Remember Chris?

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Does anyone in or from Pembroke remember Chris Sonier (Gordon Christopher Sonier) serving as an altar boy at Holy Name Roman Catholic Church Masses and/or Holy Name school Masses in the mid 80s, specifically 1984-1985?  Or, are there any of you who were in Grade 5 at Holy Name Roman Catholic school in those years?  If yes, would you please send me an email?

Chris now goes by his first name Gordon, but in those days he was known as Chris.  As those who follow the site know, Gordon has come forward as the man who alleges that he was sexually abused by Father Howard Chabot.  The charges against Father Chabot were withdrawn on Tuesday past (12 November).  According to Gordon one of the big problems for the Crown is that no one remembers him serving as an altar boy.   Gordon has no doubt that he was an altar boy.  There are without doubt people out there who remember Chris Sonier serving, either at the school or at the Church, or both.  Please, if you remember, send me an email, or post a comment.

*****

I have started a page for Father Evtimy Wolinski.   Hopefully I will be able to start through the Canadian Catholic Church Directories which I have on hand  tomorrow and add what dates I can.  Also posted in conjunction with the page are the following articles:

14 November 2013:  Woodstock monk is being sued for spousal/child support

02 August 2012:  Stairway to Heaven (background on the lighthouse)

Father Wolinski, a monk and member of an order known as the Studite Fathers,  is being sued by the mother of his 22 month-old son.  The woman is seeking financial support and sole custody of their child.

Enough for now,

Sylvia

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10 Responses to Remember Chris?

  1. Darlene 2 says:

    I went to school with Mr. Sonier. I can not remember him being an alter boy or even being involved with the Church. I have talked to many classmates and none of them can recall him being an alter boy or going to Church. Most times the alter boys were there about five minutes before mass and quickly left after mass to go home with their parents. Knowing both in this situation I am having a hard time believing this. Usually, when this happens more victims come forward but since that never happened most people are finding this story not really making any sense. I think most people in this area are not happy with names being dragged through the mud when there is no concrete evidence that anything happened.

    • Larry Green says:

      The most common problem ,unfortunately, for victims of Catholic Priest Pedophiles, in their struggle for justice is that there are always a relatively small group of loud mouthed Catholics who think of themselves as being “ most people” and who think that there is something holy, noble and honourable about degrading victims while they follow in blind support of a pedophile priest along with their pedophile nurturing brother priests and bishops. Their prejudice toward the victim is based on the collective mentality of the flock that they travel with. The comfort and cozy of the status quo is of greater importance than the truth and reality. Potential witnesses remain silent because they don’t wish to become lonely sheep.
      This is a sorry truth based not on the observation of one individual situation on the contrary, it is routine and it has become so normalized in our society by the Catholic church that it barley makes the news anymore. It has become so boring for the average media market place that it is no longer news worthy. Increasingly our priest and bishop enablers are able to relax and the clerical monsters who have not yet been exposed ( zero victims coming forward) can breathe easier while their ‘old’ victims suffer in silence and their ‘new’ victims are not yet aware of their fate. The monster who reveals himself to a child today will PRETEND tomorrow before the world to be a wonderful , admirable and lovable priest. That child will be forced to learn how to cope with a lifetime of being ‘dragged through the mud.’
      Well on behalf of that child, I will drag the church through the mud at every opportunity!

      • Zorro says:

        I think, sometimes, most victims just quietly let it go because of shame. How can they let a priest who is a voice of their ultimate God being sent to jail. It’s like, their religion is faked and shameful, and that they are stupid to listen to these pack of peodophiles.

    • dispicable you says:

      Hello Darlene I am not sure who you are maybe if I had full name and what year you were in my class, but the news is this. I was an altar boy. You and your friends from school cannot hide that fact anymore. The reason I say this is because for the past few days I have been asking people on face book if they remember. Some say no some say straight up yes I remember you as an altar boy. I have had them contact the police. Marc Gauvin is the officer in charge and I have put them in contact with them. Also in lighter news The missing report card that we could not find from Grade 5 the one that was in question, but couldn’t be found has been found I have been doing some digging. I stuck by what I said to the police that I was getting really good grades from September 1984 till January 1985 then my grades slipped and we couldn’t figure out why. this was the reason why. I know this for a fact. The report card does not lie. the comments do not lie. So now in just 10 days I did what the police were not able to do. I found witnesses to me being an altar boy and I found a copy of that report card. The school can shread everything, but I kept my report cards. Now I just have to find someone that served with me during my time as an altar boy. then lets see what happenes. I would like to thank everyone for being so supportive and helpful during this time. The negative comments will always come I am aware of this and I welcome them with open arms I am a fighter and a survivor hear me roar.

      Gordon Christopher Sonier

      • PJ says:

        Hang in there my man…there will always be skeptics and doubters. Those of us that have been where you are understand the frustrations you are facing. We survived, so will you!

      • Leona says:

        Your courage is inspiring, Gordon! I wonder how many have walked away when charges were dropped, but you continue to seek justice. It is due to your courage and that of other survivors like you, that children today are somewhat safer, and victims can begin their healing.

        We have two clergy abuse survivor’s groups in B.C. now, one in Victoria and one in Vancouver. As mentioned before, Sylvia has my contact info should you be interested in contacting me.

  2. Sylvia says:

    There are many cases which go to trial with one victim Darlene. Sometimes other victims come forward after the fact, sometimes they remain silent.

    I notice you say that you “can not remember” Chris/Gordon being an alter boy or even being involved with the Church.” You don’t say he was not an altar boy, or that he did not attend Church, but that don’t remember either.

    As for Names being dragged through the mud, the police laid charges Darlene.

  3. Sylvia says:

    I mus clarify something here. The Darlene who commented above is NOT the same Darlene who often blogs on this site under the same name.

    A message to the Darlene above, if you comment again would you please add an initial, or your last name, or even a number (ie, Darlene 2). For now I will add a number 2 to your comment so that it shows a Darlene 2.

  4. B says:

    Darlene 2,

    When you ask for “concrete evidence” of abuse, I wonder what you imagine that would look like? Pedophiles, after all, act in secret, the wounds they inflict are often primarily emotional and mental, and the children they prey on frequently do not reach the point where they can describe their experiences for decades.

    If one person making a statement (which actually drags his own name “through the mud,” as a result of all the vocal doubters) is not concrete enough, what would be for you? A second victim? Three?

    I attended a Catholic school, and Church, throughout my childhood. There was no shortage of altar servers; boys from my class even rushed by several times a week to serve at the noon masses. Can I remember which classmates did/didn’t altar serve? Er … definitely not, beyond a very few.

    Finally, you might think 5 minutes is not long enough for a sexual attack to take place. Believe me, a sexual predator takes what he can get, and can do a lot of damage in only a few seconds.

    • Sylvia says:

      Well said B. It is so true. How many victims is enough?

      As for five minutes not being long enough, this site is rife with stories of, for example groping and fondling under the dining room table in presence of parents, in bedroom adjacent to parents bedroom, a few minutes in the sacristy before Mass, and a few minutes in the sacristy after mass, during confession in a confessional ‘room.’ Yes, many of you can attest, it can take a few minutes, and the damage is done. And look at the testimony coming out of the Dejaeger trial.

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