Rev. Gerard J. Howell-Assignment

Assignment Record – Rev. Gerard Joseph "Jerry" Howell

Accused along with his deceased brother, Fr. Rodney Howell, of molesting dozens of students at school for the deaf in New Orleans in the 1970s. On archdiocese's list 11/2/18. It notes allegation received 1978 of abuse in the 1960s and 1970s. Also per 11/16 list, Howell was removed in 1980; however the Catholic Directories show he was on sick leave in 1978, then assigned to St. Francis de Sales Catholic Deaf Center in Baton Rouge, where he remained until sent to treatment in 1981. Reassigned 1982 to parish in Westwego LA. Absent on leave 1986-92. On Baton Rouge diocese's list in early 2019. It notes an allegation received in 3/01 of abuse in the late-1970s at St. Francis de Sales Deaf Center in Baton Rouge. Returned to New Orleans in 1981, removed from ministry 1992. Living in South Dakota monastery in 2003. Removed from priestly ministry. Reportedly in TX in 2019.

Ordained: 1964

Start	Stop	Assignment	Town/Accusations	State	Position	Notes
1964 New Orleans archbishop was Joseph Francis Rummel (1935-1964), replaced by John Patrick Cody (1964-1965) , then Philip Matthew Hannan (1965-1988)	1966	St. Lawrence the Martyr	Kenner/Metarie	LA	3/3 ,2/2	Parish had a school with 628-619 boys and 616-587 girls.
1966	1967	St. Henry's	New Orleans	LA	3/3	Parish had a school with 162 boys and 177 girls.
1967	1971?	SS Peter and Paul	New Orleans	LA	2/2	Parish had a school with 186-137 boys and 215-183 girls. Howell is indexed in the 1971 Directory as at this parish, but his name is not listed there in the New Orleans diocesan pages.
1971	1974	St. Ann National Shrine	New Orleans	LA	2/2 In residence
1974	1977	Holy Trinity (Chapel of Ease)	New Orleans	LA	1/1 Administrator
1977	1978	sick leave
1978 Baton Rouge bishop was Joseph Vincent Sullivan (1974-1982)	1981	St. Francis de Sales Catholic Deaf Center	Baton Rouge • Accused in 1992 of having abused dozens of deaf children at this parish and nearby school in the 1970s, along with his brother, Rev. Rodney Howell.	LA		Rodney Howell died in 1993.
1981 Worcester bishop was Bernard Joseph Flanagan (1959-1983)	1982	House of Affirmation	Whittinsville	MA		House of Affirmation was a treatment facility for priests with psychological and psychosexual problems.
1982	1983	Our Lady of Prompt Succor	Westwego	LA	2/2	Parish had a school with705 students.
1983	1986	Prince of Peace	Chalmette	LA		2/2
1986 Hannan was replaced as archbishop by Francis Bible Schulte (1988-2002)	1992	Absent on Leave				Howell was removed from ministry after the church investigated the allegations against him. Howell is no longer indexed in the Directories after 1992. Reported to have been living in a monastery in South Dakota in 2003.

Sources: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1965-1992).

• News Briefs, Houston Chronicle, December 8, 1992
• Sex Abuse Survivors Meet to Share Tales; local SNAP Formed for Victims of Priests, by Bruce Nolan,
The Times-Picayune, February 4, 2003
• Special Reports: Catholic Bishops and Sex Abuse, Dallas Morning News, June 12, 2002
• House of Affirmation, BishopAccountability.org

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 & 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 Howell'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 March 27, 2019.