Rev. William J. Crumley, C.S.C.
September 5, 1936-February 1, 2021
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Rev. William Joseph Crumley, C.S.C., 84, died at Holy Cross House, Notre Dame, Ind. on Monday, February 1, 2021.
He was born on September 5, 1936 in Gary, Ind., to William J. and Rosemary M. (Faherty) Crumley. He attended elementary school at St. Luke’s Grade School and secondary school at Emerson High School, Gary, Ind. He was received into the Congregation of Holy Cross on August 15, 1955, professing First Vows on August 16, 1956, and Final Vows on June 4, 1963. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a Bachelor’s in Philosophy in 1959, and received a degree in Theology from Holy Cross College, Washington, D.C. in 1964. He was ordained at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind., on June 10, 1964.
Fr. Crumley was a pastoral apprentice at the University of Notre Dame, from 1964 to 1965, then served as assistant pastor at St. Joseph’s Church, South Bend, Ind., from 1965 to 1967. From 1967 to 1973, he was assistant pastor at Holy Cross Church, Lafayette, La., where he also served as administrator in 1973 and pastor from 1974 to 1977. During that time, he also founded St. Basil Church in Judice, La. From 1977 to 1989, Fr. Crumley did parish assistance in the Diocese of Lafayette (La.). He was pastor of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Charenton, La., from 1989 to 2011.
During his service as pastor, Fr. Crumley built and maintained two solar houses, plus founded and worked with a group helping low income and elderly persons find alternatives to rising utility costs. This work eventually led Fr. Crumley to attend Louisiana Public Service Commission meetings, write books, and even host his own local public access channel. Additionally, when Hurricanes Andrew and Katrina swept through the region, Fr. Crumley was in the thick of it, getting work done. In 2011, at the age of 75, Fr. Crumley retired and the Holy Cross Brothers accepted him as a member of their house at St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas. While there, he became chaplain of the Notre Dame Club of Austin, and continued to write and work with groups attempting to make the world a little better for everyone. Fr. Crumley moved to Holy Cross House in 2015.
Preceding him in death are his parents, as well as his sister, Rosemary Crumley Jenkins.
The Funeral Mass will be on Monday, February 8, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. CST at Saint Ignatius Martyr in Austin, Texas, with burial following at Assumption Cemetery. You may also join via livestream at https://st-ignatius.org/live. HarrellFuneral Home of Austin is in charge of the arrangements. Memorial contributions in support of the mission and ministries of the Congregation of Holy Cross can be made to: United States Province of Priests and Brothers, Office of Development, P.O. Box 765, Notre Dame, IN 46556-0765 or online at https://donate.holycrossusa.org.
