Father Gaetan Deschamps

Information available

Ordained: 17 June 1956 (seems to have been ordained for the Diocese of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Why Prince Albert and not Alexandria-Cornwall is unknown) 

The Bishop of the day in Prince Albert was Leo Blais (Blais resigned in 1959 - then was installed as an auxiliary bishop in Montrel, Quebce 1959-1974). In 1959 Laurent Morin, a close friend of Bishop Alexander Carter, was installed as Bishop of Prince Albert.  In 1981 Blaise Morand was named Co-adjutor bishop to Morin and in 1983 Morand was installed as bishop of the PA diocese. Morand, like Eugene Larocque, hails from the Diocese of London, Ontario.)

1959: Catholic Directory gives address as Notre Dame College, Prince Albert Saskatchewan (Diocese of Prince Albert). Elsewhere in directory as serving at Immaculate Conception Seminary in Prince Albert. (Father Luc Meunier was in the Diocese at Marsden, Saskatchewan at the same time)

Actively involved with the St. John Bosco Boy's Camp which was founded in 1958.  I believe actually he may have been the camp's founder or co-founder.  

Richard Hickerson, then a Marianist priest, defintively served in the Diocese of PA between 1964 and 1966 - probably much longer. Hickerson later surfaced in the Cornwall as an employee of Canada Manpower.

During the summers of the 60s and possibly beyond Father Deschamps visited family in Cornwall.  Deschamps made the trip by car and was frequently accompanied on the 4,000+ mile return trip by one of several young boys from Prince Albert.

1967: Professor at St. Mary’s College, Prince Albert

1968-69: Studies in Ottawa, Ontario

1973-74: Hospital chaplain, Prince Albert

1985-86:  Not in directory

During his years in the PA diocese Deshamps was said to be a close friend of Father Gilles Doucette. In 2000 Doucette stood trial and was convicted for sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy. 

1991 & 1992: Address 2-20^th Street, Prince Albert, Sask.  Listed as a Dicesan consultor.  

01 September 2007: Open season on priests?

 

01 September 2007: Standing behind 'Father Gates' 

30 August 2007: Sask. police are examining abuse allegations

29 August 2007: “Priest Denies Abuse Allegations” and “Priest becomes target of sex abuse allegation”

19/20 August 2007:  Pedophile Alert! (flier distrubuted and posted around Cornwall)  (NB:  I am told that Father Deschamps has moved and now lives on Tollgate Rd.)

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Father Deschamps and the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall's

Family Life Ministry

(the following pages have been posted on the Alexanria-Cornwall diocesan website for months.  There has been no change since "action"was taken to deal with the sexual abuse allegations against Father Deschamps.  The website was checked 31 August 2007 prior to posting these pages) 

31 August 2007:  

Diocesan website intro to Family Life Ministry

 Diocesan website - Other Support groups (including Spectrum)

Diocesan website Bible Study

Diocesan website: Movements and Groups

Diocesan website: Seminars

Cornwall News AM 1220

August 29, 2007 — A Cornwall priest, accused of historic sex abuse, has retired from active ministry while denying the allegations. The Alexandria - Cornwall Diocese, in a statement released to the media, says the accusations were leveled against Father Gaetan Deschamps by a complainent in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. A bishop there recently informed local Bishop, Paul Andre Durocher of the allegations of abuse which would have alledgely occured many decades ago. According to the release, the complainent was a minor at the time of the alleged incident and wanted to have the issue dealt with in confidence and simply ensure Deschamp was no longer involved in ministry. Deschamp has been living in Cornwall the past 10 years and denies any criminal acts related to the complainant but has accepted to retire from all active ministry. He has never been charged in relation to the complaint. The Cornwall police and C.A.S. both were made aware of the situation. The complainant has since expressed his satisfaction with the outcome.

Priest becomes target of sex abuse allegation

Elisabeth Johns

Wednesday, August 29, 2007 - 08:00

Local News - A Cornwall priest has retired amidst allegations he sexually abused a man who was a minor in Prince Albert, Sask., several decades ago.

Rev. Gaetan Deschamps, who is believed to be in his 70s, has been with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall for the past 10 years, working part-time as a marriage counsellor.

The ministry Deschamps specialized in didn't deal specifically with young children, said Diocese Bishop Paul-Andre Durocher.

However, on the website for the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, it states that Deschamps oversaw a support group called "Spectrum," which is described as a curriculum for "adolescents who live in single-parent families or stepfamilies."

Deschamps has never been charged in relation to this incident. When confronted by a diocesan delegate from Alexandria-Cornwall, Deschamps denied any allegations against him.

no complaints

There have also never been any complaints received about him by the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, the bishop said.

The Cornwall Police Service and the local Children's Aid Society were notified, however, the complainant's wish was to ensure Deschamps was no longer involved in the ministry.

Deschamps complied, the bishop told the Standard-Freeholder in an interview, and is now retired.

When contacted Tuesday evening the Prince Albert, Sask. police could not provide any information regarding the allegations concerning Deschamps.

Deschamps could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.

Deschamps was ordained under the Prince Albert Diocese and the majority of his ministerial work was done there, Durocher said.

When he arrived in Cornwall, he was semi-retired, Durocher added.

"He never asked to become a member (of the Alexandria-Cornwall Diocese).

"There's nothing out of the ordinary there."

Deschamps, who once wrote a column in the Standard-Freeholder and was involved in fundraising for the Children's Christmas Fund, had retired from parish ministry last year because of his age.

Prior to that, he was appointed as a priest at Blessed Sacrament in the city's north end in 2000.

Durocher said he was contacted by Bishop Blaise Morand from the diocese in Prince Albert a few weeks ago, advising him of the complaint of historical sexual abuse.

The diocese issued the press release with an eye to keeping the ministry open and transparent, Durocher said.

In June 1992, the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a document, entitled "From Pain to Hope," in which they discussed how churches should deal with allegations of sexual abuse from members of the clergy.

The document advised ministries to be open in the wake of sexual abuse allegations.

"One of the objectives of 'From Pain to Hope' was to overcome the shroud of secrecy around these issues," Durocher explained. "This is what we're trying to do."