Charles Michael Jarrell (May 15, 1940) is an American
prelate
A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pre ...
of the
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Bishop Michael Jarrell was born on May 15, 1940, in
Opelousas, Louisiana :''Opelousas is also a common name of the flathead catfish.''
Opelousas (french: Les Opélousas; Spanish: ''Los Opeluzás'') is a small city and the parish seat of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States. Interstate 49 and U.S. Route 190 ...
to William Jarrell Sr. and Jessie Rosa Barnett Jarrell. He attended public schools in Opelousas, then entered the Immaculata Minor Seminary in Lafayette, Louisiana. In 1960, Jarrell entered Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning a
Bachelor of Philosophy
Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil, BPh, or PhB; la, Baccalaureus Philosophiae or ) is the title of an academic degree that usually involves considerable research, either through a thesis or supervised research projects. Unlike many other bachelor's d ...
degree in 1962 and an
Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil ...
degree in 1963. Jarrell was ordained to the subdiaconate and then the diaconate in June 1966 by then Auxiliary Bishop
Warren L. Boudreaux Warren Louis Boudreaux (January 25, 1918 – October 6, 1997) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first bishop of the new Roman Catholic Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux in Louisiana from ...
.
Priesthood
On June 3, 1967, Jarrell was ordained a priest by Bishop
Maurice Schexnayder
Maurice Schexnayder (August 13, 1895 – January 23, 1981) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette in Louisiana from 1956 to 1972.
Biography
Early life
Maurice Schexnayder was ...
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles (French: ''Lac Charles'') is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, and the parish seat of Calcasieu Parish, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Founded in 1861 in Calcas ...
. In 1972, , he was assigned as associate pastor to St. Michael Parish in
Crowley, Louisiana
Crowley (Local pronunciation: ) is a city in, and the parish seat of, Acadia Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 United States census, Crowley had a population of 11,710. Crowley is the principal city of the Crowley micropolitan ...
. Jerrell was named pastor in 1976 of Sacred Heart Parish in Broussard, Louisiana, then in 1984 was moved to Sacred Heart Parish in
Ville Platte, Louisiana
Ville Platte is the largest city in, and the parish seat of, Evangeline Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,430 at the 2010 census, down from 8,145 in 2000. The city's name is of French origin, roughly translating to "flat t ...
. Jarrell remained in Ville Platte until 1993. Jarrell also served as regional vicar of three
deaneries
A deanery (or decanate) is an ecclesiastical entity in the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Anglican Communion, the Evangelical Church in Germany, and the Church of Norway. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residenc ...
, as diocesan consultor and as chairman of the Clergy Continuing Education Committee. In 1988, Pope John Paul II named Jarrell a
prelate of honor
A Prelate of Honour of His Holiness is a Catholic prelate to whom the Pope has granted this title of honour.
They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards clerical clothing.
Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux
On March 4, 1993,
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
appointed Jarrell as bishop of the Diocese Diocese of Houma–Thibodaux. He was consecrated on March 4, 1993, by Archbishop Francis Schulte.
Bishop of Lafayette
On November 8, 2002, John Paul II appointed Jarrell as bishop for the Diocese of Lafayette. He was installed on December 18, 2002 at the Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist. In 2015, it was revealed that ten years previously, the Diocese of Lafayette had paid a $26 million settlement to the families of 123 children who were
sexually abused
Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assau ...
by diocese priests between 1959 and 2002. ''The Daily Advertiser'' urged the release of the priests' names, but Jarrell refused, saying that he could not see the point.
Retirement
On February 18, 2016,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
accepted Jarrell's letter of resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette and appointed then Auxiliary Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel to succeed him.