Sexual abuse allegations against Cornwall priest and Catholic school teacher

Below is the 23 January 1997 statement containing C-8's allegations of sexual abuse suffered as an altar boy against Father Charles MacDonald,  a Roman Catholic priest in the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, and his allegations of sexual abuse against Marcel Lalonde, a Roman Catholic school teacher in Cornwall, Ontario, Canada.

C-8 is the moniker given to the man at the Cornwall Public Inquiry. There is a publication ban on his name. He testifed in camera at the inquiry.  (Spelling errors,i.e., "alterboy" for altar boy, in the original)

XXXX Cornwall

Ontario

D.O.B. XXXX 1964 

My name is C-8.  I am 32 years of age. I currently own and operate a business called XXXXX. . I have been in the XXXXX  for about eleven years. I am single and currently live alone in XXXXX Ontario and have resided there for the last 16 years. 

I was an alterboy at St Columban's church in Cornwall when I was eleven years old. Both my parents attended church every Sunday and I would always go with them. I asked my dad if I could be an alterboy because I wanted to make him proud and he said sure, go talk to Father Charlie. I went and spoke to Father Charlie and he said sure, but you will have to come to church in the evening and practice. Charles MacDonald was the head priest of St. Columban's at the time. I remember that I would practice serving mass during the week nights and then serve on Sunday usually at 11 o'clock mass. I can remember that Father Charles was the first person to ever sexually assault me. For the next two years I found that I would often be alone with Father Charlie in and around the church. Father Charlie would often rub my arms neck and shoulders. He would tell me how good I was doing and that I had a bright future and he wanted me to work around the church. I noticed that when we were alone he was more friendly when he would be rubbing me. He would have this smirk on face like a smiling smirk. 

After about two years I remember I was serving a special mass one evening. Prior to serving the mass Father Charlie and I were alone in the sacristy of the church. I remember that I was sitting on a bench in the sacristy. I had put my alterboy clothes on I think it is called a Cossack. I was getting ready for mass and Father Charlie came over to me and sat down on the same bench and told me how proud he was of my work. He sat down on my left side put his right arm around me and with his left arm. He began to rub my arms and rub up and down my legs. He told me the usual how good I was doing an that I had a bright future. Then he grabbed my penis and bag and jerked it. I was in shock and I pulled away but he continued to rub my legs up to my crotch. This continued for about five minutes. During this time he had this smiling smirk look on his face. 

I remember thinking how am I going to go out and serve mass with this guy. How do I tell my parents. It bugged me after the incident and I wanted to tell my dad but I was so embarrassed. I mean we went to church every Sunday. I never got a chance to tell my dad and he died when I was 13 years old. I quit going to church after my father died. My belief system was shattered after Father Charlie assaulted me. I always kept my distance from Father Charlie after this incident. I felt very trapped. I had no trust in adults and I felt ashamed and scared. I served on the alter at my father's funeral. 

2  

I swore that when my father died that I would never set foot in a Catholic church again. I already had in my mind when I walked into St Columban's church on the morning of my father's funeral this would be the last time I went to church because of what Father Charlie did to me before, the sexual assault. On the morning of my father's funeral I was again getting ready to serve mass in the church sacristy. Father Charlie came over to me from behind and started telling me how sorry he felt about my dad passing away. He began to rub my arms telling me don't worry everything is going to be all right. He said if there is anything I can do for you just let me know. He asked if I wanted to come back after the funeral and he asked me if I had ever had a candle stuck up my butt. He took a candle in his hand and he started rubbing my butt under my Cossack. He told me that it was a good way to relax and forget about everything. He continued for about five to ten minutes rubbing me and talking to me. I was scared when he was doing this. I just kept thinking I don't want a candle up my ass get me out of here. I could not believe it I mean it's my dad's funeral I'm hurting bad and this sick bastard wants to put a candle up my rectum. My religious beliefs were shattered on this day and I will carry this scar for the rest of my life a big part of me died with my dad on that day. I lost all respect for authority and the church. To this day I do not go to church except an occasional wedding or funeral. After my dad died I could not bring myself to tell my mom because she was going through a hard time emotionally. 

