Odore Joseph Gendron

Court papers released in January 2003 showed that Gendron destroyed records of sexual abuse by two different priests during the 1980's. The first instance was in 1986 for Philip Petit, a diocese priest who molested a teenager between 1979 and 1981. Petit left the priesthood in 1986 and Gendron destroyed all of his treatment records at Petit's request. The instance was in 1989, when the Servants of the Paraclete treatment facility in New Mexico requested that Gendron destroy the treatment records of Gordon MacRae, a diocese priest who had been treated at the facility. In 1994, McRae was sentenced to 33 to 67 years in state prison for molesting children.

In a 2003 report by the New Hampshire Attorney General, it was revealed that Gendron helped a priest accused of sexual abuse avoid criminal charges. In 1975, police in Nashua, New Hampshire arrested Paul Aube, a diocese priest, after find him with a boy in a car, both with their pants down. Aube, who had confessed to acts of sexual abuse in 1972, confessed his guilt to Gendron. He asked Gendron to send him for treatment and relieve him of parish duties. Instead, Gendron called the Nashua police chief to drop charges against Aube. Gendron then transferred Aube to a parish in Rochester, New Hampshire. In 1981, the mother of a 15 year old boy discovered Aube having sex with him in the church rectory. When advised of the new allegation, Gendron did not report Aube to the police. In 2002, Aube turned himself into state authorities and became a cooperating witness.

After fifteen years as bishop, Gendron submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Paul II on June 12, 1990. He was succeeded by his coadjutor bishop, Leo O'Neil. Gendron died on October 16, 2020 at the age of 99. At the time of his death, he was the oldest living Catholic bishop in the United States.

On December 12, 1974, Gendron was appointed the seventh Bishop of Manchester by Pope Paul VI. He received his episcopal consecration on February 3, 1975 from Bishop Ernest Primeau, with Bishop Edward O'Leary and Bishop Timothy Harrington serving as co-consecrators.

Following his ordination, Gendron served as associate pastor at Angel Guardian Parish in Berlin, New Hampshire, until 1952, and then at Sacred Heart Parish in Lebanon, New Hampshire (1952–1960), and St. Louis Church in Nashua, New Hampshire (1960–1965). From 1965 to 1967, Gendron was pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Pittsfield, New Hampshire. He then served at St. Augustin Parish in Manchester until 1972, when he was named the first episcopal vicar for women religious. Gendron was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in December 1970, and became Vicar for Clergy in January 1974.

Gendron was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Matthew Brady on May 31, 1947.

Gendron was born in Manchester, New Hampshire, to Franco-Americans Francis and Valida (née Rouleau) Gendron. He attended Sacred Heart School in Manchester and before continuing his education in Canada, where he studied at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Sherbrooke, Quebec. From 1942 to 1947, he studied philosophy and theology at St. Paul Seminary in Ottawa, Ontario.

Odore Joseph Gendron (September 13, 1921 – October 16, 2020) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of the Diocese of Manchester in New Hampshire from 1975 to 1990.