew H. Cozzens Joseph Andrew Williams Michael Izen Kevin Kenney
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of Saint Paul Basilica of Saint Mary Former cathedrals First Second Third Parishes Guardian Angels Church, Chaska St. Peter's Church, Mendota Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Minneapolis Church of St. Stephen, Minneapolis Church of St. Wenceslaus, New Prague Church of St. Mark, Saint Paul Church of St. Mary, New Trier Church of St. Michael, St. Michael Church of the Assumption, St. Paul Church of St. Agnes, St. Paul Church of St. Bernard, St. Paul Church of St. Casimir, St. Paul St. Mary's Church of the Purification, Marystown Church of the Annunciation, Webster Township Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Wheatland Township Historic Church of St. Hubertus, Chanhassen Chapel Our Lady of Victory Chapel
Education	Higher education St. Catherine University University of St. Thomas Seminaries Saint John Vianney College Seminary Saint Paul Seminary Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary (defunct) High schools Academy of Holy Angels, Richfield Benilde-St. Margaret's, St. Louis Park Bethlehem Academy, Faribault Chesterton Academy, Edina Convent of the Visitation, Mendota Heights Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Minneapolis DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis Hill-Murray School, Maplewood Holy Family Catholic High School, Victoria Providence Academy, Plymouth Saint Agnes School, St. Paul Saint Thomas Academy, Mendota Heights Totino-Grace High School, Fridley
Priests	Joseph Francis Busch Peter F. Christensen Alexander Christie Jozef Cieminski James Louis Connolly Timothy J. Corbett Donald DeGrood James Albert Duffy Hilary Baumann Hacker Patrick Richard Heffron Patrick J. Hessian Michael Joncas James Keane Kevin Kenney John M. LeVoir James McGolrick Francis Missia Thomas O'Gorman Augustin Ravoux James Michael Reardon James O'Reilly Jakub W.J. Pacholski John A. Ryan Patrick J. Ryan Francis Joseph Schenk Alphonse James Schladweiler John Shanley Paul Sirba John Stariha Tim Vakoc Thomas Anthony Welch
Cemeteries	Calvary Cemetery Resurrection Cemetery
Other	The Catholic Spirit Ninth National Eucharistic Congress
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
Bishops	Augustine Francis Schinner Charles Daniel White Bernard Joseph Topel Lawrence Welsh William S. Skylstad Blase J. Cupich Thomas Anthony Daly
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes Parishes Mary Queen of Heaven Church, Sprague St. Boniface Church, Uniontown
Education	Higher education Gonzaga University High schools Desales Catholic High School, Walla Walla Gonzaga Preparatory School, Spokane Tri-Cities Prep, Pasco
Priests	Robert John Armstrong William Joseph Condon
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City
Bishops	Bishops of Lead John Stariha Joseph Francis Busch Bishops of Rapid City John Jeremiah Lawler William Tibertus McCarty Harold Joseph Dimmerling Charles J. Chaput Blase J. Cupich Robert Dwayne Gruss Peter Michael Muhich Scott E. Bullock Coadjutor Leo Ferdinand Dworschak
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Historic St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church, Central City St. Augustine Church, Dallas St. Martin's Catholic Church and Grotto, Oelrichs St. John's Catholic Church, Paxton Church of the Immaculate Conception, Rapid City St. Charles Borromeo Church, St. Francis
Education	High schools Red Cloud High School, Pine Ridge St. Thomas More High School, Rapid City
Priests	Steven Biegler Lawrence Welsh
Catholicism portal

• Roman Catholic bishops of Spokane
• 20th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
• People from Sweetwater County, Wyoming
• 1935 births
• 1999 deaths
• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City
• Catholics from Wyoming