Not long after Father Charlie assaulted me I was assaulted by Marcel Lalonde during Grade 7-8 at Bishop MacDonell school. Marcel would always pick me out of class to go and make soup that was sold at lunch time in the lunch room for twenty-five cents a bowl, Marcel made me feel special he would buy me clothes. Since my dad died I felt like Marcel cared about me and was trying to help me out by being good to me. I felt great looking up to him like I had a big brother. In fact Marcel Lalonde even asked my mom if he could be my big brother I remember that she agreed because she had to raise four boys. Marcel was always there for me taking me everywhere. He would take me away for weekends to different places in his Honda Civic Five speed and every time that he would shift he would rub my leg look at me and smile. He used to take me to Massena with his girlfriend Dianne and we would go bowling. One night after bowling we went back to his house and he fed me beer and was playing the stereo loud. He called my mom and asked her if I could sleep over she said sure because by now she trusted him. Marcel's girlfriend Dianne left and we were alone. Marcel ended up in bed with me. He reached over and started playing with my penis and bag, he was rubbing me all over trying to make me hard. He sucked me off until I came. He then masturbated himself. I remember that he was shaking all over, he then fell asleep with me. When I woke up the next morning he was still in bed with me, he woke up and started rubbing me all over. After what had happened with Father Charlie and now with Marcel I thought this must be normal. I mean here were two people that I had trusted and my parents trusted and they were assaulting me. 

3  

I remember that on two school trips to Toronto Marcel sexually assaulted me again. Marcel would give me spending money on these trips. We were in a school gym and it was full of people from my school. Marcel came over to me and made his bed next to my bed and late in the night he began to suck me off. I kept on thinking that here is this guy I trusted my mom trusted and liked and he is sucking me off all the time. I did not feel that my mom would believe me. 

Marcel would often take me to his dad's cottage in Lancaster. I recall another incident when Marcel took me for a boat ride to St. Anisette Quebec. He gave me beer to drink, he would also give me pot he would encourage me to take both drugs and alcohol when I was with him. I remember that he stopped the boat on the way back and he wanted me to suck him off. I could not do it so he just jerked off all over me. He said that it was natural for a man to do that. We then went back to his dad's cottage. 

I tried to avoid seeing him but it was hard because of school. In grade eight he would still ask me to make the soup. When the grade seven kids went on a trip Marcel wanted me to go with him and help supervise the trip. I went and he assaulted me again. I kept thinking will this guy ever leave me alone. When we came back from the trip I remember thatpeople were asking me if Marcel was gay and I said no because I did not want people to think that I was gay. I was very embarrassed. 

I finally got away from Marcel. I heard that he found another boy. It was common knowledge in school that Marcel Lalonde diddled boys. I could never understand why the Catholic School Board kept him on as a teacher. Marcel sexually assaulted on several occasions. There is no doubt in my mind that Marcel Lalonde is a pedophile. 

I quit school at the age of fifteen. I felt very violated and could not trust anyone. I would often cry alone for hours wishing that my dad would have been around to teach me the proper ways in life. 

To try and forget I turned into a workaholic working 70-80 hours per week at XXXX. I also turned to drugs and alcohol to try to forget the pain. This is on my mind every single minute of the day, week, year like a bad dream. 

My life is in ruins because of my past. I am totally screwed up emotionally. I have an extremely hard time establishing and developing relationships of any length. People around town think that I am a homosexual. I suffer from depression I have had thoughts of suicide. I feel that I have been robbed of my childhood including finishing school. I have been confused about sex and sexuality my entire life. 

4  

My life has been messed up since Father Charlie MacDonald sexually assaulted me. It got worse when Marcel Lalonde assaulted me. I would like to heal and I would like to make sure that other children do not have to go through what I went through when I was growing up. I would Like both Marcel Lalonde and Father Charles MacDonald to be charged for sexually assaulting me. 

C-8                                                 23 January 1997