Armand Beaupre (Father Armand Beaupre)
priest, Diocese of St. Paul, Alberta. Ordained 1960. GUILTY 1991 – sex abuse of young male parishioner. Sentenced 15 months jail and 3 years probation. In 1997 was saying Masses in Archdiocese of Quebec, Quebec.
Bishops of Diocese of St. Paul, Alberta from time of Beaupre’s ordination to present: Philip Lussier, C.SS.R. (June 1952 – August 1968) ; Edouard Gagnon P.S.S. (February 1969 – 3 May 1972 -later Cardinal Gagnon); Raymond Roy (May 1972 – June 1997) ; Thomas Christopher Collins( June 1997 – February 1999 Appointed, Coadjutor Archbishop of Edmonton, Alberta); Joseph Luc André Bouchard (September 2001 – )
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The following information is drawn from Canadian Catholic Church Directories which I have on hand. The date corresponds to the date of that particular CCCD.
2011, 2010: address is an apartment on av. de la Villa Saint Vincent in Quebec city, Quebec
2002, 2000, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995: 483, rue Hermine, Quebec, PQ, G1K 1Z4 (Maurice Couture sv, Archbishop of Quebec Archdiocese) (this is the same address he had when he was listed a student in 1973-74 CCCD. What is at this address?)
1997: not supposed to be doing parish work but Ottawa Sun reporter discovered he was offering Masses at a Quebec City church
1994: address for Diocese of St. Paul Alberta Diocesan Centre (CCCD)
1993: Main C.P. 538, Edmonton, Alberta, phone 403-497-7649 (CCCD)
1991: CONVICTED
1986: Treatment centre in Ontario (M)
1985-86: St. Emile RC Church, Legal, Alberta (CCCD)
1976: sex abuse of young 14-year-old boy began and continued for four years
1973-74: 483, rue Hermine, Quebec (listed as student. This is the address listed in the index) (CCCD)
1971-72: Pastor at St. Joseph in Whitecourt, with missions at St. Luke in Blue Ridge, Our Lady of the Cape in Connor Creek and St. Mark in Greencourt, Alberta (CCCD)
1968-69: address in index is Morinville, Alberta. (Pastor at St. John the Baptist in Morinville – Father G. H. Primeau) (CCCD)
1967 : assisting at Conversion of St. Paul Cathedral, St. Paul, Alberta (Rector at the cathedral was Father Fernard Croteau)- (CCCD)
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Beaupre-Sentence
Canadian Press
March 1, 1991 15.26 EST
EDMONTON (CP)
A Roman Catholic priest from northern Alberta has been sentenced to 15 months in jail and three years probation for the indecent assault of a young male parishioner.
Rev. Armand Beaupre, 59, was found guilty in December of indecent assault and gross indecency for acts committed between 1976 and 1983, which began when the victim was 14 years old. He was sentenced Friday.
In a statement after his conviction in Court of Queen’s Bench, Beaupre apologized for any suffering he had caused.
“Morally I have sinned, and legally I have pleaded not guilty, but your honor, I submit to your legal judgment,” Beaupre said in broken English before he began to tremble and weep silently. “If this young man is suffering because of me, I’m sad.”
Justice T. W. Gallant said Beaupre offered betrayal instead of the spiritual leadership he was entrusted with when he molested the youth in a northern Alberta parish.
Gallant said Beaupre “desecrated” the Cold Lake Mission when he used it for sexual liaisons.
The victim, now 29, testified at a trial in November the abuse began after he sought refuge at Beaupre’s rectory on an Indian reserve to escape an alcoholic family.
“I could rely on Father Beaupre to come and pick me up and talk to me and support me when I had difficulties with my family,” he said.
Beaupre, who was sent to a treatment centre in Ontario by his bishop in 1986, was relieved of his post when charges were laid in January 1990.
End of document.
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Canadian Press
December 19, 1990 23.21 EST
EDMONTON (CP)
A priest offered betrayal instead of the spiritual leadership he was entrusted with when he molested a youth in his northern Alberta parish, a judge says.
