IL--Notorious Joliet predator priest dies; SNAP responds
For immediate release: Thursday, May 7
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
A notorious Joliet predator priest, whose case shows continuing recklessness by Catholic bishops about kids’ safety, has passed away.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/kentucky/obituary.aspx?n=carroll-howlin&pid=174795423&fhid=16750
Repeated child sex abuse allegations in two states, deemed credible by law enforcement and church officials, were made over the years against Fr. Carroll Howlin. And repeated settlements were paid to his victims.
Still, for years, Joliet Bishop Daniel Conlon and his predecessors let Howlin live and work unsupervised in a remote, poverty-stricken part of eastern Kentucky where he reportedly used his influence with a social service agency to use food and gifts to manipulate desperate youngsters into sex acts.
Just yesterday, we urged the newly-installed bishop of Lexington to warn his flock about Howlin. Now, we urge him, and Conlon, to use their vast resources to seek out and help others who were sexually assaulted by this shrewd predator.
From 1977-2002, Howlin was pastor of Good Shepherd Chapel (513 489 8815, 513 489 0200, 606 376 8728) in Whitley City, about two hours south of Lexington (but still in the Lexington diocese). He is listed as a “credibly accused” predator priest on the Joliet Diocese website:
http://www.dioceseofjoliet.org/siteimages/chancerytribunal/OYCP/List2REV_9-17-14.pdf
We urge these bishops to act courageous and compassionately, in Joliet and in eastern Kentucky, to follow Jesus’ admonition to leave the 99 and go out into the cold and dark to find and help the lost, wounded sheep who are still suffering because of the crimes of Fr. Howlin.
NOTE - Photos of Fr. Howlin are available at www.BishopAccountability.org
The attorney whose case brought records about Fr. Howlin into the public eye is Terry Johnson of Chicago (312 922 4022, [email protected]).
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
Showing 2 comments
Thank you to David Rudofski for forcing the Joliet Diocese to finally release their file on Howlin. One would think moral individuals who truly cared about protecting children from harm would have done that on their own.