She did what all responsible adults would do

Well, I am, once again, at a loss for words.

Sick to my stomach.

I truly want to say that you won’t believe what I am about to tell you, but, no, I think that by now you have all heard and seen enough  that probably you will.

Picture this…

A convicted Canadian clerical molester holidaying in Mexico,  heading off fishing with a little boy all of 10 or 11-years of age, and when told that the man is a a paedophile Mom flat out denies that to be fact, has no problem with her son being in the company of this man, and says the priest is an old family friend whom she has known since she was a little girl.

Perhaps this is a case of dancing on the head of legal pin?  Perhaps, according some of numerous definitions,the priest is not a paedophile per se?  But, still, what mother would allow her son, no matter what age,  to be in the company of any child molester, be he categorized as a paedophile, an ephebophile or pederast or whatever?

Honestly.  I am not making this up.  I couldn’t.

Here’s the story…

Going fishing in Progresso

A few weeks ago  Father Ken Keeler was spotted vacationing in Progreso, Mexico.  “Helen”  thought she spotted him in Progresso last year, but she just wasn’t 100% certain that it was him.

There was the same man this year. There was that little boy.  There he was, the child,  heading fishing.   Heading fishing with – Heaven help us –  Father Ken Keeler.

There is not a shadow of a doubt that it that the man was Father Kent Keeler.

Actually, confirmation  came from the boy himself.  It went something like this:

 “That’s my friend Ken. “

 “Ken who?”

 “Ken Keeler.”

It was him.  No doubt now.  It was him.

The boy,  his mother and his grandmother were on holiday.   All are from, believe it or not,  Ottawa, Ontario.  Yes, right from Ottawa where, in 1971,  Ken Keeler was ordained to the priesthood.  From Ottawa, where ‘Father Ken’ had won accolades for starting that camp for needy children over in Low Quebe.  Ottawa, where Father Kenneth Keeler was charged, and where, back in 1993 said ‘Guilty, your honour, ‘ but not until  three days into trial,  and after a lot of testimony about drugs and alcohol at the camp, and, yes, even about Father Ken’s sexual tryst with Bishop John Beahan on that cabin porch.  From Ottawa, where Father Ken Keeler  got that little “Tut, Tut, Bad boy” from the judge, – a paltry eight months sentence, and, yes, Ottawa, where in less than eight weeks Keeler  was out and about, in a halfway house, but freely roaming the streets of Ottawa.

Seriously!

I digress.

Back to Progressio….

It was him.  Helen realized that this was indeed  Father Ken Keeler.  Her former parish priest.  The molester.

The child , that boy, was in the company of  child molester.  She was understandably alarmed.   She did what all responsible adults would do in similar circumstances, she sought out  to the boy’s mother.

There was no gentle way to break the news.  ‘ Ken Keeler is a paedophile.’

‘No he’s not!’ ‘That was the essence of the response.  Denial.  It just was not true.  Furthermore,  Ken Keeler has been a family friend for years, and ‘Mom’  has known Keeler since she was about six years old!

What, oh what, is this world coming to?

I am stunned.  Absolutely stunned.  I shouldn’t be, but I am.  Back in the 90s I sat in the courtroom and watched in horror as a Roman Catholic nun take the stand as a character witness Father Ken Keeler.  It was unbelievable.  She just really did not believe he was guilty.  It was startling.

But, a mother?

What in the name of all that’s good and holy can be done when  a child’s mother fails – even refuses? – to exercise due diligence around a self-confessed  sexual predator?

I don’t know.  I just don’t know.

As an aside, how in the name of goodness can a convicted child molester be free to roam the world ?  Why is he allowed to have passport?  Why is allowed to leave the country?

I know.  I know.  He’s not the only Canadian molester who’s been allowed to travel as he pleases.   True.  He’s not the only one.  But at this moment in time I am reminded of what I view as the sheer insanity of allowing these predators to travel the world at will.  And, remember, we don’t just let them out of the country, we also let the in!

Dear Lord above, is this truly a world gone mad?

What about the children?  That’s my question.  What about our poor dear innocent  children?

Does anybody care?

