Basilian priest Father Kenneth O’Keefe pleaded guilty in the Hull, Quebec courthouse this morning. He was sentenced to nine month house arrest. All I know at this point regarding conditions is that he is to have no contact with children under age of 16.
You may recall that last September Father O’Keefe was given a nine-month conditional sentence for sex abuse charges against him in Ottawa, Ontario – six months of the nine were to be spent under house arrest at the Cardinal Flahiff Basilian Centre in Toronto where he resides. The last I knew he had the company of at least three other Basilian predators: Fathers Robert Whyte , Michael Fallona and Hod Marshall).
And there you go. Another few months of house arrest! ‘Tut, tut Father. You bad bad boy!’
Not one single day behind bars! Not one.
What does that say? Is this justice?
I will say this: Thanks to every victim who had the courage to come forward we can now call Father Kenneth O’Keefe what he is: a child molester, and a criminal.
And thanks to the victim in Quebec we now know with certainty that Father O’Keefe was molesting not only here in Ontario, but also across the river in Quebec.
I commend you all. It has not been an easy road for you, but you did it, and you have allowed us to see this priest for what he is: a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Thank you.
*****
I blogged earlier that Father George Smith’s sentencing hearing was postponed to end February and that there are new charges. For some reason I thought or assumed that those new charges – or that new charge- was from Newfoundland. I realize now that that may be wrong. I think there is a possibility it is from the Maritimes. I will try to find out more tomorrow.
Strange is it not that the sentencing hearing is delayed because of a new charge? Does that mean that there be a guilty plea and a very belated merge of the new charge to the others which were left standing after the whittle which accompanied the guilty pleas? We shall see, but I would have thought new charges at this time (after a guilty plea) would proceed on their own?
No matter, wherever the new complainant is, I commend you for coming forward and for going to police. This is proof positive that it is never ever too late.
*****
Ex-seminarian, former Grollier Hall staffer and convicted child molester Paul Leroux has a pre-trial hearing scheduled tomorrow in Battleford Saskatchewan. This is NOT open to the public. As always, keep the complainant in your prayers.
Enough for now,
Sylvia
Re “… victim in Quebec …”, I live in Ottawa and was a student at St. Joseph’s High School. O’Keefe was my guidance counsellor. He commited the crime against me in Quebec at the Basilian Fathers’ cottage.
Hello Sylvia,
I just discovered your website this morning and it looks like you are doing great work; however, I have one very important request. I would ask you, please, to stop using the word “father” when referring to these demonic priests. Jesus said, “Moreover, do not call anyone your father on earth, for one is your father, the heavenly One.” Matthew 23:9 in the Bible. Our Almighty God is the only One who deserves the respectful title of “Father” for He is our only creator who truly has our best interests at heart. No man on earth should be trusted as a spiritual “father” and because of this disobedience and the resulting misplaced trust, these perpetrators of evil were allowed to flourish at the expense of children who may never recover. Please see Matthew 18:1-6. I thank you for your efforts on your website.
I disagree to your statement Bonnie. You are interpreting the bible like some of the protestants do. Jesus also said, ” do not call anyone teacher, do not call anyone “leader” etc. It was directed at the religious leaders of at that time who did not behave the way they were supposed to be. “Father” has a much more deeper meaning in the catholic faith. The priest represent Christ when he is at the Altar and he is expected to be holy, kind, compassionate, loving like a good father of a child. In that sense it is right to call the priest “Father”. If you literally take the meaning of the word “Father” , then you should not say the word “father” when you are refering to yourown father, who is responsible for giving life to you ?? because Jesus said call no one on earth “Father” lol. So there are Priests whom Catholics and Anglicans and Orthodox churches call “father ” and there are fathers in real life also ( I mean fathers who are the reason you and I are born) who are not worthy to be called “fathers”. Sylvia is a Catholic so she has every right to call a priest “Father” based on her faith and belief. So you can not tell her or anyone what they should believe in. This website is not a site to disuss about one’s faith and belief. It is about clergy sexual abuses that has taken place in the catholic church. Abuses takes place in all religions including all the protestant churches. It also takes place in the society too.
But Sylvia, as far as I know on her website, focuses on the catholic clergy sex abuse since she is a member of the catholic faith and a practising catholic who wants the rotten priests to be kicked out of the church’s ministery and I fully support her efforts.
anonymous has already said some of what I would like to say. Thank you anonymous.
