Walsh: Father Michael J. Walsh

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Father Michael J. Walsh

[ Please note that this Michael J Walsh, ordained 1964, is not to be confused with Michael Walsh of the Halifax Archdiocese, ordained 1990.]

Priest – Diocese of Grand Falls, Newfoundland.  Ordained 1964.  GUILTY plea 1991 to six charges related to sex abuse of teenage boys in Buchans and the Grand Falls area in the early 1980s.

After conviction spent time at rehab centre, probably Southdown? Also after conviction took training to qualify as a hospital chaplain.

Served in the Archdiocese of Halifax from 1997 to 2009 as a hospital chaplain at the Halifax Infirmary – during those years also assisted at or offered Masses and heard confessions in several churches in the archdiocese and served as Associate Judicial Vicar and Judge for the Halifax Archdiocese.    In 2009 returned to Newfoundland where he proceeded to assist at and offer Masses at St. Gabriel’s and  St. Brendan’s.   Walsh was removed in late 2010 after parishioners objected

[Note 10 February 2011:  according to Marilyn Sweet, communications Officer for the Archdiocese of Halifax, Father Walsh served in the Archdiocese of Halifax as Hospital Chaplain in the Veteran;’s Building from 1997 to 2009.  Also, according to Sweet,and contrary to information provided below from the CCCD,  Walsh was never incardinated in the Archdiocese of Halifax and he does not have a degree in canon law.]

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The following updated (01 February 2011) dates and information are drawn from available Canadian Catholic Church Directories (CCCD), media (M), personal contacts (P) and The Story of the Roman Catholic Dioceses of Harbour Grace & Grand Falls Newfoundland (HGGF).  Additional time-lines will added as information becomes available.

2017, 2016, 2015:  50 Union St., Grand Falls, NFLD (address for Carmelite House Senior Citizens Home.

2014, 2013:  c/o Twin Tower Manor, King St., Grand Falls, Newfoundland (CCCD) this is a retirement home

2012, 2011:  Shallow Bay, St. Brendan’s Newfoundland (CCCD)

2011:  – Living in a senior citizen’s home (Twin Tower Manor) in Windsor, Newfoundland. Also at the home is convicted molester Father Leonard Kelly (P).

October 2010:  removed from St. Brendan’s after Catholics at St. Gabriel’s  expressed their upset at his presence.

2010:  living and assisting at Masses in St. Brendan’s Newfoundland (St. Gabriel RC Church) (P & M)

Address for St. Thomas Aquinas Canadian Martyrs in Halifax, Nova Scotia (CCCD)

 Initials JCD behind his name, meaning he has attained a Doctorate in Canon Law.  Listed as Associate Judicial Vicar and Judge for the Archdiocese of Halifax, Nova Scotia.  . (Bishop: Anthony Mancini) (Walsh is once again listed as incardinated in Diocese of Grand Falls, Newfoundland.  The Grand Falls website lists him as a priest of that diocese and shows him as retired.) (CCCD)

1997-2009: Chaplain at Halifax Infirmary, Halifax, Nova Scotia.  As part of his chaplaincy duties offered Mass every Sunday at the Veteran’s building in the hospital.   His job as chaplain was a full-time position which required Walsh to work at the hospital every day from Sunday to Thursday.  His days off were Friday and Saturday. (P)

At least one of Walsh’s former co-workers in the hospital chaplaincy was never told that Walsh was a convicted child molester.  Deacon Wilf Boudreau first learned that Walsh was a convicted child molester during an interview with me 01 February 2011.

According to the Halifax Archdiocese website (01 February 2011), Roman Catholic chaplains are employees of the archdiocese

2005-2008:   living in residence at the St. Thomas Aquinas Canadian Martyrs rectory in Halifax.  The residence is adjacent to Our Lady of Schools RC elementary school.  During his years in residence at the rectory he continued to serve as hospital Chaplain and also on occasion assisted at or offered Mass and/or heard confessions at St. Thomas Aquinas.  Parishioners were not told that Father Walsh was a convicted child molester.  When word got out in 2008 he was eventually removed.

