William Edwin Franklin

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]

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]

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]

On November 12, 1993, John Paul II named Franklin as the seventh bishop of Davenport. He was installed January 20, 1994, by Kucera in Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. The apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, attended the ceremony.^[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 Reverend 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; 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 manage the settlement of sexual abuse lawsuits facing the diocese.^[8]

On October 12, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Franklin's letter of resignation as bishop of Davenport.^[3]In retirement he resided at St. Vincent Center followed by the Kahl Home, both in Davenport.^[9] Franklin Hall, a residence hall at St. Ambrose University in Davenport is named in his honor. Franklin died on April 10, 2026, at the age of 95. His funeral was celebrated at Sacred Heart Cathedral and he was buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Davenport.^[10]

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