Rev. Armand Beaupre “desecrated” the Cold Lake Mission between 1976 and 1983 when he used it for his sexual liaisons with the youth, Court of Queen’s Bench Justice T. W. Gallant said Wednesday.
Gallant found the man guilty of indecent assault and gross indecency. Beaupre, 59, will be sentenced Feb. 8.
“It is trite to say that these types of offences usually occur in private when only the two persons involved are present, so the fact-finder should exercise caution, and I have,” said the judge.
But Gallant said he couldn’t accept the priest’s claim that the sexual relationship began when the young man was 19.
The fact that the priest admitted to a relationship at all corroborated much of the young man’s evidence, the judge noted.
The judge said he also kept in mind that Beaupre, as spiritual leader, had power over his parishioners. “He was a mature male, while the complainant was his dependent subject.”
Last month at a day-long trial in the northern Alberta community of St. Paul, the young man testified that the abuse began when he was about 14. Eager to escape an alcoholic family, the teenager frequently sought refuge at Beaupre’s rectory on an Indian reserve, as did other children.
RELY ON BEAUPRE
“I could rely on Father Beaupre to come and pick me up and talk to me and support me when I had difficulties with my family,” the young man, who is now 28, had testified.
In the summer of 1977, Beaupre arrived at the youth’s bed, climbed in and began kissing him. Over the years, the sexual acts progressed to petting and masturbation, court heard.
Although the young man said he and the priest had anal intercourse on one occasion, the judge said he wasn’t satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that this had occurred. He found Beaupre not guilty of a third charge of buggery.
Beaupre was relieved of his post when charges were laid last January. Outside court, the young man, who is now married and works at an Edmonton counselling service, said the guilty verdict was a relief.
He recalled not being believed when he first told his Grade 8 teacher. “I’d like to let all the kids know that they don’t need to be scared.”
Beaupre was sent to an Ontario treatment centre by his bishop in 1986.
The victim said Roman Catholic priests should be allowed to marry “so they wouldn’t have to satisfy their desires on helpless young people …”
End of document.
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February 10, 1990 01.16 EST
National general news
ST. PAUL, Alta. (CP)
A third Roman Catholic priest in the St. Paul diocese has been charged with sexual assault.
Rev. Armand Beaupre, 59, has been charged with one count each of indecent assault and gross indecency. The charges were alleged to involve a teenaged boy.
Beaupre had not been served with a summons Friday and was believed to be staying in the Edmonton area. He will be served within the next few days and is to appear March 14 in court in Grand Centre, Alta.
RCMP said the charges stem from incidents while Beaupre was a priest at the Cold Lake Mission from 1976 to 1983.
Beaupre is the third priest from the St. Paul diocese to be charged with sexual offences and the fourth in Alberta in the last two years.
Rev. Antoine Tetu received a two‑year sentence after pleading guilty last year to sexually assaulting children in Fort Kent,
Alta. Rev. Fernand Croteau has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexual assault of children in the St. Paul area dating back to the
1960s.
End of document.
Good day:
I am the former victims wife and basically what REV. ARMAND BEAUPRE did was kill this man’s soul. At the young age of 14 years to 18 he was sexually violated . The victim died in a house fire in COLD LAKE FIRST NATIONS and the haunting memories of the incidents of sexual abuse was masked through his drinking…. he was trying to drown his memories and not only did he drown his memories but his death was a very sad one thanks to the memories Armand Beaupre had instilled in this child of God.
I am so sorry Lise. My deepest sympathies for your loss and for the pain both you and your husband endured because of your husband’s abuse at the hands of Armand Beaupre.
Lise, the media reported that the bishop (Raymond Roy) sent Beaupre to a treatment centre in Ontario in 1986. Was that because people in the diocese knew then that Beaupre had been sexually abusing your husband? Had your husband gone to Church officials several years before he went to police? Or, were there other victims who went to the diocese in the mid 80s but did not go to police?
