Assignment Record – Rev. Michael John Carew, S.V.D.

Summary of Case: A priest of the Divine Word Missionaries, Carew worked in Ghana, West Africa and in Massachusetts. Although the Boston archdiocese assignment history for Crew shows his ordination year as 1949, the Divine Word Missionaries indicate he was ordained in 1946. Carew was accused in 2002 of the sexual abuse of two girls in the early 1960s. He was removed from ministry in 1970 and laicized in 1971. His whereabouts thereafter are unknown.

Ordained: 1946
Laicized: 1971

Start Stop Assignment Town/Accusations State/Country Position Notes

1946

Accra bishop was Adolph Alexander Noser, s.v.d. (1944-1953). followed by Joseph Oliver Bowers, s.v.d. (1953-1971).

1957     Gold Coast/Ghana West Africa missionary  

1957

Boston archbishop was Richard James Cushing (1944-1970).

 1960 Miramar Retreat House Duxbury MA    
1960 1963 Immaculate Conception

Newburyport

• A woman reported to the Boston archdiocese in April 2002 that when she was 14 years-old in the early 1960s and Carew was an Immaculate Conception priest, Carew sexually abused her during a visit with her family in their home. He was at the home to counsel her parents. Carew was said to have slipped into the girl's bed when he thought she was sleeping, and wrapped her hand around his penis.

• A woman informed the Boston archdiocese in May 2002 that she was sexually abused by Carew on a CYO bus trip in 1962 or 1963, when she was 15 years-old. The woman stated that she knew another girl who was similarly abused.

MA 4/4, 3/3

Parish had a school with 210-209 boys and 189-190 girls.

 

1963

Cushing was succeeded by Humberto Sousa Medeiros (1970-1983).

1970 Our Lady of Grace Chelsea-Everett MA 5/5, 4/4, 3/4, 4/5

Our Lady of Grace had a school with 294-213 boys and 385-234 girls.

Carew was placed on leave in 1970 and laicized in 1971.


Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1950-1974).

• McCarthy Memo, April 1, 2002
• McCarthy Memo, May 1, 2002
• Oliver Letter, May 20, 2003
• Carew Status and Assignment History, Boston archdiocese, Dec. 18, 2011
• Clergy accused of Child Sexual Abuse in the Boston Archdiocese, Boston archdiocese, Aug. 25, 2011
• Stories of the Chicago Province, Miramar and Boston, pdf p. 45, divineword.org
• List of Accused Local Clergy, Daily News, August 26, 2011



Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates Carew's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with allegations as reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report, and we remind our readers that the U.S. legal system presumes that a person accused of or charged with a crime is innocent until proven guilty. Similarly, individuals who may be defendants in civil actions are presumed not to be liable for such claims unless a plaintiff proves otherwise. Admissions of guilt or liability are not typically a part of civil or private settlements. For more information, see our posting policy.

This assignment record was last updated on May 17, 2014.