Father Bill Atkinson is a well known priest in the area and is being considered for sainthood.    Father Bill Atkinson was a student at Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School, located in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, and he lived in Upper Darby as well.  Father Bill graduated in 1963 and later became an Augustinian priest and Bonner faculty member.  In 1974, he became a priest almost nine years after becoming a quadriplegic, which happened in 1965 after a toboggan crash.  Father Bill  was the first quadriplegic priest ever, and he passed away on September 15, 2006.  The Augustinian church is trying to make him a saint, and his bones are currently under the altar at the Villanova University chapel. 

In an interview with Mrs. Krause, she shared that Fr. Bill Atkinson is friar brother Tommy Tegler’s uncle, and that he also had a connection with Mr. Hoey. She shared that many people from Malvern Prep went to the pilgrimage walk in September to support his road to sainthood. Many people believe that Fr. Bill Atkinson performed a miracle for a local girl, Lilly Walker, who prayed to him when she had cancer and recently began remission. Having miracles confirmed would make Fr. eligible for sainthood.

Fr. Bill was a role model for a lot of people, and he was one of the best and most popular priests in the area. Overall Father Bill had a deep relationship with a lot of people and helped a lot of people when they were in difficult situations.