In the Church.  Out of the Church.

Does anybody really care?

Faculties in Halifax

A quick little update  on what Father Ken Keeler has been doing when he’s not holidaying in Progresso.

Things have changed.  Over the past few years, since we last checked on him, things have changed,

As you know, for years Keeler  served as Chaplain to the Sisters of Charity in Halifax, Nova Scotia, initially at Mount Saint Vincent Motherhouse, and later, after the sisters moved into their new facility, Caritas Residence.    Those who initially hired him for the ‘job’ allegedly knew he had a criminal record.

Yes, to their great shame, even some nuns are enablers and more than willing to play the recycle game.

Father Keeler ‘ministered’ to the Sisters of Charity for 20 years,.  For 20 years he essentially came and went as he pleased.

And, yes, it’s true.  This wolf in sheep’s clothing, this predator, was actually given faculties to say Mass and hear confessions.  A bishop said okay.   I suppose it stands to reason, does it not?  What use is a clerical molester in a convent if he can’t at the very least offer Mass and hear the confessions of the nuns?

If you google his name you will see that he officiated at a few funerals in the Halifax diocese too.  These weren’t nun’s funerals.

Was he routinely helping out around the Halifax Archdiocese?   I don’t know.  I can tell you though that for a good number of the years that Keeler was there, a Father Michael Walsh, another convicted molester,  was foot-loose-and-fancy-free in the Halifax Archdiocese, serving as a Chaplain at the Halifax Infirmary, and assisting at local parishes. Walsh, from the Diocese of Grand Falls, Newfoundland,  was convicted in 1991.  He was quietly recycled into the  Archdiocese of Halifax and hoisted upon  a multitude of unwitting Catholics from 1997 to 2009.  Those who found out were not happy!

So, given that there was no problem quietly slipping  Father Walsh in to Halifax parishes, it would be no surprise at all to learn that the Archbishop of the day allowed Father Ken Keeler to say Masses and hear confessions around the diocese.  And, in truth, when you really think about it, what difference does it make if he’s saying Mass in a convent or in a church? Ditto hearing confessions?

What an insult to the flock  to saddle them with a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a criminal,  for a priest.  It matters not whether the flock be nuns or laity, does it? – it’s an insult, to God, and an insult  to the faithful .  It’s a sacrilege. That’s what it is.  A sacrilege.

And, of course, sacrilege aside:  what about the children?

Retired to ‘the Island’

He’s gone from Halifax now.  Gone.  Retired.   December 2014.  Witness the following, a little over a year ago he headed off to  Prince Edward Island.

Father Ken Keeler

By Sisters of Charity – Halifax

At the end of December, we said farewell to Father Ken Keeler who has served us well as our chaplain at the Motherhouse, Caritas Residence and Parkstone Enhanced Care for over 20 years. It is with sadness that we say goodbye to Father Ken but we know he is looking forward to retiring to Prince Edward Island.

(Click picture to enlarge)

(The text and pictures above are copied from the Sisters of Charity – Halifax Facebook page – all pictures were dated 14 January 2015):

Who knows where he is on the island?  I have no idea. I haven’t searched very hard.

I’d say 10:1 if he hasn’t done so already he will soon show up in the sanctuary of  some little church tucked away in some remote  little corner of that exquisitely beautiful little island.  Why wouldn’t he?  Convicted molester  or no, he’s  been saying Mass and hearing confessions for a good 20 years now.

Yes, thanks to Halifax Archbishops Austin-Emile Burke,Terrence Thomas Prendergast, S.J.  and  Anthony Mancini Keller the faithful were deceived and Keeler was able to present a facade of normalcy.

“Father” Ken Keeler.  An oxymoron. It really is.  A grim reminder of the abject failure of bishops to have these priests defrocked.

He’s still incardinated in the Ottawa Archdiocese.  He still in essence ‘belongs’ to Ottawa.  He lives in PEI.   He is, alas,  still a priest.

 It’s true that Keeler may never law a wayward hand on that child.  It’s also true, given his history,  that he might.

Pray for the safety of that little boy.

Pray for Father Keelers many victims.

Enough for now,

Sylvia