I will continue to refer to those priests who have not been defrocked as “Father.” It is a reminder that those to whom I refer as Father have not been defrocked.
looks like a duck, walks like a duck, talks like a duck and hurts children….it’s a a criminal
I knew Father Ken for years from being a young boy skateboarding to Mass, to final years at high school and years later visited him at Brescia. Thankfully, I have only positive memories of him and am shocked that he was/is so ill with satan. My thoughts and prayers to all the victims, may God grant you the love and peace that you deserve to move forward and try to forgive those who trespass against you. I would also like to say I now pray for all the abusers who come in all shapes and sizes, that they will understand their sins will not go unpunished on earth or after. There is time to make it right with Our Lord. Don’t waste it. Though many have stumbled, it is not too late to stand up and be accountable for the sins that you hide. Your accountability will only strengthen The Church and spare more victims; many who now only see hate when they see Holy Scripture. While being a priest your goal was to help find God not to snuff out the Light. You chose to hurt, now choose to heal.
Father Ken, what a horrible way to spend your last years, in ridicule and disdain. May God have mercy on you not because of my asking but maybe due to your understanding finally what your victims now have to live with.
Those such as myself, will now have the burden of trying to understand your positive teachings in light of your actions. A painful realization that though a minority, it does not excuse the abuse, but must struggle daily to confront and reaffirm what the Gospel teaches. I do not claim to be better, only different. We are all sinners. We all fail to be what we should be. We all do less than we can. We are all guilty of not showing enough Love, patience, compassion.
Thank you Fr. Ken O’Keefe for my good memories, as all priests, teachers and people of the Church that have made a positive mark on my soul. My only hope is for those wronged, may you not close your eyes to those who are keeping the faith by word and action.
If nothing else remember The Church is not perfect. It is made up of men and women who struggle daily just like the rest of us, to determine what is good and what is bad.
God Bless.
My husband and I just went to see the new movie, Spotlight. It is based on a true story of 87 Catholic priests who were found to be pedophiles in Massachusetts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotlight_(film) I have been trying to warn my adult children who live in Okotoks, Alberta because they are sending our young grandsons ages 6 and 8 to a Catholic Christian school. Even though I do not know of any cases in that school, am I right to be concerned? What can I do to help prevent this from happening to my grandsons or to anyone else?
Pamela, not that this is comforting, teachers are more likely to abuse than priests. Even scout leaders and coaches are statistically in a worse bracket.
The simple fact is those that wish to harm children are also choosing to work with children and can be undetectable like terrorists till it is too late.
Consider this table:
Contrasts: Admitted Molesters vs. All American Men
Admitted Child Molesters American Men
Married or formerly married 77% vs. 73%
Some College 46% vs. 49%
High School only 30% vs. 32%
Working 69% vs. 64%
Religious 93% vs. 93%
Sources: The Abel and Harlow Child Molestation Prevention Study and the 1999 U.S. Census Statistical Abstract
Note: All people in both groups were at least 25 years old.
The best way to protect our children/grandchildren is to teach self respect.
Teach to think critically and to never lie or keep secrets from parents.
As parents we must be open to listen and to accept what is hard to hear.
We must teach to respect authority but to temper with right to mutual respect.
Undetectable?
Not.
Criminal caselaw. civil settlements, civil litigation as well as the Church’s own allocutions for the record as per it’s negligence clearly establish that clerical abuse could have been avoided had it not been for it’s leadership’s willfull blindness and the coverups designed to protect the Church’s reputation and purely economic interests. It is intellectually dishonnest to use Abel and Harlow to justify clerical abuse when it is known that clerical abuse happens because of enablers and an enabling culture of indifferent disregard for the wellfare of vulnerable persons. Shifting the liability on children is exactly what the apologists of clerical abuse are all about. As for your blaming parents; the record clearly shows that when faithfull parents brought their concerns to the attention of the Church’s leadership, they were ignored, they were ridiculed, they were threathenned and they were shunned.
If anything, parents should absolutely never teach their children to submit to the authorithy of a member of the clergy as by definition the clergy is not at all appointed to rule but to serve. At least, when the Church is fundraising charitably that is what it represents to be all about.