Father Jean-Claude Bergeron CSsR – Le Soliel Yan Doublet
Redemptorist priest. Ordained 1967. 2010 charged – charges relate to sex abuse of boys at St. Alphonsus seminary (prep seminary I believe it was) between 1979 and 1980. A class action lawsuit identifying a number of Redemptorist priests, including Father Bergeron, as molesters went to trial September 2013. According to media coverage, the suit alleges that the priests: “consulted with one another and conspired in an effort to determine which students they would abuse, and divided (the victims) up amongst themselves.” The other Redemptorist priests name in the lawsuit are: Fathers Raymond-Marie Lavoie, Guy Pilote, François Plourde, Xiste Langevin, Hervé Blanchette, Alexis Trépanier, Léon Roy and Lucien de Blois.
December 2015: GUILTY plea to criminal charges related to sex abuse of seven boys at St. Alphonsus Seminary in St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (sentenced to four years in jail)
16 May 2016: Redemptorist priest in Quebec gets four years for sexually abusing boys
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The following information is drawn from Canadian Catholic Church Directories (CCCD) which I have on hand and media (M)
May 2016: sentenced to four years in jail (M)
2016: new address listed in Saint-Augustine-de-Desmaures, Quebec (CCCD)
December 2015: GUILTY plea to criminal charges related to sex abuse of seven boys at St. Alphonsus Seminary in St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (M)
September 2013: Trial from class action lawsuit started – scheduled to run 20 days (M)
2012: 560, boul Cremazie, Est, Montreal 514-388-1161 (address and phone number for St. Alphonsus Parish, Montreal, Quebec) (CCCD)
2011: boul Cremazie, Est, Montreal, Quebec. Phone 514-388-1161 (address and phone number for St. Alphonsus Parish, Montreal, Quebec) (CCCD)
October 2010: News of arrest of Father Jean-Claude Bergeron (M)
2010:Maison Saint Alphonse, a/s Eveche de Jeremi , Source Dommage, Impasse St-Louis, Jeremie, Haiti. 11-509-2-84-90-25 (CCCD)
according to media was in Haiti from approximately 1995-2005 (M)
1999: CP 550, Port aux Prince, Haiti Phone: 011-509-2455973 (CCCD)
1998: CP 550, Port aux Prince, Haiti Phone: 011-509-2455973 (CCCD)
1997: CP 550, Port aux Prince, Haiti Phone: 011-509-2455973 (CCCD)
1996: CP 550, Port aux Prince, Haiti Phone: 011-509-45-0251 (CCCD)
1995: CP 550, Port aux Prince, Haiti Phone: 011-509-45-0251 (CCCD)
1994: CP 550, Port aux Prince, Haiti (CCCD)
1993: St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (CCCD)
1992: St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (CCCD)
1991: St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (CCCD)
1987: Superior General, responsible for all Redemptortists in Quebec, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Haiti, Japan and Uruguay (M)
1985-86: St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (CCCD)
1981: Superior of St. Alphonsus Seminary and Rector of the Basilica in St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (M)
1979-1980: teacher and dorm supervisor at St. Alphonsus Seminary, St. Anne de Beaupre, Quebec (M)
– sex abuse charges relate to these years
1973-74: St. Anne de Beaupre Basilica, Quebec (CCCD)
1971-72: St. Anne de Beaupre Basilica, Quebec (CCCD)
1968-69: studies, Mount St. Alphonsus, Esopus, New York 12429 USA
17 June 1967: ORDAINED
1961: vows (M)
Native of Lac-St.-Jean, Quebec
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17 September 2013: ‘Redemptorist Fathers trial: a testimony of infinite sadness’ & original French text
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Quebec priests face class-action lawsuit for sex abuse
50 alleged victims are asking for $100,000 apiece in damages
Posted: Sep 9, 2013 4:31 PM ET
Last Updated: Sep 9, 2013 8:28 PM ET
Seventeen men who claim they were sexually abused when they were boys at a seminary near Quebec City are expected to testify in court as part of a lawsuit against priests.