And, am I right in concluding that after Father Beaupre was sent off for “treatment” in 1986 he was returned to a parish, and that he continued to function as a priest until your husband went to police and charges were laid?
Again, over and over, …..the words of Lise and the life her husband experienced brings me to tears……and likewise, the fashion in which our system has elected to “deal” with sexual abuse allegations, brings me to anger…..
I feel certain the spirits of people who have sufferred try to help and guide those who still suffer or those, who will suffer. (trust the messages sent to us.)
Tears we have had many of those this past year. One thing I realized though is that there is resiliency. Just as the rain comes down in our storms of life so does the sunshine. I know now Adelard is totally free of the pain he carried for years. My sons no longer have to see the drunkeness or do they have to be on a look out for their father in the streets hungry or beaten. It was so hard for them to see him that way. I do believe in karma and doing the right thing about being honorable and straightforward with the community was the best gift I could give Adelard… I spoke up and called him by his spirit name Bear Sprit and we fasted together. He felt that the culture was so important to him and he could find a sense of freedom when practicing and going to sweats. He really loved the arts and crafts and relished hours in making cradle boards in being productive. He also helped thousands of youth through their addictions doing family counseling at Poundmakers Adolescent Treatment Centre, he also was a great father when sober…So all in all we do have a lot of positive memories… Today our sons are in school leading productive lives one is in the sciences wanting to be a doctor and the other one an actor. So I MUST SAY THANKS TO ADELARD for his talents, skills and the love for his culture as well as for the gifts of sharing and caring of who he was with so many.
My sons are now young men well on their way to breaking the cycles of oppression that so many ABORIGINAL PEOPLE HAVE SUFFERED IN THIS COUNTRY. THE trail of tears stop here for we are now thriving and living a better life because of the sacrifices of our ancestors….hiy hiy
I know other boys were reporting but did not go to the police as they feared the police for perhaps many reasons I do not know. I think the issues of mocking and not believing these stories really tainted the opportunity for boys wanting to report. Many other boys went through this as some of them told me when i lived on the reserve they went through this. So obviously the bishop new he was exploiting and sexually abusing children long before my ex husband. How many of the men are having to deal with this indescribable pain and shame in that community. I know many victims of sexual abuse and it often taunts them if they do not get the proper treatment or outlet to vent..I would like all people from that community to have an opportunity to tell their stories to help the healing. For the sake of community wellness it must be done. Furthermore, the catholics need to realize the leadership of the priests are often tainted and not to trust their children with them. Also at Adelard’s funeral catholics were trying to have a catholic burial and we had a traditional one the way he practiced and wanted according to his last will he had with me. Some individuals were hostile towards us and insisted on a priest coming to facilitate prayers and a funeral. I stated he was molested enough by priest that this would be like him getting raped on his death bed. Adelard suffered enough at the hands of a priest. the hell he lived with his memories drove him to his drinking to forget, forgetting to take the stove off, evidently dying. sad but true story. One that his sons will remember all the days of their lives. At least Adelard is done with the memories at a very heavy price his live…. and his children no longer have a father on earth and so it is…. R.I.P. Adelard Jacko – you were an innocent child in you’re life and I wanted you to know it was not your fault. Thanks for bringing to earth the best gift of all our boys. Hiy,HIY
The choices F.Beaupre made many years ago would ultimitally forever tare a family apart.!15 months and 3 years probation is nothing to what he has to face in the life after!! i say good for you.. karma is a b*t#h.. I lost my BEST FRIEND.. seeing the unspoken pain Adelard held in for years took a tole on his sole.. Adelard tried to hide it,.. but us that knew him,.. knew he was hurt,.. traumatized by the past events in his life.. I have lost a GRANDPA, my BEST FRIEND..! I love you Adelard forever and always! I MISS YOU EVERYDAY.!
WELL SAID DEVON. I am sad this happened as it is true something happened to me as a result of those incidents. Thanks for sharing your perspectives. I pray and hope that one day the cycles of oppression addictions would be gone completly from this family as it keeps me away. Wishing you peace and lots of love.
