In the Fall of 1909, Archbishop Henry Moeller, decided a new parish was needed in Price Hill, to relieve St. Lawrence of its growing number of parishioners. Rev. Francis Roth was asked to begin this new parish and was appointed the first pastor. Mr. Herman Elsaesser donated a parcel of land for the new parish which would be named St. William, after Archbishop Moeller's predecessor, Archbishop William H. Elder. On May 22, 1910, the first services were held in a temporary structure on the property. It cost $3,736.80 to build and was paid for before the dedication.

The Sisters of Charity came to St. William in 1911 to begin preparations for the new school. The school opened its doors on September 1, 1912, with an addition to accommodate the growing enrollment in 1915. The sisters lived in a temporary house until 1931 when the new convent (now Parish Center) was built. The stock market crash of 1929 delayed the completion of a new church until 1931, when Archbishop John T. McNicholas dedicated the present structure. Father Roth died in 1935, and in the same year Father Francis Reardon was appointed second pastor of St. William.

Father Reardon began a weekly bingo in 1937 to help reduce the parish debt. His bingo was a rarity in Cincinnati and brought people from all over the city. By 1943, Father Reardon paid off the half million dollar debt left from the construction of the church. A new auditorium was dedicated in 1955, and the school annex was added in 1955. In 1960 Monsignor Robert Sherry was appointed the parish's third pastor. It was under his leadership that the changes called for by Vatican II were implemented. St. William was one of the first parishes in the area to have a guitar mass. In 1970 St. William's fourth pastor, Monsignor Francis Kennedy, arrived.

With the changes in the Church, Msgr. Kennedy continued the enthusiasm of his predecessor. One of the many spiritual contributions he made was " Christ Renews His Parish." St. William was one of the first parishes to take part in this renewal in the Archdiocese and also helped other parishes begin renewal . In the summer of 1990, Father Philip Seher became the fifth pastor of St. William. Father Seher saw the need to refurbish the outside of all the buildings in the parish and also worked to renovate the inside of both the church and Father Reardon Hall. He added an ongoing inquiry / catechumenate session to the RCIA process. In 1998 Father Paul Bader (and his faithful dog Darth Bader) came to St. William. Father Bader helped people in need by making St. William part of the Interfaith Hospitality Committee. Father Andrew Umberg, our present pasotr, arrived in July of 2005.