Court proceedings began today at the Quebec City courthouse for the largest sex abuse class-action lawsuit ever launched in Quebec.
Fifty alleged victims are seeking $100,000 each in damages, plus interest.
Though there have been other civil lawsuits against Quebec priests and religious institutions, this class-action lawsuit is the first to make it to court and be heard by a Quebec judge. All of the others were settled out of court.
The day’s proceedings started with a visit to the St-Alphonse Seminary in Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, just outside the provincial capital.
The judge, the lawyers and the person who launched the lawsuit, Frank Tremblay, visited the site where a number of boys were allegedly assaulted by the seminary’s priests in the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.
The visit was followed in court by the testimony of Raymond-Marie Lavoie, the only priest to have been successfully pursued in criminal court.
Lavoie is currently serving a three-year sentence after pleading guilty in July 2011 to assaulting 13 boys during the era he supervised the seminary’s dormitory.
Another of the St-Alphonse priests, Jean-Claude Bergeron, was arrested at the same time as Lavoie and pleaded guilty to molesting three boys. He hasn’t been sentenced yet.
The others named in the lawsuit are Guy Pilote, François Plourde, Xiste Langevin, Hervé Blanchette, Alexis Trépanier, Léon Roy and Lucien de Blois. Many of them are dead.
The proceedings are scheduled to last 20 days.
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Priest pleads guilty to sexual assault charges; Students attacked; ‘You destroyed the little boy inside of me’
The Montreal Gazette
12 July 2011
Marianne White
A Quebec priest asked his victims for forgiveness and mercy Monday after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault involving 13 boys who attended a private Catholic school during the 1970s and ’80s.
But the apology provided little relief to one of the victims, who had told court earlier his actions decades ago amounted to dropping a “dirty bomb” in his life that forever scarred him.
Raymond-Marie Lavoie, 71, was a teacher at Seminaire St-Alphonse, in Ste. Anne de Beaupre, just outside Quebec City, when the assaults took place.
“I want to express my profound sadness to you all for the unfortunate gesture that I did several years ago,” Lavoie told the court.
He added he slipped on a “dangerous slope” and lamented he didn’t find the wisdom to put an end to it earlier.
“I’m totally devastated,” Lavoie said in a statement read calmly.
Some of his victims were in the courtroom, including the first man who pressed charges against Lavoie in 2008.
The man, who has asked the court to be identified, is Frank Tremblay, who was 12 at the time of the events.
Tremblay read an emotional victim’s impact statement after Lavoie pleaded guilty to 21 counts of sexual assaults, indecent assault and gross indecency on him and 12 other young men.
“You were having a little fun, but did you ever wonder what you did to me?” Tremblay said, looking at Lavoie. “You destroyed the little boy inside of me and ever since I have been living with shame and fear.”
France Bedard, president of an association for victims of abuse by priests, dismissed Lavoie’s apology as an attempt to protect the institution of the Catholic Church.
“It was empty, not sincere. He only expressed one regret and it’s that his behaviour sullied the reputation of his congregation,” she said.
Lavoie’s victims were all boarders at the college during the 1970s and 1980s and were between the ages of 12 and 15 at the time.
Lavoie was a teacher at the seminary and oversaw the dormitory. According to the facts presented in court by the Crown prosecutor, most the sexual crimes were committed in Lavoie’s room, next to the dormitory, or in the victims’ bed.
Tremblay told the court Lavoie dropped an everlasting “dirty bomb” in his life when he first raped him.
The man, now in his 40s, told reporters outside the courtroom his testimony took some weight off his shoulders but the battle is not over. Tremblay launched a classaction against Lavoie and is seeking $750,000 for himself and a dozen other alleged victims.
Lavoie was arrested in December 2009 and his trial was set to start Monday at the Quebec City courthouse but instead he pleaded guilty.
Another of his victims testified the sexual assaults led him to abuse alcohol and drugs, on top of seriously preventing him from maintaining healthy relationships.
“He was like a father to me,” said the man who cannot be identified, adding that he lost confidence in people in authority after the assaults.