Lise
o lise…you are so noble…you with a brave heart you stood by your alcoholic husband sure sure….take a good hard close at yourself …i mean really where were you in his last days of you what you called his alcoholic disease…you didn’t even want to have anything to do with my brother or his family and yet to this day we are so close …not…you know so well what should be done on my reserve for my people…look in the mirror….sorry boys i had to speak my mind…and what about the fact that my brother always felt like you forced him into marriage so you could get indian status….hmmmm funny how that worked out heh…so do you have your indian status today…no…cuz he knew the law and he knew you…I LOVED MY BROTHER! Did you? Really?
Hi Ramona:
I was not there for Adelard for 12 years since I divorced him due to the addictions.
At a couple of points we did meet with the boys when he was sober and we did
have a truse and we both came to peace with our past. I was happy
the boys had witnessed that.
Furthermore, I do not have Indian status as the law changed in 1985 and I was not interested in ever becoming status as I feel reserves are very oppressive and I am a very independent woman. I have my own Metis status from my dads side of the family. I did not force ADelard into marriage in fact I had broken up with him a couple of times before we ever married. Once in St. Paul, once in Edmonton. He kept coming back pursued me and married. He said I was the best thing that happened to me and that he did feel more powerful with me. He had stints of up to 5 years of sobriety but the addictions, gambling and blowing all of our money caused me grave concern. A few times he blacked out and beat me up and Jordan witnessed it and has had a hard time with his father because of that. You can ask Jordan and you will know that I had no choice but to leave or face having my sons apprehended for not protecting our life from the addictions and the violence I had experienced. The family never came around when he was doing well or did we ever see you or the others only on occasion. I worked very hard and tried my very best to make a go of it but it seemed like every few years Adelard feel off the wagon.
As for love, I was there by Adelards side from 1984 to 1999. What killed our being together was the addictions and that is the evil that has kept me away from the family. The drugs and alcohol that is it. simple. I do not like the parents and the kids drinking and smoking up. I know that this was one thing that Adelard was against his sons getting into addictions. Unfortunately he could obstain from the addictions and fell off the wagon. .
Questioning my love that is fine but I had shared the most intimate moments of life with him by bringing life into the world as well as standing by him in court as well as when we moved back and we were totally ostracized for bringing that priest to justice. I was there through it all where were you guys?
Despite your opinions of who i am and how I have conducted myself I have always tried my best to keep my family happy and healthy. At this point Jordan is having troubles with drinking and drugs and thanks to relatives that encourage him keeps him from his dream of moving forward. His dad wanted him to become a doctor but with the drugs and alcohol the likeliness of getting there is very challenging. RAMONA come on you can support Jordan by encouraging him to be clean and sober to attain and keep his dream just like Adelard would do.
Anyways, Jordan told me he witnessed the family spilling alcohol all over his gravesite and he was totally disguisted with this. I am very sad as we did the right thing in getting an Elder in conducting the pipe ceremony and honoring him this way. His spirit was broken by the priest and the addictions poisoned his entire life. Enough is enough already. I look in the mirror daily and I ask did I do enough to make a difference. I tried my best Ramona to help Adelard in all of his life up until I had enough of the cycles of oppression. If I did not we could all of died in the fire and I do not think that you would like my sons and I to have been in that fire would you?
All I want for my sons is to live in peace and harmony having the best health and happiness ever. I know that I love the family as well but I need to keep myself away from the alcohol and drugs I am doing my best to role model healthy lifestyle.
I am not a perfect human being but do my best to make life a good one. How about you Ramona. When are we ever gonna breat the cycle of addictions, violence, poverty?
Adelard was my significant other and I did love him with all my being that is why I was with him for fifteen years througout the thick and thin but when it came to the violence and addictions I had to keep my sons life safe or they could of been apprehended.
Sorry to be so blunt and straightforward on this site but this is our truth.
Adelard and I have great sons and out of respect of their lives I suggest if you have any issues with me to speak with me directly over a coffee or tea.
