SQLFusion - Father Luke Meunier alias Lucien-Luc Meunier, Luc Meunier - the Canadian Roman Catholic priest from the diocese of Saint Hyancinthe Quebec who molested his way across Canada and the United States of America

Father Lucien-Luc Meunier

I first heard the name Meunier from a Cornwall victim who told me that he had been sexually abused by a Father Meunier. He had no idea where Meunier was and recalled that Meunier had written a book.

I began to search.

I eventually discovered that Meunier's trail of sexual abuse, destruction, ruined lives and deception warrant a book, and that according to a 2002 Washington Post article Canadian Church officials were aware of sexual abuse allegations against this priest at least by the mid 60s.

For now, here is a very brief account of what I discovered about Father Meunier:

Originally from Granby, Quebec, part of the diocese of Saint Hyacinthe, Meunier seems to have molested his way across Canada and the United States. He became the focus of prolific media coverage in the United States.

Meunier was known to have served in a multitude of parishes including those in Granby, Quebec (Saint Hyacinthe diocese), New Liskeard (Timmins diocese), Marsden, Saskatchewan (Prince Albert diocese), Cut Knife, Saskatchewan (Prince Albert diocese), Prince Rupert, B.C. (Prince Rupert diocese), Trail, B.C., (Nelson diocese) New Denver, B.C., (Nelson diocese) as well as a number in the USA, including those in Lousiania and Tucson, Arizona. He also spent time in the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall.

There is considerable confusion following Meunier’s whereabouts through Catholic directories alone. For example, in 1967 there is "L. Meunier" in Marsden, Saskatchewan (diocese of Prince Albert), "Lucien Meunier" in Butte St. Pierre (Diocese of Prince Albert) and Lucien-Luc Meunier B.Th, D.S.C. in Matheson, Ontario (Diocese of Timmons). Father Meunier’s writings confirm that he did indeed serve in these various locations and it was determined by various means that each entry was the Lucien-Luc in question.

How Meunier managed to be listed in three locations in the same year is a mystery – perhaps, as in at least one known instance in the mid 50s, he filled in for sick clergy, and perhaps in 1967 he did so in several parishes? Regardless the following are the listings on Father Meunier in Catholic directories coupled with information drawn from his own accounting of his whereabouts.

27 August 1939: ordained.

1940 - 1944: listed as priest in Chazel, Quebec, Canada (Diocese of Amos)

1945 - 1946: listed as a priest "St. Blaise-de-Barraute," Quebec, (Diocese of Amos)

1947- 1955: listed as priest in McWatters, Ontario (Diocese of Timmins)

29 November 1951: Obituary in the Granby Leader-Mail re death of his father, Alfredina Meunier on the 28^th refers to three sons, one being “Abbe Luc Meunier, pastor of McWatters.”

1955: a Timmins press clipping reproduced in one of his books references a new church, Mary Queen of Mankind, formed by parishioners of St. Thomas of Canterbury , Matheson, Ontario (Diocese of Timmins). According to this “Rev. Lou Meunier who recently returned from abroad. He worked for his Church in Rome and Paris. This is the third church he has founded. He previously organized the Roman Catholic church in McWatters.”
14 January 1955: North Daily News – New Liskeard, refers to “”Rev. Father Luke Meunier” of Sacred Heart parish in New Liskeard (filling in for an ailing priest) “recently returned from a stay in Europe as Timmins and St. Hyacinthe diocese representative at Marian Year ceremonies.” (a 15 July 1954 clipping in French indicates Father Meunier’s departure for Europe)

1956 - 1964: listed as priest in Matheson, Ontario (Diocese of Timmins)

1957: Seems to have been in the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall – sexual abuse allegations against him probably sometime in 1957 – the victim alleges the abuse extended over a period of six months

(The bishop of the day in the Alexandria-Cornwall diocese was Rosario Brodeur. Bishop Brodeur had close connections to the Sainte Hyancinthe diocese: although his childhood years were spent in the United States and his priestly studies were pursued in Sulpician seminaries in Boston and Baltimore, Brodeur was born in the diocese of Saint Hyacinthe, consecrated as bishop at the Saint Hyacinthe cathedral, and turned to the Sisters of St. Marthe in Saint Hyanciinthe to look after his residence in Alexandria-Cornwall and his newly constructed Our Lady of Fatima Retreat Home.)

