KENTUCKY
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, May 6
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com )
Today is Lexington Bishop John Stowe’s first day in his new job. What could be more pressing than the safety of kids?
We call on him to immediately warn his flock about two local predator priests and to permanently post all child molesting clerics’ names on his diocesan website.
1—Fr. Carroll Howlin faces at least four child sex abuse allegations, but now lives – and likely still ministers – among poverty-stricken families in McCreary County with no supervision. It’s one of most reckless, disturbing and recent examples of how little church officials are doing to safeguard kids from known predators.
Recently-released church records show that prosecutors found the child sex allegations “credible” and “there was sufficient evidence to file criminal charges” but the statute of limitations prevented it.
Based on some of these records, the Chicago Tribune reported that “Church officials removed Howlin from public ministry, but otherwise left him alone in Kentucky (despite charges that) Howlin had used money to gain sexual favors from two impoverished teenage boys and had been engaging in ‘informal ministry on the side’ in Kentucky” (with a charity called “Hills and Hollers Ministries,” 606 376 7577).
In 2010, the Vatican banned him from unsupervised contact with children, but “he serves as his own minder here in rural Kentucky. The choice of whether to follow the Vatican’s restrictions involving ministry or being alone with children remains entirely up to him,” the Tribune found.
“Howlin is in fact still a Joliet Diocese priest who is supposed to answer to its bishop, according to both the Vatican and other experts. The diocese continues Howlin’s pension, and (his bishop) has the authority to dictate where Howlin lives. (But) records show church officials have done little to keep tabs on him,” the Tribune reported.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.