At the camp

Father Linus Bastien has his first court date tomorrow morning: 09:30 am, Windsor courthouse, Windsor, Ontario.  As always I encourage those who can do so to attend.  And, as always I ask that anyone who has news of the outcome to post a comment on the Linus Bastien page or send it to me at: cornwall@theinquiry.ca.

Please keep the complainants in your prayers.

*****

I have added Father Armand Fournier ssm to the list of Accused and put together what information I could on him.

I came across this lawsuit quite by chance when I was at the Ottawa courthouse Friday last.  I wonder how many are filed that we know nothing about?  I shudder to think.  I am sure there are many.

Anyway, I have posted portions of the Statement of Claim.  It’s a public document and I really could post the while thing but I don’t  want to cause undue heartache for the Plaintiff.

Fournier, a member of the Montfortian order of priests, opened a camp for boys in Val Des Bois Quebec in 1964.  According to the allegations in the Statement of Claim Fournier was molesting a little fellow at the camp in 1971.  The child was all of nine or ten years old  in 1971.  The abuse allegedly continued each year the boy was back at the camp for the next three years.

Fournier lived at the rectory at Notre Dames de Lourdes Roman Catholic Church in Vanier, Ontario for about 38 years of his priesthood (Vanier is now part of Ottawa, Ontario).  I am sure that in those years he often assisted as Masses, offered Mass himself, heard confessions and assisted as required.

Prior to his arrival in Ottawa and the founding of the camp Fournier  taught at a college in Papineauville, Que., run by the Montfortian Fathers. As noted on the site, the college was attended by Bishop Paul Marchand, also a Montfortian.

There is one other Montfort priest on the Accused list: American Father Carl Stone.   For those unfamiliar with Stone it is worth a read to see cover-up and cross-border recycling in action.  Eugene Larocque, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Ontario pulled a few strings to keep Stone – a convicted child molester serving probation for a conviction in the States – in Canada!  Stone’s probation officer was none other than ex-seminarian Ken Seguin. There have been numerous allegations of sex abuse against Seguin.

Any information anyone has on Fournier and the camp is most welcome.

I now can’t help but wonder if Ottawa’s Father Ken Keeler got any tips on the ups and downs and ins and outs of opening and operating a summer camp for needy children?

Enough for now,

Sylvia