Buckle: Bernard Buckle

Bernard Buckle

Bernard F. Buckle

Bernard Franics Buckle

Roman Catholic priest.  Ordained 04 June 1961 for Diocese of St. George Newfoundland (now Corner Brook Labrador Diocese)

Charges laid

Father Bernard Buckle profile on Our Lady of Lourdes webpage

Although he was two years Father Des McGrath‘s senior the two graduated from St. Francis University (Antigonish. NS)  together, and attended St. Augustine’s seminary (Toronot, ON) together; both wore ordained in 1961.  (Both worked at the Bowater’s Paper Mill before heading off to St. F. X. )

Member of Knights of Columbus since ordination.

Bernard Francis Buckle Ham Radio operator (that’s the postal code for the Cathedral in Corner Brook, Newfoundland)

“not guilty ” plea

21 January 2015:  Father Bernard Buckle died at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John’s Newfoundland.  His funeral Mass is scheduled for Monday, January 26, at the Corner Brook Cathedral at 10:30 am. ( I was told that he had heart problems and had had a heart attack since the charges were laid.)

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Next court date:  18 February 2015:  09:30am,  preliminary hearing, Stephenville, Newfoundland; 16 October 2014 “status”,  ; 16 September 2014:  “not guilty ” plea – elected trial by judge and jury and to have a preliminary hearing -09:30 am, “status, ” Stephenville Newfoundland courthouse, (35 Alabama Drive); 25 August 2014:  plea date, Stephenville Newfoundland courthouse, (35 Alabama Drive)

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22 January 2015:  BLOG Difficult time

21 January 2015:  Father Bernard Buckle dead

08 July 2014:  Bishop Peter Hundt Pastoral Letter re Father Buckle charges

08 July 2014:  Corner Brook Labrador Diocesan Statement re Father Buckle charges

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  Bishops of St. George’s Diocese from time of Father Bernard Buckle’s ordination: Michael O’Reilly  (05 July 1941 – 22 December 1969) ;  Richard Thomas McGrath  01 June -1970 – 17 Jun2 1985 ) ; Raymond John Lahey (05 July 1986 — 5 Apr 2003 Appointed, Bishop of Antigonish, Nova Scotia); David Douglas Crosby, O.M.I. (6 August 2003 – 24 Sepember 2010 Appointed, Bishop of Hamilton, Ontario); Peter Joseph Hundt (o1 March 2011 Appointed – )

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17 September 2014:  Former priests facing charges

16 September 2014:  Former priest ordered to stand trial for sexual assault charges” & VIDEO

14 September 2014:  Former priests facing charges

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The following information is drawn form the Canadian Catholic Church Directories (CCCD) which I happen to have on hand, media (M) and Our Lady of Lourdes website (OLL)

21 January 2015:  Died

16 September 2014:  elected trial by judge and jury and to have a preliminary hearing

July 2014:  charged

09 July 2014:  Father Bernard Buckle listed as “retired” on Corner Brook Labrador Diocese website

08 July 2014:  suspended pending outcome of charges

– according to diocesan statement of 08 July ’14 since retirement has assisted at local parishes

06 July 2014:  Father Bernard Buckle listed as  “Priest in Residence” at  Most Holy Redeemer and Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Cornerbrook, Newfoundland

2013, 2012:  P.O. Box address in Corner Brook, NFLD (CCCD)

50 year member of Knights of Columbus (50 years KOC )

2003, 2002:  Member Diocesan Consultors and Council of Priests – Father James Robertson member (Father Edward Terry Chairman)

2002, 2000, 1999:  Pastor, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Corner Brook (Curling), Newfoundland (CCCD)

1997, 1996, 1995:  Pastor, Our Lady Star of the Sea Roman Catholic Church, Benoit’s Cove, NFLD (CCCD)

1994, 1993:  Pastor, St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church, Stephenville, NFLD.  Assistant  Father Gary Hoskins (CCCD)  (Father Hoskins was charged and convicted in 1987.  He is facing new charges laid in 2013)

1985-86:  Pastor, St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church, Stephenville, NFLD (Assistant  Father Gary Hoskins ) (CCCD)

1979 – 1984:  Pastor, St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church,  St. Alban’s, Newfoundland (OLL)

1969 -1979:  Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes, Newfoundland (OLL)

1973-74:  Pastor Our Lady of Lourdes, Newfoundland with missions in Black Duck Brook, Mainland. Three Rock Cove and West Bay Centre (CCCD)

1971-72:  Pastor Our Lady of Lourdes, Newfoundland with missions in Black Duck Brook, Long Pond, Mainland. Three Rock Cove and West Bay Centre and Winter Houses (CCCD)

1971-72:  Member of the diocesan Liturgical Commission with

Fathers John Collins, John W. Peddle, Kevin J. Bennet (Administrator) Edwin J. Gale and Monsignor William J. Boone   (  Charges against Father Boone were stayed indefinitley becasue his accuser failed to show due to health issues)

15 June 1969:  appointed Pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes, Lourdes, Newfoundland (OLL)

1961 – 1969:  assisting at St. Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church, Stephenville, Newfoundland (OLL)

1968-69:  assisting at St. Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church, Stephenville, Newfoundland.  Pastor Monsignor Patrick Bromley,  Also assisting was Father K. Bennett

1967:  assisting at St. Stephen Roman Catholic Church, Stephenville, Newfoundland.  Pastor Monsignor Patrick Bromley

04 June 1961:  ORDAINED in Corner Brook (OLL)

1957:  after graduating from St. FX to St. Augustine’s Seminary. Toronto, Ontario (OLL)

1957:  BA from St. Francis Xavier University (Antigonish, Nova Scotia)

worked at Bowater’s Paper Mill after finishing high school (OLL)

04 April 1933:  Born in Corner Brook, Newfoundland (OLL)

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Plea date set for sex charges against former priest

[emphasis in article added]

The Western Star (Corner Brook, Newfoundland)

TC

TC Media
Published on July 08, 2014

A former Roman Catholic priest who spent most of his tenure in western Newfoundland has a plea date set for Aug. 25 on sex charges.

