Ernesto Garcia CSsR
Redemptorist priest from the Philippines. Ordained 1981 as a Redemptorist priest. 1995 CONVICTED on charge related to sex abuse of a 13-year-old boy in Barrhead, Alberta (Diocese of St. Paul, Alberta). Sentenced by Justice E.A. Hutchinson to 90 days to be served on weekends “in a place not as harsh or brutal as a provincial jail or federal institution.” Father Garci is now active, and has been for several years, as a Redemptorist priest in the Archdiocese of Lipa, Philippines (Lipa City, Batanga, Philippines)
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The following information is drawn from Canadian Catholic Church Directories (CCCD) of that date, media (M) and the internet (external links provided)
January 2011?: offered Mass for students at Capilla De San Juan Bautista De La Salle http://www.dlsl.edu.ph/24ff42e5b65bf52e5fb66291233ecf6bbbc9d72bf34aff5a4b22ecde9fa6c8d4.aspx?page=eQcuiLf7iYYeueh6x/TwNw==&vwid=cvukNtEB1XLxzH3MD27QzDX/qDcjfc/V6FJmaCcm/eY=
2009: as Rector of the Redemptorist Community of Lipa singed statement regarding “The Occurrence of an ‘Image’ on the Cut Branch of A Mango Tree at the Redemptorist Church Compound, Lipa City http://www.wowbatangas.com/features/churches/ang-naghihimalang-puno-ng-mangga-sa-redemptorist-church/
May 2009: The Divino Amor Chapel (Redemptorist) at Lipa City
http://www.wowbatangas.com/features/churches/the-redemptorist-church-at-lipa-city/
19-20 September 2008: participant in the Lipa Archdiocese Marian Congress
http://www.archlipa.org/content/batangan/UlatContent/Batangan_0908.pdf
2007: parish priest at a Church in Lipa City http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Philippines/Province_of_Batangas/Things_To_Do-Province_of_Batangas-MISC-BR-1.html
16 December 2006: superior of the Lipa community http://noniecdolor.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html
17 May 2006: celebration of 25the anniversary http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDDOBXGvbig
February 2006: Rector at the Redemptorist Retreat Centre in Lipa City http://tedm.blogspot.com/2006/02/2006-ex-juvenate-grand-reunion-and-its.html
2004: Acting Rector at Lipa community (Philippines) http://www.redemptorist.bravepages.com/novitiate.htm
2002, 2000: P.O. Box 440, Pasay Centre PQ, 1399 Psay City, Philippines (CCCD)
1999, 1998, 1997: address and phone number for St. Patrick’s Church (German), Toronto, Ontario (Pastor Father Karl Hoeppe CSsR) 141 McCaul St., Toronto, Ontario 416-598-3269 (CCCD) (was Garcia assisting at Masses and hearing confessions?)
1996, 1995, 1994: St. Mary’s Redemptorist Community, 211 Avenue “O” South, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, 306-244-2984
September 1995: CONVICTED. Sentenced by Justice E.A. Hutchinson to 90 days to be served on weekends “in a place not as harsh or brutal as a provincial jail or federal institution.”
August 1994: CHARGED
1993, 1992, 1991: St. Mary’s Redemptorist Community, 211 Avenue “O” South, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 306-244-2983
1985-86: 1128 85th Street, Edmonton, Alberta
1981: ORDAINED
Spent time at the Juvenate in Antipolo (Our Mother of Perpetual Help Juvenate), a Redemptorist Minor Seminary http://noniecdolor.blogspot.com/2006/02/my-red-family.html
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Priest gets 90 days for sex abuse
Edmonton Journal
28 September 1995
KATHLEEN ENGMAN, Legal Affairs Writer
A Roman Catholic priest was sentenced to 90 days in jail Wednesday for molesting an altar boy who turned to him for emotional support after his parents’ separation.
Ernie Garcia, 49, a priest with the Order of the Redemptorists, was convicted of sexual interference for sexually touching the 13-year-old.
“It gave me no pleasure, no joy, no satisfaction whatsoever in finding the accused guilty of this offence,” Court of Queen’s Bench Justice E.A. Hutchinson said.
“He slipped, probably due to human failing, an aberration. He now faces the penalty.
“The fact that there are so many letters in support of the accused illustrates the fact that he holds an important position in society.”
A two-inch thick pile of letters was supplied to the judge.
Garcia is to serve the sentence intermittently. He had no prior record.
