Hearings resume at 09:30 am (Wednesday, 11 August 2007). Father Frank Morrisey’s cross-examination will continue.
Note the sudden diocesan display of transparency regarding Father Gaetan Deschamps. This is what I wanted to blog on last night and had just run out of steam.
The truth of the matter is the bishop et al. in Alexandria-Cornwall have been sitting on this since mid July. Father Deschamps has continued his Family Life ministry for the diocese which includes his ministry with Spectrum, a support group for “adolescents who live in single-parent families or stepfamilies.” Deschamps is the sile contact for Spectrum.
Deschamps, who was ordained in 1956, is incardinated in the Diocese of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
Why he left Prince Albert and settled into the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall in the early 90s is unknown, but I would say, highly suspect.
During his years in Prince Albert Deschamps often drove to Cornwall for summer vacation – accompanied by one of several young boys!
Deschamps was in and out of Prince Albert in the years following his ordination, serving variously at Prince Albert’s Notre Dame College and St.Mary’s College, off for studies in Ottawa, Ontario, chaplain at a hospital in PA, gone from the directory of priests, in Battleford, Saskatchewan and then to Cornwall.
I will post more on this later.
Why this sudden and belated show of transparency from the diocese I have no idea. It may have something to do with fliers which were distributed throughout portions of the community in recent weeks, but rest assured it has nothing to do with guidelines in From Pain to Hope!
Enough for now,
Sylvia