Bernard Buckle had his lawyer appear on his behalf in Stephenville Provincial Court on Monday when the time of the plea date was set. He faces three charges of sexual assault.

Buckle, who is now 81 years of age, was born and grew up in Corner Brook before being ordained a priest in 1961 in Corner Brook. After ordination he was appointed assistant priest at Stephenville, where he remained for eight years. In 1969 he became parish priest of Lourdes where he remained for 10 years. He then became parish priest of St. Alban’s in 1979 and remained there for five years, after which he was appointed priest of St. Stephen’s Parish in Stephenville.

Const. Justin Deluney of the Bay St. George RCMP would only say the charges against the former priest are “historical” and wouldn’t give any further details, including where the alleged offences occurred or the age of the complainants at the time.

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Catholics cope with priest shortage

‘Constant juggling act’: Ghanaian imports, retired clerics filling gaps at Christmas

National Post

Tuesday, December 24, 2002

Francine Dube

The shortage of priests in Canada has become so acute that some churches are cutting the number of Christmas masses being celebrated this year and retired priests are being pressed into service.

Father Benoet St-Onge has been responsible for three churches in the Montreal suburbs of Rosemere, Lorraine and Bois de Filion since August, when a fellow priest left the fold.

Since then, Father St-Onge has met his obligations with the help of a 74-year-old retired Jesuit, but he has had to reduce the number of Christmas masses at the three churches this year from 11 to nine.

“For sure that we can’t do with two priests 11 masses, that would not be human,” says Fr. St-Onge, who will lead five masses today and tonight.

The shortage of priests has also meant a reduction in services offered to Catholics. Daily masses are no longer offered at any of the three churches, though each one holds at least one weekday mass.

There are fewer than 10,000 priests in Canada today, down from 15,000 in 1970. The number of seminarians has dropped from 2,645 to 550. The situation is so dire that priests are postponing retirement and the death of a priest can sound the death knell of a parish.

In the Northern Ontario town of Cobalt, there will be a Christmas Eve mass, but Christmas Day mass has been cancelled.

In September, Father John Lemire, 33, of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in New Liskeard, about 20 kilometres from Cobalt, became one of a growing number of priests who have had to take on two or more parishes.

He has also had to cut the number of weekday masses at the Cobalt church from five to one.

“There’s only so many places I can be in at one time,” he says.

“It is a constant juggling act trying to maintain a balance between the two places.”

About a dozen people used to attend the Christmas Day Mass in Cobalt, in addition to the Mass on Christmas Eve. Fr. Lemire says if the Cobalt church still had a priest, there would be a Christmas Day Mass.

Catholic residents of Mackenzie, B.C., have been without a priest for about six years, according to Father Rodolfo Manaloto, of Christ Our Saviour Parish in Prince George. Fr. Manaloto is one of two priests from Prince George who make the 90-minute drive to Mackenzie once a month to celebrate Mass there.

Twice a month, the Sunday service in Mackenzie is led by a layperson. Worshippers take communion, but wafers that were consecrated by a priest at a previous service are used.

This Christmas, Mass in Mackenzie will be led by a semi-retired priest. There will be one service only, instead of the two that are typically held in a parish — one on Christmas Eve and one on Christmas Day.

“We’re just glad we have the one,” says Sister Germaine Rosenberger, an Ursuline nun from Saskatchewan who acts as pastoral life director for the parish.

There will be no priest in the parish to celebrate Mass on New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day.

In central Newfoundland, the Catholic Church will be able to meet its obligations, but barely. Bishop Martin Currie will leave his cathedral in Grand Falls this afternoon to drive 140 kilometres to a neighbouring parish to conduct a Mass, then drive back to Grand Falls in time to prepare for Mass there at 11 p.m.

The central Newfoundland diocese has 18 priests serving 30 far-flung parishes — on a weekend, some of the priests travel as much as 500 kilometres.

Four of the priests have been brought in from Ghana, but importing priests is not a permanent solution, says Bishop Currie. The Ghanaian priests will have to return to their country one day — their bishop has permitted them only a two-year sojourn in Canada.

Meanwhile, Bishop Currie’s diocese has graduated only one seminarian in 13 years — last May.

“I have no one studying for the priesthood right now. What the solution to the problem is, I don’t know,” Bishop Currie says.

On the west coast of the island, a priest from the cathedral in Corner Brook will travel to Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Benoit’s Cove to celebrate Christmas Mass with Catholics who have been without a resident priest for three years.

“Last Christmas they had a priest who was studying up in Ottawa and he just happened to be down here visiting some friends for Christmas and he filled in down there, so they were lucky,” says Father Bernard Buckle, of Sacred Heart Parish in Corner Brook.

Father Pat Lafleur of Nativity of Our Lord in Timmins, Ont., says that with the death this month of Father Les Costello, Catholics who had booked marriage ceremonies at St. Alphonsus Church for next summer have had to reschedule with other priests, and in some cases have had to pick new wedding dates.

A priest has come out of retirement to work part-time at the parish until January, but no one has yet been found to take over duties full-time.

“We don’t know what we’re going to do. We don’t know if we’re going to take that parish and split it among the other priests, or if we’re going to say, ‘I’m sorry we just can’t manage this parish anymore.’ That’s the kind of thing we’re facing,” Fr. Lafleur says.