The next court date for previously convicted Oblate priest Father Omer Desjardins is:
12 June 2017: 1pm, “to be spoken to,” #302, Winnipeg Provincial courthouse (Main Floor, 408 York Ave.)
According to Joe defence tried to get a three-month adjournment. Thankfully the judge or Justice of the Peace only allowed for half of that. So, another adjournment, but at least it’s not as long a stretch as Desjardins lawyer was hoping to get. This is the sort of thing that I often refer to as the crumbs from under the table. It’s truly nothing to be happy about, is it? but, had the defence lawyer prevailed it would have been another six months, so, we what choice is there but to be happy with this little morsel :).
Please keep the complainants in your prayers.
*****
The next court date for Father Brian Boucher is:
25 May 2017: 09:00 am, Montreal courthouse, (1 Notre-Dame St E, Montreal )
Please keep the complainants in your prayers.
*****
Some news regarding Scot-born Benedictine monk turned diocesan priest for the Archdiocese of Regina ,Saskatchewan Father Robert MacKenzie…..
As you know, I have been working at getting further information regarding Father Robert MacKenzie, hoping to clarify some of the issues regarding the number of complainants, when charges would be laid and the status of the extradition process and so on.
Today I received the following from a Crown Office spokesperson in Scotland
“The Procurator Fiscal received a report concerning a now 84 year old male, in connection with alleged historic offences.”
“No court dates have been scheduled at this time.”
That of course is exactly what the BBC was told prior to publishing its 21 March 2017 article “Bid to extradite priest from Canada over Fort Augustus abuse claims.” Ditto Ashley Martin in Scottish police trying to extradite Saskatchewan priest over abuse claims: report. So, sorry. There is nothing new there 🙁 I had hoped 🙂
I was also advised that proceedings are active and subject to the Contempt of Court Act 1981. A warning. A warning which I shall certainly heed.
So, sorry, but, but at this point I am unable to provide any further information regarding the nature of the charges, number of complainants , status of the extradition process.
But, there is a little information of interest here.
Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader the date of ordination for Father Robert MacKenzie has been changed to 15 July 1956. Here is a clipping from the Berwickshire News and General Advertiser Northumberland, England, Tuesday 17 July 1956. The paper was published 17 July ’17, and the ordination took place on the Sunday, therefore Father MacKenzie was ordained Sunday, 15 July 1956.
That date is confirmed by a scan of a prayer card which was sent my way. Look at this…
The prayer card was tucked inside a missal given by Father MacKenzie to a student at Carlkemp in 1958. At that time Father MacKenzie was on staff at Carlkemp. (Carlekemp was the preparatory school for Fort Augustus Abbey School. Carlekemp took children from ages 5-6 to 11-12 at which time they moved on to Fort Augustus . It is believed that Father MacKenzie taught French at Carlekemp. At this time it is not known exactly how many years he spent at Carlekemp)
So, now we know that Father MacKenzie’s first name is “Ian,” that he was ordained Sunday, 15 July 1956 and said his first Mass Monday 16 July 1956, and that he was on staff at Carlkemp in 1958.
Please keep the complainant (s) in your prayers.
*****
I’ll be back with more regarding Father Javier De Los Angeles Cortazar , the Mexican-born priest who just ‘walked’ after the complainant was questioned about hearing Cortazar’s confession.
Enough for now,
Sylvia