[1] His parents, Patrick and Mary Ann (O'Leary) Butler, were both born in County Tipperary, Ireland.
Butler ended his schooling after the eighth grade, taking a job at a printing shop.
[5] He founded the Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis in 1924 and served as president of this organization from 1924 to 1959.
[5] Butler founded the Frederic Ozanam Home, which served as a shelter for poor men, in 1932.
Located in Normandy, Missouri, the center was founded as a treatment and diagnostic facility for troubled youth.