2007:  Martin Currie installed as Archbishop of St. John’s Newfoundland, retaining his duties as Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland

2005?:  served at St. Peter’s RC Church in Dartmouth for a time.  During this period was still serving as hospital chaplain.  While at St. Peter’s assisted at and offered Masses and heard confessions.  Removed after parishioners found out he was a convicted molester (P)

1997-2005:  in residence at the rectory of St. Mary’s Basilica (P)

2003:  “He is currently working in the Archdiocese of Montreal” (HGGF) [this doesn’t marry with other information.  The book was published in 2003  ]

2002:  Address and phone number of St. Mary’s Basilica, Halifax (Rector: Father John Williams) Listed as incardinated in Halifax.   (Bishop of Halifax: Terrence Prendergast.  Vicar General: Father Richard Smith. Judicial Vicar General: Bishop Emeritus James M. Hayes) (CCCD )

Served as  hospital Chaplain and also on occasion assisted at or offered Mass and/or heard confessions at St. Mary’s (P)

31 January 2001:  Martin Currie installed as Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland

2000:  Address and phone number of St. Mary’s Basilica, Halifax (Rector: Father John Williams) Listed as incardinated in Halifax.  (Bishop of Halifax: Terrence Prendergast.  Vicar General: Very Rev. Martin Currie.  Chief Judicial Vicar: Bishop Emeritus James M. Hayes) (CCCD)

Served as hospital Chaplain and also on occasion assisted at or offered Mass and/or heard confessions at St. Mary’s (P)

1999:  Address and phone number of St. Mary’s Basilica, Halifax (Rector: Very Rev. Martin Currie – also Chancellor and Vicar General) Listed as incardinated in Grand Falls, Newfoundland.  (Bishop Halifax: Terrence Prendergast. Grand Falls – seat vacant) (CCCD)

Served as  hospital Chaplain and also on occasion assisted at or offered Mass and/or heard confessions at St. Mary’s (P)

1998:   Address and phone number of St. Mary’s Basilica, Halifax (Rector: Very Rev. Martin Currie – also Chancellor and Vicar General) Listed as incardinated in Grand Falls, Newfoundland (Bishop of Grand Falls: Faber MacDonald.  Archbishop Burke retired January 1998.  Monsignor Currie served as Administrator of the Archdiocese until September 1998 when Burke’s successor Terrence Prendergast sj was installed as Archbishop) (CCCD& HGGF))

Served as  hospital Chaplain and also on occasion assisted at or offered Mass and/or heard confessions at St. Mary’s (P)

1997:  Address and phone number of St. Mary’s Basilica, Halifax.   (Rector: Very Rev. Martin Currie – also Chancellor and Vicar General) Listed as incardinated in Grand Falls, Newfoundland. (Bishop of Grand Falls: Faber MacDonald,  Bishop of Halifax:  Austin Burke) (CCCD)

Served as hospital Chaplain and also on occasion assisted at or offered Mass and/or heard confessions at St. Mary’s (P)

1996:  Address and phone number of Grand Falls Diocese (CCCD)(Bishop Faber MacDonald) (CCCD)

1995, 1994, 1993, 1992:  Address and phone number of Grand Falls Diocese (CCCD) (Bishop Faber MacDonald) (CCCD)

1991:  GUILTY plea (according to Archbishop Currie Walsh entered a rehabilitation program after the plea.  He then studied to be a hospital chaplain)

1990-1991:  “on Sabbatical for one year from 1990-1991″ (HGGF) [no mention of sex abuse charges and guilty plea]

1987-90:  Pastor Immaculate Conception Church, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland (HGGF)

in 1989 had Father Andrew Lane serving as as Curate (HGGF)

1983-87:  Pastor at Sts Peter and Paul in Harbour Main, Newfoundland (HGGF)

1985-1986:  address and phone number of St. Theresa’s Church, Buchans, Newfoundland (Pastor Father Edward Brophy) (Bishop Faber MacDonald) (CCCD)[this CCCD entry doesn’t marry with the HGGF info]

1979-1981 (?):  Administrator of Buchans (HGGF)

1976-79:  Brent’s Cove. Newfoundland (HGGF)

1970-75:  Harbour Grace, Newfoundland (HGGF)

1973-74: address Immaculate Conception Church, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland (Pastor:  Monsignor J. O’Brien) (Bishop A.L. Penney) (CCCD)

1971-72: address Immaculate Conception Church, Harbour Grace, Newfoundland (Pastor:  Monsignor J. O’Brien) (Bishop J.M. O’Neill) (CCCD)

1966-70:  Baie de Verde, Newfoundland  “assigned to Baie de Verde for 3 yeras from 1966-1970″ (HGGF) [that’s actually four years]

1968-69:  Pastor at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church, Baie de Verde, Newfoundland.  Bishop of Grand Falls: J.M. O’Neill) (CCCD)

1967:  not listed in index of clergy (CCCD)

1964-66:  where was he?