Crown prosecutor Carmen Rioux cited the fact Lavoie was a figure of authority and assaulted a high number of young boys over a long period of time as aggravating circumstances.
“They were boarders, sleeping at the college during the week. They should have felt safe in that place, not in danger,” she said.
Lavoie will undergo a pre-sentencing examination and will be back on Oct. 28. Lavoie is facing a maximum sentence of 10 years of prison.
The class-action lawsuit filed by Tremblay alleges that up to five priests were involved in the systematic abuse of young boys between 1960 and 1987 at the Seminaire St-Alphonse.
Another priest from the seminary, Jean–Claude Bergeron, is facing charges of committing lewd acts against three students at the school in 1979.
The suit was authorized by the Quebec Superior Court last November. The school, ran by a group of missionary priests, closed in 2001.
Among other allegations, the document says the priests “consulted with one another and conspired in an effort to determine which students they would abuse, and divided (the victims) up amongst themselves.”
Lavoie had been suspended by the church pending the outcome of his case. The congregation declined to comment on Lavoie’s guilty plea Monday.
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Father Jean-Claude Bergeron arrested: weight at the request of lawsuit
Le Soliel
01 October 2010
Baptiste Ricard-Châtelain
Le Soliel
[This is a google translation- scroll down for original text in French]
Father Jean-Claude Bergeron, 69, appeared yesterday morning at the Palace of justice in Québec for three counts of indecent assault committed on young people of 12 and 13 years old in 1979 and 1980. Le Soliel, Yan Doublet
(Quebec) The arrest of Father Jean-Claude Bergeron gives weight to the application filed by an alleged victim of Quebec to bring a class action against the college Saint-Alphonse and the congregation of the très-Saint-Rédempteur, observes the solicitor of record.
“Father Bergeron is mentioned in our procedures as being one of the fathers who allegedly abused children at the seminar”, notes Mr. Pierre Boivin, a partner in the Montréal firm Kugler Kandestin. The folder is now in the hands of a judge who will have to assess the relevance of whether or not to launch a class action on behalf of potential victims.
The recent charge could weigh in the balance. “It is never good news to know that children were abused, but this makes weight to the allegations.”[…] I can’t prejudge what [the judge] will take into account. But as the father Bergeron is already named, this is something he’ll take into consideration.”
Pierre Boivin will now assess whether evidence collected during the investigation will be helpful to his cause. The lawyer might find relevant items to embellish his record.
Conspiracy
The application lodged for Frank Tremblay, a man from Quebec who studied at the Séminaire Saint-Alphonse de Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (now Collège Saint-Alphonse), alleges that many fathers of the congregation shared children: “these sexual abuses were so widespread that priests of the seminar, members of the congregation, have joined and conspired with each other to determine which members of the group students they were going to abuse.“, and thus spread them among themselves. ”
The document filed in the Court questioned six Redemptorists who have “abused physically or sexually by members of the group, in addition to work together and conspire together to commit, hide or otherwise hide their own abuse and those committed by other priests of the seminar, members of the congregation.”
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Le père Jean-Claude Bergeron arrêté: du poids à la demande de recours collectif
Le Soliel
Publié le 01 octobre 2010 à 05h00 | Mis à jour le 01 octobre 2010 à 05h00
Baptiste Ricard-Châtelain
Le Soleil
(Québec) L’arrestation du père Jean-Claude Bergeron donne du poids à la demande déposée par une présumée victime de Québec pour intenter un recours collectif contre le collège Saint-Alphonse et la congrégation du Très-Saint-Rédempteur, observe l’avocat au dossier.
«Le père Bergeron est mentionné dans nos procédures comme étant un des pères ayant présumément abusé d’enfants au séminaire», note Me Pierre Boivin, associé au sein de la firme montréalaise Kugler Kandestin. Le dossier est maintenant entre les mains d’un juge qui devra évaluer la pertinence de lancer ou non un recours collectif au nom d’éventuelles victimes.
