Father Absalom Coutinho
Diocese of Paterson
Ordained: 1972
Arrived in the United States: 1970
Began working in Paterson: 1984
Transferred to Florida: 1998
Removed: 2002
Assigned in New Jersey as follows:
- St. Jude (Budd Lake, NJ)
- Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (Boonton, NJ)
- Immaculate Heart of Mary (Wayne, NJ)
- Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Wayne, NJ)
- St. Nicholas (Jersey City, NJ)
Summary of Abuse Allegations against Father Absalom Coutinho:
Fr. Absalom Coutinho arrived in the United States from his native India in 1970 and began working in the Archdiocese of Newark.
In 1984, Coutinho began working for the Diocese of Paterson. In 1998, he was sent to work in a ministry in Palmetto, Florida, indefinitely. However, he remained under the control of the Bishop of Paterson, who ultimately removed him from his Florida assignment in 2002 when Coutinho was twice accused of sexually abusing minors.
According to media reports, one incident of abuse is alleged to have occurred in 1977 when Coutinho worked at a Jersey City parish under the auspices of the Archdiocese of Newark. The second allegation accused Coutinho of abusing a second minor female while assigned in the Diocese of Paterson.
As a result of the allegations, the Bishop of Paterson suspended Coutinho’s priestly faculties indefinitely.
In April 2018, he presented himself as an active priest in an article, “Just a Thought By Fr. Absalom Coutinho” printed in the newsletter of the Diocese of Marquette’s St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church of Bark River, MI.
Coutinho’s name appears on both the Diocese of Paterson list and Archdiocese of Newark’s list of credibly accused priests, published in February 2019.
Coutinho, now in his seventies, is believed to be residing in Sun City Center, a retirement community near Tampa, Florida.
Horowitz Law is a law firm representing victims and survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and other clergy in the Diocese of Paterson. If you need a lawyer because you were sexually abused by a priest in Paterson, contact our office today. Although many years have passed, those abused by Catholic clergy in the Diocese of Paterson now have legal options to recover damages due to a compensation fund created for victims. Call us at 888-283-9922 or send an email to [email protected] to discuss your options today.