Garcia’s religious supervisor within the Order of the Redemptorists, Bill Bernard, released a written statement after Hutchinson convicted Garcia.
“We, his Redemptorist colleagues, are saddened by this decision. We respect the decision of the court, but we remember that Father Garcia retains the right of appeal.” The statement also said that the order was concerned about the teen and his family, and offered its support to them.
Garcia has not been allowed to minister since the allegations were made. His suspension still stands. It would only be lifted if the conviction was overturned on appeal.
The sexual touching took place at the teen’s home. The teen saw Garcia as a trusted friend and was happy to see him one morning last year when he came to his house when he was home alone. Garcia asked the teen about his father, who’d left the family. This made the teen cry. Garcia got the 100-pound, five-foot-three-inch tall teen to sit on his lap. Garcia asked him if he was a man yet, and felt his nipples under his shirt. He asked him if he was circumcised, and the teen said no. Then Garcia rubbed his penis over his clothes.
“These events did happen,” the judge said. And they “were not done for the purpose of a medical exam … or to assist the complainant in understanding the need for circumcision.”
The judge commended the youth’s poise as he stood up to a rigorous cross examination by the defence. Lawyer Peter Royal had argued that the teen’s testimony couldn’t be relied upon. He noted the teen couldn’t say exactly how long the priest rubbed his penis. Hutchinson commented: “Under such circumstances time could literally have stood still.”
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Priest faces charges in Barrhead assault
Edmonton Journal
27 August 1994
A Saskatoon priest faces a sexual interference charge involving a Barrhead teen.
RCMP said Friday they have charged Father Ernie Garcia, 48, with one count of sexual interference. Garcia was charged shortly after a 13-year-old Barrhead youth reported an incident on Aug. 16th in that community.
The priest is scheduled to appear in Barrhead
Do you know if this case was appealed? Is father Ernie still able to come back and do ministry in Canada? Thanks.
I have seen nothing to indicate that Father Garcia’s conviction or sentencing were appealed Rafel. Do you have any information that it was?
As for Father Garcia coming back to minister in Canada, his superiors in the Phillipnes seem to have no problem letting him minister over there, so I doubt that there would be any concern on their part at recyling him back to Canada. Would he be allowed back in the country? I wish I could say with certitude “No,” but I think he would probably get in. The question then is: Would the Redemptorists in Canada allow him to minster here? I would hope not, but not so sure. Would a bishop allow him to minster in his, the bishop’s, diocese? Again, I would hope not, but am not so sure.
Sylvia,
In all fairness and justice, which you had been advocating, please publish that The Canadian Ministry of Justice – Office of Alberta Attorney General has pardoned Fr. Ernie Garcia for the miscarriage of justice. You can request a copy from :
Manager, Administrative Services
Alberta Attorney General
9833-109th Street, Edmonton, AB T5K 2E8
File # 2134053
Dated: 2005/ 7/ 15.
Or send me your mailing address and I will mail you a registered hard copy of the above mentioned document. I sincerely hope that you will correct your Sylvia’s Site. In fact you should remove Fr. Ernesto Garcia from your Sylvia’s Site in all fairness and justice.
Disgusting excuse for a human being, using an innocent vulnerable boy..disgusting ! Shame on him..
If this was a standard pardon it was not issued for a miscarriage of justice.
The only way there could be any semblancs of a miscarriage of justice would be if his conviction was appealed and overturned. I can find no record of an appeal. If there was such an appeal please direct me to relevant information regarding the outcome.
By way of interest, as of, I think 2012, persons who are convicted for sex abuse of a minor can thankfully no longer obtain pardons.
Dr. Olgado – a “pardon” does not for one minute mean that the offence did not occur. I fail completely to understand why you want Sylvia to “correct her site”. I do not see anything on the site that is incorrect. Mike.
Well for a start, to include in her list of information that a pardon had been granted by the Office of Alberta Attorney General, which has legal implication.
File # 2134053
Dated: 2005/ 7/ 15.
From Identification Canada website:
and
I don;t know why my final comments are italicized. Try as I might I can not remove the italics and shift those final two paras to the left. Hopefully you can see those last paras are my comments 🙂
Doctor Olgado – that sounds more reasonable. Demanding that Sylvia “correct” her site implies that there is incorrect information displayed. The information displayed on the site is correct.
You indicate “for a start” you want the pardon indicated. What else do you want? Mike.