La récente inculpation pourrait peser dans la balance. «Ce n’est jamais des bonnes nouvelles de savoir que des enfants ont été abusés, mais ça met du poids aux allégués.[…] Je ne peux pas préjuger de ce que [le juge] va tenir en compte. Mais, comme le père Bergeron est déjà nommé, c’est un élément qu’il va prendre en considération.»
Pierre Boivin évaluera maintenant si des preuves recueillies au cours de l’enquête seront utiles à sa cause. L’avocat pourrait dénicher des éléments pertinents afin d’agrémenter son dossier.
Complot
Dans la requête déposée pour Frank Tremblay, un homme de Québec qui a étudié au séminaire Saint-Alphonse de Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (maintenant Collège Saint-Alphonse), on allègue que de nombreux pères de la congrégation se partageaient les enfants : «Ces abus sexuels étaient à ce point généralisés que des prêtres du séminaire, membres de la congrégation, se sont concertés et ont comploté entre eux afin de déterminer quels étudiants membres du groupe ils allaient abuser, et ainsi se les répartir entre eux.»
Le document déposé à la cour met en cause six rédemptoristes qui auraient «abusé physiquement et/ou sexuellement des membres du groupe, en plus de se concerter et de comploter entre eux pour commettre, masquer et/ou autrement cacher leurs propres abus et ceux commis par d’autres prêtres du séminaire, membres de la congrégation.»
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Jean-Claude Bergeron, the former big boss
Le Soliel
Posted October 01, 2010 at 05: 00 | Last updated on October 01, 2010 at 05:00
Annie Morin
Le Soliel
[This is a google translation- scroll down for original text in French]
In 1981, Jean-Claude Bergeron became superior of the monastery and Rector of the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré until his election as higher provincial, in April 1987. Above, Mr. Bergeron in 1986.
(Quebec) Jean-Claude Bergeron has been the superior provincial, therefore the big boss, the Redemptorists.
In April 1987, Le Soleil reported the accession of the priest to the highest offices of the religious community whose provincial administration is located in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. In this capacity, he directed the activities of the Redemptorists in Quebec, New Brunswick and Manitoba, as well as Haiti, the Japan and Uruguay.
However, man spent a good part of his life at the Séminaire Saint-Alphonse.
A native of Lac-Saint-Jean, it is entered to his classical studies, then he officially joined the community of the Redemptorists. He pronounced his vows in 1961 and was ordained a priest in 1967. Therefore, he was assigned to the seminar. At the time of the alleged crimes (1979-1980), he was a teacher and guardian of dormitory.
In 1981, he became superior of the monastery and Rector of the Basilica of Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré until his election as higher provincial.
During the announcement, Mr. Bergeron said consider its function “as a service” and recalled the example of the founder of the Redemptorists, St. Alphonsus, “who did not fear the difficulties and who was always ready to render service to the Church and to the world”, wrote Le Soleil.
Stays in Haiti
Jean-Claude Bergeron course suite is more difficult to trace. The Redemptorists even would not tell us, yesterday, when he gave orders for the community. However, it is common that it stayed in Haiti for a decade, from 1995 to 2005 approximately.
The priest has collaborated with the Organization nonprofit relief third world of Lévis, which helps disadvantaged children in developing countries. “It is him dealing with scholarships for seminarians in Haiti,” explained Marcelle Audet, Coordinator of the body yesterday.
The Redemptorist also proposed children for the sponsorship program.
“I met him maybe three or four times. ” We discussed seminarians. It always made me the appearance of a priest in his vocation”, Ms. Audet testified. It is said to be “very, very, very, very surprised” by the charges yesterday against his former collaborator.
Emergency third-world is not its first association with dubious individuals. René Guillemette, former Professor and coach of guilty recognized kayaking gestures sexually on teenagers in 2008 and in 2009, has already done projects of international cooperation by the Agency.
The Coordinator of emergency third-world assured yesterday tightened the Vise on collaborators.
