Fr. William Graham, OFM Cap.

Fr. William Graham, OFM Cap., died on July 6, 2026, at St. Augustine Friary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was 79 years old. Born on October 31, 1946, in Butler, Pennsylvania, to Charles and Kathryn (Duke) Graham, William grew up in nearby Saxonburg. He attended St. Paul Elementary School in Butler before entering St. Fidelis Seminary in Herman in 1960. Following his second year of college, he was invested as a Capuchin friar at St. Conrad Friary in Annapolis, Maryland, on August 22, 1966. He professed his first vows on August 25, 1967. Br. Bill continued his Capuchin formation at St. Fidelis Seminary for two years before beginning theological studies in Washington, D.C., in 1969. Fr. Bill was ordained to the priesthood on August 26, 1972, in the chapel of St. Fidelis Seminary. He earned a Master's degree from the Washington Theological Coalition in 1975. His first assignment was as vocation recruiter for his alma mater, St. Fidelis Seminary, a ministry he carried out for six years. In 1978, Fr. Bill was assigned as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in Charleston, West Virginia. During one of those years, he also served as chaplain at the University of Charleston. In 1981, he returned to Washington, D.C., to pursue graduate studies in psychology at the Catholic University of America. The following year, he was assigned as parochial vicar at Our Lady of Peace Parish in Conway, Pennsylvania, where he was appointed pastor in 1986. Beginning in 1992, Fr. Bill served as Secretary of Finances for the Province of St. Augustine, headquartered in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh. In addition to overseeing the Province's finances, he also served as Director of Development and Executive Secretary. Once again, he returned to the Catholic University of America to pursue graduate studies, this time in canon law. He completed the requirements for the Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L.) in 2001. While pursuing doctoral studies, he also assisted the Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Boston. In 2009, Fr. Bill was transferred to St. Ambrose Friary in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was appointed Interim Judicial Vicar for the Tribunal of the Province of Baltimore. He also served as the Archbishop's Delegate for marriage dispensations and marriage delegation. As Parkinson's disease progressed and he required more extensive medical care, Fr. Bill moved to St. Augustine Friary in Pittsburgh in 2022. Surrounded by his Capuchin brothers, he remained there until his passing. Fr. Bill was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his brother, James, and his wife, Janet; their daughter, Allison Graham Liggieri, her husband, Peter, and their children, Bennett and Elise Kate; their son, Scott, his wife, Jana, and their daughter, Vienna Roslynn; as well as several cousins, Patricia Duke LeClair, Charles Schoentag, and Karen Clark. Fr. Bill had a wide variety of interests. In 1976 he was elected to represent Pennsylvania as a Jimmy Carter delegate to the 1976 Democratic National Convention at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He was an extra or background actor in the 1992 movie, Lorenzo's Oil, filmed in Pittsburgh. Throughout most of his adult life he loved cultivating orchids. Throughout his priestly ministry, Fr. Bill took a genuine interest in the lives of youth and young adults. He is also fondly remembered by the many alumni of St. Fidelis Seminary whose lives he touched through his years of service. Fr. Bill gave 59 years of Capuchin vowed religious life and 53 years of priestly service to the Church. Viewing will be held at St. Margaret of Cortona Chapel in St. Augustine Friary, 221 36th Street, Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville) 15201, on Friday, July 24, viewing and visitation at 7PM, followed by the Wake Service at 8:30PM. On Saturday, July 25, viewing at 9AM, followed by the Mass of Christian Burial at 10AM. Interment follows at the friars' plot in St. Augustine Cemetery. Professional services are provided by D'Alessandro Funeral Home & Crematory, Ltd. Memorial donations may be made to the Capuchin Friars, 220 37th Street, Pittsburgh, PA, or at capuchin.com.

Fr. William Graham, OFM Cap.

October 31, 1946 - July 6, 2026