All my relations,
Lise
You loved him a lot Devon. For all of his pain and suffering, he must have been a good man. Be the man he would have wanted you to be Devon. For Adelard’s sake, be the best man you can be. Help others. Do what you can to protect children so that they don’t suffer as Adelard did. And, pray the repose of Adelard’s dear soul. I will too.
My thoughts and prayers are with you Devon. I know that many others who read what you have to say are also thinking of you and praying for you right now, and so many are wishing that they could just reach out to you and hug you. We can’t make the pain go away, and we can’t give you a hug, but we can certainly keep you in our thoughts and prayers
sylvia i am a woman.!
Oops! My apologies Devon!
What I had to say still stands, I will change that one line to: for Adelard’s sake, be the best woman you can be.
I am sorry.
I read this post last night and became quite upset because a man life came to an end inadvertently by way of a trauma on his soul. How many Adelard’s have been tormented by the hands of the unwanted ? How many Adelard’s are there in this world who turned to alcohol and drugs for solace and have hurt family and friends and have had tormented relations because they could not relate well to the world? How many directly took their own lives and and lost their way and lost their childhood? All of these children who are entrusted to us by God have their stories and have been cast aside like used tissues. The charges against the men and women who impose these crimes on the souls or children should not be considered a sexual abuse but manslaughter. The effect is darn near the same, these children have their whole life disrupted to the point of loosing their own lives in some way or another as result of persons who should have been trustworthy rather than to have chose to selfishly impose their lust on their innocence. I feel a lot of wounded souls have been tragically affected by these crimes and some of the results are not often evident, a man who can’t have good relations with anyone, his family his friends, a man who does not trust, a man who cannot control his anger, a man who cries in the depth of his soul and cannot express his need for intimacy for fear, a women who takes her own life because of crazy nightmares. It goes on and on ad nauseaum. People who become diseased with all kinds of addictions, who alienate loved ones and have resulting family conflicts the source of such having very little to do with the substance and most to do with the crime, the criminals and the institution that support it and a society that tolerates it, minimizes the effect and often blames the victims. Only love can heal this pain and only love can help these lost souls regain a footing in the realm of human dignity. I do not know Adelard but he was my friend. My wish for him is that he is with the God of his understanding and that his soul his healed by the balm of God’s perfect love. God knows we are still trying to get that emotion right and fail miserably at times but those of us hurt by abuse of any kind have a stake in giving of ourselves and rising above the selfish takers of innocence. I do believe that it begins with accepting people as they are and hoping for them the very best you would want for yourself. Peace to you Adelard, family and friends.
Michel: You wrote “Only love can heal this pain and only love can help these lost souls regain a footing in the realm of human dignity. I do not know Adelard but he was my friend. My wish for him is that he is with the God of his understanding and that his soul his healed by the balm of God’s perfect love.”
Wonderfully and beautifully said. It helped far more than just Devon and Ramona. You helped me too. You are a good man and your comment was a gift to me. Thank you very much.
Fr. Tim
Adelard was a community hero who had the strength to bring a predator to justice. I was baptized by the monster which sickens me. When I was a kid he used to leave little toys behind the church. On sundays, we would go looking for the toys – and he would be in the window peeking at us. But we were girls, and he left us alone, he seemed to only target the boys. And the reason I think Adelard is a hero is because Beaupre abused a LOT more of our community boys and he is the one who had the courage to pursue charges. The fact that he was convicted yet the Catholic Church still allowed him to conduct services where his vile nature was not known about is disgusting. I believe one more of his victims is now trying to pursue charges against this monster. Beaupre roams free while the victims are living an eternal prison of pain. RIP Adelard – you were very brave for pursuing legal charges and for letting people know what that sick man did.
Wow, Jay thanks so much for saying that. I never really thought about it that way but he was probably one of many victims. It takes courage to stand up for your rights as a human being when a community is so intent on painting priests as good people. I am going to take some time to reflect on your words. Thanks again Jay.