«We have a code of ethics made sign to all volunteers and all the missionaries who ask for help, but it can’t really go further.» When these are missionaries who ask help for children and families, there is no investigation on their past. Reliance, well, it’s a good missionary, trusted, she said.
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(Québec) Jean-Claude Bergeron a déjà été le supérieur provincial, donc le grand patron, des Rédemptoristes.
En avril 1987, Le Soleil rapportait l’accession du prêtre aux plus hautes fonctions de la communauté religieuse dont l’administration provinciale est située à Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. À ce titre, il dirigeait les activités des Rédemptoristes au Québec, au Nouveau-Brunswick et au Manitoba, ainsi que les missions d’Haïti, du Japon et d’Uruguay.
L’homme a toutefois passé une bonne partie de sa vie au séminaire Saint-Alphonse.
Natif du Lac-Saint-Jean, il y est entré pour faire ses études classiques, puis il a intégré officiellement la communauté des Rédemptoristes. Il a prononcé ses voeux en 1961 et a été ordonné prêtre en 1967. Dès lors, il a été affecté au séminaire. Au moment des crimes allégués (1979-1980), il était enseignant et gardien de dortoir.
En 1981, il est devenu supérieur du monastère et recteur de la basilique de Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré jusqu’à son élection comme supérieur provincial.
Lors de l’annonce, M. Bergeron disait considérer sa fonction «comme un service» et avait rappelé l’exemple du fondateur des Rédemptoristes, saint Alphonse, «qui n’a pas craint les difficultés et qui était toujours prêt à rendre service à l’Église et au monde», écrivait Le Soleil.
Séjours en Haïti
La suite du parcours de Jean-Claude Bergeron est plus difficile à tracer. Les Rédemptoristes n’ont même pas voulu nous dire, hier, quand il a cédé les commandes de la communauté. Il est toutefois acquis qu’il a séjourné en Haïti pendant une dizaine d’années, de 1995 à 2005 environ.
Le prêtre a notamment collaboré avec l’organisme à but non lucratif Secours Tiers-Monde, de Lévis, qui vient en aide aux enfants défavorisés dans les pays en développement. «C’est lui qui s’occupait des bourses d’études pour les séminaristes en Haïti», a expliqué hier Marcelle Audet, coordonnatrice de l’organisme.
Le rédemptoriste proposait également des enfants pour le programme de parrainage.
«Je l’ai rencontré peut-être trois ou quatre fois. On discutait des séminaristes. Il m’a toujours fait l’apparence d’un prêtre dans sa vocation», a témoigné Mme Audet. Celle-ci s’est dite «très, très, très, très surprise» des accusations portées hier contre son ancien collaborateur.
Secours Tiers-Monde n’en est pas à sa première association avec des individus douteux. René Guillemette, ex-professeur et entraîneur de kayak reconnu coupable de gestes à caractère sexuel sur des adolescents en 2008 et en 2009, a déjà fait financer des projets de coopération internationale par l’organisme.
La coordonnatrice de Secours Tiers-Monde a assuré hier avoir resserré l’étau sur les collaborateurs.
«On a un code d’éthique qu’on fait signer à tous les bénévoles et à tous les missionnaires qui nous demandent de l’aide, mais on ne peut pas vraiment aller plus loin. Quand ce sont des missionnaires qui nous demandent de l’aide pour des enfants et des familles, on ne fait pas enquête sur leur passé. On se fie, coudonc, c’est un bon missionnaire, on fait confiance», a-t-elle indiqué.
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Convicted last December, this clerical pervert and let’s not forget it; Sainte-Anne’s de Beaupré’s former senior pervert in charge, was sentenced to 4 years of incarceration today; exactly what the Crown had asked for; that’s 4 more years that he had asked for, because this great humanitarian thought that he should serve his sentence in the community, after all the good deeds he had done, of course. Oh, they’ve got so much cash, the Redemptorists do, that they’ll be probably be appealing this sentence until he dies a free man…
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/justice-et-faits-divers/201605/16/01-4982058-le-redemptoriste-jean-claude-bergeron-condamne-a-4-ans-de-prison.php