1923

St. Louis archbishop was John Joseph Glennon (1903-1946)

1936

Glennon was succeeded by Joseph Elmer Ritter (1946-1967)

1954

The St. Louis archdiocese split and the diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau was established July 2, 1956. Its first bishop was Charles Herman Helmsing (1956-1962). He was replaced by Ignatius Jerome Strecker (1962-1969).

New Madrid

• The Springfield-Cape Girardeau diocese announced in Jan. 2013 that Craig was credibly accused of having sexually abused a boy in the mid-1960s, at this parish.

1969

William Wakefield Baum succeeded Strecker as Springfield-Cape Girardeau bishop (1970-1973)

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy and Sons, )

• Rev. Walter Craig is Transferred, The Southeast Missourian, Dec. 10, 1948
• Diocese of Springfield-cape Girardeau Investigates Sex Abuse Allegation, Ozarks First, December 31, 2012
• Diocese Investigates Allegations of Child Sexual Abuse, Sikeston Standard Democrat, December 31, 2012
• Abuse Case Announced in Missouri Catholic Diocese, Kansas City Star, January 1, 2013
• Springfield-cape Girardeau Diocese Announces Sex Abuse Case from 1960s, The News-Leader, January 1, 2013
• Former St. Louis Priest Accused of Abuse, St. Louis Review, January 2, 2013
• Diocese: Abuse Allegations against Deceased Priest Are "Credible", By Scott Moyers, Southeast Missourian, January 4, 2013
• A Brief History of St. Matthews, parish website

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 Craig'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 Jan. 5, 2013