An embarrassingly busy week in court for the Canadian bishops this week. Here is the schedule for the week. As always, I encourage those who can do so to attend. And, as always, please keep the many complainants and victims in your prayers.
Monday, 02 February 2015
(1) Father Yvon Arsenault (Archdiocese of Moncton, new Brunswick)
02 March 2015: to set trial date, Moncton Courthouse Moncton NB (45 Assumption Blvd)
(3) Father Stephen Amesse (Archdiocese of Ottawa, Ontario)
02 March 2015: 08:30 am, courtroom #5, “to be spoken to,” Ottawa Ontario courthouse (161 Elgin St.);
(3) Father Gary Hoskins (Diocese Saint George’s, Newfoundland (now Diocese of Corner Brook and Labrador)
02 March 2015: 10 am, “to set a trial date,” Corner Brook Superior Court (81 Mt. Bernard Avenue.), Corner Brook, Newfoundland
Tuesday, 03 March 2015
(1) Eric Dejaeger (ex-Oblate priest – still a member of the Oblates)
03 March 2015: 09:30 am, “to speak to,” Iqaluit courthouse, Iqaluit, Nunavut
In light of the courtdate scheduled 06 March 2015 in Edmonton on the Edmonton charges and word that there is plea deal with a guilty plea on those charges I decided last week to double check on this Iqaluit courtdate to make sure the date hadn’t changed. No, there has been no change (or wasn’t when I called). Yes, there is still a courtdate scheduled for Dejaeger in Iqaluit for Tuesday.
My guess is that there will be yet another Iqaluit courtdate after this. The charges from Edmonton will have to be packed up, and then there will be the official plea with some sort of agreed upon statement of facts regarding the Edmonton charges.
Thursday, 05 March 2015
(1) Father Abraham Azhakathu mst (Priest with the Missionary Society of St. Thomas, a Syro-Malabar missionary order of priests based in India – has been serving in the Archdiocese of Grouard –McLennan, Alberta
05 March 2015: TRIAL booked for two days, Court of Queen’s Bench (Superior court), Peace River, Saskatchewan
Friday, 06 March 2015
(1) Father Abraham Azhakathu mst
DAY 2 of TRIAL (see above)
(2) Eric Dejaeger (ex-Oblate priest – still a member of the Oblates)
06 March 2015: 09:30 am, in arraignment court, Edmonton Court of Queen’s Bench ( 1A Sir Winston Churchill Square , Edmonton, AB)
*****
A fair bit of information has been added to the Nathan Labatt page. I managed to find and post some pictures from the April 2010 Archdiocesan Youth Rally (“The Fire of the Holy Spirit is in us GET FIRED UP”) held at Christ the Redeemer Roman Catholic Church in Swift Current Saskatchewan. Rather than try to recount all that has been added I will leave to each of you to work your way through it.
If anyone has further information on the dates and locations of various youth activities across the province of Saskatchewan or elsewhere in which Natghan Labatt was involved please pass it along so that parents who are wondering will know.
I am getting the impression that there have literally been hundreds of young people in this young man’s company over the past few years, – at various camps, retreats, rallies and so on throughout and beyond Saskatchewan. There were apparently over 60 young people who travelled to that one Saturday rally in Swift Current alone. (I am thinking that it must have been an overnight or even weekend event for those who travelled from out-of town? Does anyone know?)
There is more media coverage to add, but I did want to get all of that other information posted first. Now I will catch up on media coverage since the charges were announced and then keep abreast of new coverage as it comes along
Finally, a reminder of the following appeal from the RCMP:
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Saskatchewan RCMP General Investigation Section at 306-780-7127 Individuals who wish to remain anonymous are asked to call Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), through SaskTel at *8477, or submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com
Enough for now,
Sylvia