James Kendrick Williams

Styles of
**James Kendrick Williams**
Styles of; James Kendrick Williams
Reference style	His Excellency ; The Most Reverend ;
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

James Kendrick Williams
His Excellency, The Most Reverend ; James Kendrick Williams
Bishop Emeritus of Lexington
Archdiocese	Louisville
Diocese	Lexington
Appointed	January 14, 1988
Installed	March 2, 1988
Retired	June 11, 2002
Predecessor	First Bishop
Successor	Ronald William Gainer
Previous post	Auxiliary Bishop of Covington and Titular Bishop of Catula (1984–88);
Orders
Ordination	May 25, 1963; by Charles Garrett Maloney
Consecration	June 19, 1984; by William Anthony Hughes, Thomas C. Kelly, and Richard Henry Ackerman
Personal details
Born	September 5, 1936 (age 89); Athertonville, Kentucky
Education	St. Mary College; St. Mary School of Theology
Motto	Act justly, love tenderly

Last updated October 22, 2025

James Kendrick Williams (born September 5, 1936, also known as J. Kendrick Williams) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who was bishop of Diocese of Lexington in Kentucky from 1988 to 2002. Williams previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Covington in Kentucky.

Biography

Early life

Williams was born on September 5, 1936, in Athertonville, Kentucky. He attended Old Kentucky Home High School in Bardstown, Kentucky, then went to St. Mary College in St. Mary, Kentucky, and St. Mary School of Theology at South Union, Kentucky.^[1]

Priesthood

On May 25, 1963. Williams was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Louisville at the Cathedral of the Assumption in Louisville, Kentucky, by Bishop Charles Maloney. After his ordination, Williams served as associate director of the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, the vicar of education for four parishes, president of the Town and Country Apostolic Council, director of the Rural Office of Religious Education, director of the Archdiocesan Planning Office, director of the Clergy Personnel Commission, and associate pastor of several parishes.^[1] In 1983, Williams was appointed pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Louisville.^[1]

Auxiliary Bishop of Covington

On April 15, 1984, Pope John Paul II named Williams as titular bishop of Catula and auxiliary bishop of Covington. He was consecrated bishop on June 19, 1984, at Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in Covington by Bishop William A. Hughes.^[1]

Bishop of Lexington

On January 14, 1988, John Paul II named Williams as the first bishop of Lexington. He was installed on March 2, 1988.^[1]

In 2002, Williams and the Archdiocese of Louisville faced three lawsuits from men who claimed that Williams abused them as minors when he was a priest serving in the archdiocese. Williams denied all the allegations.^[2]^[3]

James W. Bennett of Louisville stated that Williams fondled and kissed him after mass in 1981 when Bennett was a 12-year-old altar server at Our Lady Parish in Louisville.
David Hall of New Haven, Kentucky, stated that Williams fondled him in 1969 at St. Catherine High School during confession.
Thomas C. Probus stated that Williams emotionally abused him by promoting masturbation during counseling at several locations at Holy Trinity Parish in Louisville around 1981.^[2]

Resignation

After the accusations from Louisville, Williams went on leave as bishop of Lexington, following the diocese policy. On June 11, 2002, John Paul II accepted Williams' resignation as bishop of Lexington without giving any reasons for it.^[3]^[4]In 2019, the Archdiocese of Louisville revealed that the accusations against Williams had been sent to the Vatican for investigation.^[5]

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Former Bishops". cdlex. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
1 2 "Bishop J. Kendrick Williams [Louisville archdiocese and Covington diocese]". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2021-11-13.
1 2 Collins, Dan (June 12, 2002). "Kentucky Bishop Resigns". CBS News. Retrieved July 31, 2018.
↑ Walsh, Edward (June 12, 2002). "2 More Bishops Resign in Sex Scandal". Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
↑ "Independent investigator issues report on abuse in Louisville Archdiocese". National Catholic Reporter. 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2021-11-13.

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington Official Site

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by First Bishop	Bishop of Lexington 1988–2002	Succeeded by Ronald William Gainer
Preceded by -	Auxiliary Bishop of Covington 1984–1988	Succeeded by -

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[:0-1] 1 2 3 4 5 "Former Bishops". cdlex. Retrieved 2021-11-13.

[:1-2] 1 2 "Bishop J. Kendrick Williams [Louisville archdiocese and Covington diocese]". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2021-11-13.

[:2-3] 1 2 Collins, Dan (June 12, 2002). "Kentucky Bishop Resigns". CBS News. Retrieved July 31, 2018.

[4] Walsh, Edward (June 12, 2002). "2 More Bishops Resign in Sex Scandal". Washington Post. Retrieved July 1, 2018.

[5] "Independent investigator issues report on abuse in Louisville Archdiocese". National Catholic Reporter. 2019-02-14. Retrieved 2021-11-13.

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v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington
Ordinaries	Bishops James Kendrick Williams Ronald William Gainer John Stowe
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Christ the King, Lexington
Education	High schools Lexington Catholic High School, Lexington The Piarist School, Martin
Catholicismportal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington
Ordinaries	Bishops George Aloysius Carrell Augustus Toebbe Camillus Paul Maes Ferdinand Brossart Francis William Howard William Theodore Mulloy Richard Henry Ackerman William Anthony Hughes Robert William Muench Roger Joseph Foys John Iffert
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption Parishes Mary, Queen of Heaven, Erlanger Mother of God Roman Catholic Church, Covington Saint John the Baptist, Wilder Retreat center, convent St. Anne Convent, Melbourne
Education	Colleges Thomas More University, Crestview Hills High schools Bishop Brossart High School, Alexandria Covington Catholic High School, Park Hills (all boys) Covington Latin School, Covington Holy Cross High School, Covington Newport Central Catholic High School, Newport Notre Dame Academy, Park Hills (all girls) St. Henry District High School, Erlanger St. Patrick's High School, Maysville Villa Madonna Academy, Villa Hills
Catholicismportal

v t e Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville
Ordinaries	Bishops Benedict Joseph Flaget John Baptist Mary David Benedict Joseph Flaget Martin John Spalding Peter Joseph Lavialle William George McCloskey Denis O'Donaghue John Alexander Floersh Archbishops John Alexander Floersh Thomas Joseph McDonough Thomas Cajetan Kelly Joseph Edward Kurtz Shelton Fabre Affiliated bishops Guy Ignatius Chabrat Michael Heiss Charles Garrett Maloney John McGill James Ryan John Lancaster Spalding J. Mark Spalding James Kendrick Williams
Churches	Cathedrals Cathedral of the Assumption, Louisville Basilica of St. Joseph Proto-Cathedral, Bardstown Parish churches Holy Cross Church, Marion County Holy Rosary Church, Manton St. Thomas, Bardstown St. Rose Priory, Springfield
Education	High schools (boys) St. Francis DeSales High School, Louisville St. Xavier High School, Louisville Trinity High School, St. Matthews High schools (girls) Assumption High School, Louisville Mercy Academy, Louisville Presentation Academy, Louisville Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville High schools (coeducational) Bethlehem High School, Bardstown Holy Cross High School, Louisville Special needs school Pitt Academy, Louisville
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