06 March 1958: Neilburg Star refers to “Father Luke Meunier” as pastor of St. Charles Church, Marsden, Saskatchewan (Diocese of Prince Albert). Meunier was apparently giving talks in various parishes regarding Pope Pius XII’s birthday and various pronouncements of that pope. Meunier apparently addressed congregations in Freemont (St. Joseph church), Chauvin, Alberta (Archdiocese of Edmonton) and Seagram.
1959: letter reproduced in one of his books is addressed to him at Marsden, Saskatchewan (Diocese of Prince Albert)

• Meunier wrote a number of books, i.e., Essay on the History of Music (1939), Thou art Peter, (1946), This great straight old man (1958), From Granby to Rome (1959), Common Singing in the Church (1964) Freedom, Yes or No? or a day at the Second Vatican Council (1968), How to Practice Ecumenism (1973) The Legion of Mary in Texas (1975) Miracles in Louisiana? (1980) Charismatic Movement in Louisiana (1980) I have read excerpts from two and must say they are bizarre and replete with self-praise.

• He studied Gregorian Chant and taught it for two years at the University of Montreal. He apparently also taught voice, loved to sing and was an accomplished organist.

• Meunier was know variously as Father Luke Lucien Meunier, Father Lucien Meunier, Father Pedro Luke, Father L. Lou Meunier and also, it is believed, as Father Lucien Meunier de la Pierre.

• He was an active Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus.

• He gave missions all over the world and conducted pilgrimages to various congresses .

• He attended the Second Vatican Council as assistant to several Canadian bishops, one of whom was Bishop Lionel Audet (Quebec Archdiocese). At this time I do not know the names of the others, but I do know that in 1980 Bishop Georges Leon Pelletier (Three Rivers, Quebec) wrote in the Foreward to Miracles in Lousiana? ”You were one of the few priests working at Vatican Council II, with all the Bishops of the earth, 2,867, in 1965 in Rome, Italy, where we helped each other, I do remember so well.”

• On 12 February 1990 the British Columbia Report published an article about Meunier titled, “Descent into depravity: the search for a perverted priest discloses a trial of abuse suicide, blasphemy”

• Several of Meunier’s victims committed suicide: at least one left a suicide note.

• According to one account (Palm Beach Post, 13 January 1990) one alleged victim, probably from Saskatchewan, wrote that he had been molested by Meunier a number of time in 1957 and 1958, usually in a car or rectory “he did not talk about sex, but talked of how God had given these beautiful things . . . to enjoy.” The victim wrote: Father Meunier told me that it was God’s will that I should do this for him, and that it was just like a confessional where no one is supposed to tell anyone […] he would then say short little prayers of praise.”

• The same article in the Palm Beach Post reported that another victim, then a medical student in Vancouver, said in a sworn statement that Meunier molested him at the dining room table while the family gathered for dinner: “After saying grace and during the course of the dinner . . . Meunier had me masturbate him.”

• The Post also reports the allegations of a British Columbia man who alleged that Meunier molested him numerous times in 1969 while he was an altar boy. The incidents occurred in the sacristy after Meunier had finished saying Mass. Afterwards, the man wrote: “He would say a prayer or two out loud and bow his head.”

• According to a 2002 Washington Post article Canadian Church officials were aware of sexual abuse allegations against Meunier at least by the mid 60s.

• Meunier was convicted on sexual abuse charges in the Tucson, Arizona area in 1976

• In 1980 Meunier was listed as “Director, Mohawk Historical and Fine Arts Society, St. Patrick Church, Three Rivers (Trois-Rivieres), Quebec (Diocese of Trois Rivieres).

• In January 1990 Meunier was ordered extradited from the United States to Canada to stand trial in Nelson, B.C. on eight counts of indecent assault and gross indecency. According to the extradition request Meunier was accused of molesting at least seven boys and one girl while he was parish priest in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. At the time, according to Nelson Crown attorney Dana Urban, Muenier was under investigation by Canadian authorities in three provinces.

• Meunier died of a hear attack in a U.S. holding cell days before he was to be extradited.