When Father Robert Hagan describes the Communion of Saints, he calls it the “Catholic Hall of Fame.” And when it comes to Father Bill Atkinson and his impact on the Catholic Church, he’s Babe Ruth, Tom Brady and Michael Jordan rolled into one.
When he was 18 and studying to enter the priesthood, Atkinson was involved in a toboggan accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down with limited movement of his arms. Pope Paul VI later gave him permission to complete his formation, and he became the first quadriplegic ever ordained a priest. His ministry as an Augustinian lasted more than three decades, touching thousands through his work at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School and beyond.
In 2017, Atkinson was declared a “Servant of God,” the first formal step toward sainthood. Though there are several other stages before canonization, the process is underway—and those who are promoting his cause feel his candidacy is strong.
“He didn’t complain,” says Hagan, prior principal of the Augustinian Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova. “He didn’t talk about his difficulties. And when people would compliment him on his strength, he’d deflect. He drew great strength from the Lord and the people around him.”
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been working with the Augustinians on Atkinson’s sainthood process, moving his remains from Calvary Cemetery in Conshohocken to a sarcophagus in Saint Thomas of Villanova Church at Villanova University this past June. That allows students and others to visit the tomb and learn about his life, work and faith.
“He didn’t talk about his difficulties. And when people would compliment him on his strength, he’d deflect.”
—Father Robert Hagan
Canonization efforts have reached the Vatican, where documents, interviews and testimonials gathered and curated since 2017 will be reviewed. The next step is to be declared “venerable” and of “heroic virtue.” Being deemed “blessed” follows, and then it’s sainthood. The process can take 25 years or longer. Extremely rigorous, it requires three miracles performed in the candidate’s name.
Canonization efforts for Atkinson have reached the Vatican. The process can take 25 years or longer.
Archdiocese chancellor Father Sean Bransfield is a member of the tribunal charged with assembling the materials. “I came to a really deep admiration for him,” Bransfield says. “I became personally convinced of his holiness and goodness and virtue. I kept hearing the same thing over and over from people of all walks of life. His life was a reflection of his desire to love God and others. There’s no doubt about that.”
Atkinson grew up in Upper Darby, graduating from Bonner in 1963 and entering the Augustinian order as a postulate. He was injured on Feb. 22, 1965, while studying in New York state. He returned to the area, where he spent a year at Magee Rehabilitation Hospital before moving to St. Mary Hall at Villanova to complete his preparation for the priesthood. He was ordained by John Cardinal Krol in February 1974. At Bonner, he served as a teacher, assistant chaplain, director of detention programs and moderator of the football team from 1975 to 2004.
Atkinson loved his work with students, and his ability to command a classroom filled with teenage boys from a wheelchair was a testament to the respect he’d earned. Friends and family speak of his dry sense of humor, his love of the Jersey Shore and his mastery of puzzles, figuring them out in his mind before others could place the pieces.
Atkinson was also an uncle. Janine Zozaya, his niece, was one of those interviewed as the archdiocese acquired evidence for the sainthood process. “He never used his disability to say, ‘Why me?’ or, ‘You think you have it tough, look at me,’” says Zozaya. “He was like every uncle. He would bust your chops, horse around and play practical jokes.”
Zozaya and her siblings helped Atkinson get in and out of bed on a daily basis and also transported him where he needed to go. “What was most impressive about Uncle Bill was that his life was a miracle,” she says. “The fact that he lived 41 years in a wheelchair was amazing. He never lost faith.”
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