Rev. Carmen Sita—Assignment Record
a.k.a. Rev. Gerald Howard

Summary of Case: Arrested 9/15/82 on charges of abusing teen boy multiple times and providing him with drugs. Pleaded guilty 1983. Sentenced to 5 years probation and sent to Foundation House in Albuquerque NM. Per 2009 articles, less than a year later Sita had legally changed his name to Gerald Howard and was assigned to Jefferson City MO diocese where he soon offended again, allegedly molesting a boy 1983-88 and providing him with drugs. This abuse was reported in 2007. Claim settled for $600K.

Ordained: May 1976
Incardinated: Newark NJ archdiocese 1976-1983; Jefferson City diocese 1983-1984.

   

Start Stop Parish Town State Position Notes

5/76

Archbishop was Peter L. Gerety (1974-86)

 9/82 St. Aloysius

Jersey City

• Pleaded guilty in 1982 of molesting a male minor and providing the boy with drugs. See articles 1 2 3.

 NJ 5/6, 5/7, 4/6. Priests were Msgr. John J. Cassels STL (pastor emeritus) and Revs. Timothy F. Hourihan, Theodore W. Osbahr, Charles F. Christell STL, Carmen Sita, and Peter Ling (China). Rev. Joseph B. Bagley replaced Hourihan as pastor in 1977. In 1978, Auxiliary Bishop Jerome A. Pechillo TOR came in residence. In 1979, Cassels left; Ling was incardinated and moved up past Sita; Rev. Robert F. Coleman arrived. In 1979, the sequence was: Bagley, Osbahr, Ling, Sita, Coleman, Pechillo. In 1980, Rev. Gregory Studerus replaced Osbahr. In Newark archdiocese. In 1976-77, parish elementary school had 940 pupils; the parish's so-called Classical High had 480 pupils. In 1981-82, the grammar school had 815 pupils, and the HS had 498 pupils.
9/15/82   Arrested and charged with sexual contact with a male juvenile on diverse dates and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance Hudson County NJ    
1983   Pleaded guilty; sentenced to 5 years probation       Listed in the 1983 Directory as an unassigned Newark priest. Also unassigned were Revs. John Colabelli, James A. Pindar, and Carl Young.
1983   Foundation House Albuquerque NM   While in New Mexico, Sita's name was changed to Rev. Gerald Howard.

1983

Bishop was Michael F. McAuliffe (1969-97)

 1984 SS. Peter and Paul

Boonville

• In 2009, a $600K settlement was announced of a claim that Howard molested a boy 1983-88 and provided him with drugs. See articles 1 2 3 4.

 MO 2/2. Priests were Revs. Richard Cronin and Gerald Howard. In the Jefferson City diocese. Parish grammar school had 181 students.


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: P.J. Kenedy & Sons). See the Directory entries. See also:
• Priest Charged with Sex Assault, Associated Press (9/16/82)
• Father Carmen Sita, United Press International (9/17/82)
• Former Jersey City Priest Who Admitted Molesting Teen Accused of Sexual Abuse in Missouri, by Ron Zeitlinger, Jersey Journal (8/13/09)
• Settlement in Missouri Church Abuse Case Disclosed, Kansas City Star (8/13/09)
• Diocese Settles over Sex-abuse Allegation, by Janese Heavin, Columbia Daily Tribune (8/13/09)
• Jefferson City Diocese Didn't Know about Boonville Abuse for 25 Years, by Bob Priddy, Missourinet (8/13/09)
• Diocese Settles Boonville Priest Abuse Case, by Mark Slavit, Connect Mid-Missouri (8/13/09)
• Missouri Lawsuit Settled for $600K in Case of Former Priest Who Admitted to Molesting a Boy in Jersey City, by Jeff Diamant, Star-Ledger (8/13/09)
• Jefferson City Diocese Settles Priest Abuse Case, by Christine Lesicko, Missourian (8/14/09)
• Sexual Abuse and Church Settlement, KOMU (8/14/09)
• $600G Settlement Puts Spotlight on Sex-abuse Priest, by Ron Zeitlinger, Jersey Journal (8/14/09)
• Attorney: Abuse Settlement Will Help Client Pay Bills, by Nate Birt, Boonville Daily News (8/17/09)



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 Sita/Howard's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with media reports of his 1982 arrest, 1983 conviction, and 2009 settlement. 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 8/24/09.