St. Catherine’s Standard
16 July 201o
Posted By JOHN VESSOYAN, QMI AGENCY
A former Roman Catholic priest is scheduled to receive his sentencing in court this morning for crimes he committed against young boys in the 1970s and 1980s.
Officials at the Ministry of the Attorney General’s Office as well as the John Sopinka Courthouse in downtown Hamilton say that Donald Grecco, an ex-pastor at St. Kevin’s in Welland, St. Stephen’s in Cayuga, St. Alexander in Fonthill and St. Thomas More in Niagara Falls will appear before Judge Kathryn Hawke at 10 a.m., in Courtroom 200 to be sentenced.
However, two of Grecco’s victims, James Hennessy and Michael Blum, said their former tormentor’s sentencing will be delayed for a second time because Grecco had surgery on Monday and needs time to recover.
Hennessy said OPP officer Julie Lord called him in England to tell him the case has been adjourned, while Blum was told by Crown attorney Gregory Smith.
“Sentencing has been delayed as Grecco has to go in for surgery on 12th July for cancer,” Hennessy said in an e-mail this week.
Numerous phone calls to Smith as well as defence lawyer Brian Donnelly were not returned.
On March 25, Grecco pleaded guilty to three counts of gross indecency for sexually abusing three altar boys at St. Kevin’s and St. Stephen’s. His June 3 sentencing was adjourned after Donnelly told the court his client has health problems that need further examination. Donnelly told the court that Grecco’s health issues had to do with “bleeding” but he would not disclose any other details.