Sydney, N.S. — Published on Saturday, Apr. 03, 2010 12:41PM EDT
Last updated on Saturday, Apr. 03, 2010 12:56PM EDT
Fr. Paul Abbass, a spokesman for the diocese, told the Cape Breton Post that at least 70 per cent of all parishes have sent their money into a trust account expected to reach about $15 million.
The fund will be used to compensate victims who were sexually assaulted by any priest of the diocese between Jan. 1, 1950, and Sept. 10, 2009.
Mr. Abbass says the diocese is pleased with the way the parishes have responded and he says the financial goals are on track.
He says none of the parishes refused to provide a list of assets that could be sold.
The settlement is part of a class action lawsuit filed by Ron Martin of Sydney and was designed to allow alleged and known survivors to file a claim for compensation without having to endure the rigours of a public trial.
Parishes across the diocese were told to hand over any assets accumulated up until Feb. 28, 2009, and all church lands, unoccupied homes and associated church buildings, including halls that are not considered core assets to the operation of the parish.
Parishes were told they could keep $10,000 for operating expenses, a church cemetery fund, or any monies held in trust that cannot legally be accessed by the diocese.
A Facebook fan page started in February is concerned about the sale of one of the settlement assets located in Cape Breton.
The Do Not Sell Sangaree Island fan page was started in February, and has already reached over 1,000 members.
Asked about the sale of Sangaree Island, which runs lengthwise on the Mira River, Mr. Abbass said there were no exceptions.
“Anything that is not core property in the whole diocese is considered to be sold, yes,” said Mr. Abbass. “I don’t speak for the final decision makers, but I know there was no exceptions laid out when we said it would be only core properties.”
Over the next couple of months, the diocese is expected to begin the process of selling real estate assets.
Mr. Abbass said he expects sale of properties to be done in stages.
Within the next week or so, the diocese legal settlement committee will be sending out letters to all parishioners to explain how much money has been collected.
Mr. Abbass said parishioners will be told how much was collected, before a figure is released to media.
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Ah…….
So those poor faithful get screwed over twice by The Church. What a criminal organization to abuse people & their children like that – and call it faith. So terribly terribly sad.  6
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As a practising catholic who spends part of his summers in this Nova Scotia Diocese. Iam ashamed of the attitude of some of the senior priest who are now stealing from the poor parishes of rural Nova Scotia and cape Breton…..Shame on you Father Abbass and your administration….the 15 million should have come from the Vatican….not the faithful
I can tell you…in my parish since they took away the full time priest and made it a joint parish withanother parish in another town…my hard earned contributions have halfed….now they will probably half again. The Shepherds of this church have failed the faithfull by their actions….why would some young or older man go into the priesthood now….not with this administration…the bishops have failed…the church has failed but the faithful will live forever…God Bless all who are hurting 8
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To bad the Globe didn’t leave this article out in the open….I saw it yesterday, but didn’t have time to respond….then it has disappeared….I can see by the response…it’d hidden….this article has truly been buried by someone at the Globe
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Churches and other local property do not belong to the parishoners but to the diocese, i.e., the area under the control of a bishop. The parishes are only being asked what they can do without so the bishop can then sell it.
It’s all part of the structure of the Catholic Church: the money goes from the bottem up and all the decisons and authority come down from the top. Parishes had no say in who their priest would be yet now have to pay the price. Jesus used the parable of the lost sheep and that is what Catholics are, a bunch of sheep. They should be rising up and demanding answers and changes. 14
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Not being Catholic, I will restrict my comment to wondering aloud why the local diocese has to pay for the failings of a man sent there by the Vatican
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