June 1964:  Ordained at age 27 (HGGF)

1958-64:  All Hallows, Ireland (HGGF)

24 June 1937:  Born in St. Brendan’s, Newfoundland (HGGF)

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21 February 2011:  BLOG Unanswered questions

01 February 2011:  BLOG What can I say?

06 October 2010:  BLOG Major news flashes

06 October 2010:  Convicted priest to Stop Attending Church Services: Archbishop

05 October 2010: BLOG “Take that to the bank”

05 October 2010: Convicted priest poses no threat to parish, archbishop says

05 October 2010:  BLOG Interesting retreat

03 October 2010: BLOG Dirty rotten mess

30 September 2010:  BLOG Those poor souls

20 September 2010:  BLOG Excellent letter

18 September 2010:  Cheryl Helena Delacroix Thompson Letter to The Editor re Most Reverend Martin W. Currie 

01 September 2010:  BLOG It begs the question

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October 8, 1991  07.28 EDT

Canadian Press

GRAND FALLS, Nfld. (CP)

Another Catholic priest in Newfoundland has been convicted of sex-related offences involving boys.

Rev. Michael Walsh pleaded guilty Monday in Grand Falls to six charges involving teenaged boys in the Grand Falls and Buchans areas in the early 1980s.

The Crown withdrew two additional charges.

Walsh will be sentenced Oct. 16.

He’s among more than 20 current or former priests and Christian Brothers in Newfoundland to face sex-related charges in the last four years.

Several parish priests have been convicted, as have five current or former brothers who worked at the now-closed Mount Cashel orphanage in St. John’s.

12 Responses to Walsh: Father Michael J. Walsh

  1. SICKENED says:

    Currently he is living back in St. Brendan’s and has been here for a year or more now. Takes part in Sunday mass every week with out regular priest which I find sickening……also attends school functions….for example the childrens christmas concert……….something has to be done as everything with this priest in particular is hush hush…..archbishop told myself when I question Walsh’s history and charges ‘he was sent to nova scotia for rehabilitation’………gross

  2. Larry Green says:

    Why cant we get people to stand together against this abomination to the church and simply protest by standing outside the church whenever “it” is inside. No congregation , no collection basket.We really do need to take action.Remove the authority from our so called leaders and demand justice for the victims.The priests and bishops are not the church , we are they can do nothing without our financial support.

  3. Sylvia says:

    Thank you for that info SICKENED. I too am sickened. When, where and how does it end?

    Archbishop Currie said Walsh was sent to Nova Scotia for rehabilitation. What rehabilitation? Where? Serving as hospital chaplain? Saying Mass at St. Mary’s basilica?

    He is a convicted child molester. What is he doing saying Mass? and why is he allowed to be around children?

  4. SICKENED says:

    Well when he moved here the rumor was that he was going to be our parish priest left – which he has not left yet – and Father Walsh had all his belongings sent here to St. Brendan’s thinking he would be moving into the parish house. However, he could not move in there because the parish house is too close to the school but he can attend a school concert…..does this make sense. Currie gave no for sure answers on anything when I spoke with him…would not explain what type of rehabilitation is offered for convicted child molesters….cause I would love to know a bit about the program…..We had a deacon here a few months ago which seemed to upset people because he was a married man but I for one would go listen to him perform mass over a child molester anyday.

  5. Sylvia says:

    I am told via the grapevine that – despite the protest of many parishioners – Archbishop Currie insisted on putting Father Walsh in St. Brendan’s to serve at St. Gabriel’s.

    Walsh, a convicted child molester, apparently routinely assists at Sunday Mass and offers the weekday Masses himself.

    I was also told that the Wednesday Mass was suddenly cancelled – this after the 18 September 2010: Cheryl Helena Delacroix Thompson Letter to The Editor re Most Reverend Martin W. Currie appeared in the St. John’s Telegram

    I wonder if he was assisting at Sunday Mass this past Sunday as usual? Can anyone tell us?

  6. SICKENED says:

    For the past two sundays, September 18 and the 25th, Father Walsh remained on the alter for both occassions but right now is not sayingg anything. Prior to this piece in the paper, Father Walsh would assist in prayer/preparation of communion. This has happened before though where he will remaun quiet for a few weeks but manages to get right back on the horse in a matter of speaking. Months ago Father Dino, our normal parish priest, could not make it for sunday mass and had announced the sunday before that Father Walsh would say mass……by Wednesday mass was cancelled completely.

  7. SICKENED says:

    Prior to this article he would also have mass himself during the week…I don’t think there has been anything in the past few weeks. However I know there is a school fundraiser coming up where majority of the school’s students will be present and I am 100 percent sure that Father Walsh will also be there.
    A, the sunday bulletin states that there is a YC2010 happening in Gander, NL Oct 8-10….I do believe that Father Walsh is planning on being there for one day at least and this will consist of highschool students.

  8. Sylvia says:

    For those unfamiliar with YC2010, here is a link http://www.ycnl.ca/about.aspx I read somehwere that up to 3,000 young people will be in attendance.

    What is wrong with Archbishop Currie’s head? first he forces Father Micahel Walsh, a convicted clerical molester, on the faithful of St. Brendan’s, and then he lets him dipsy-doodle around children and young people!

    But, ah yes, I forget. Bishop Currie is one and the same man as Father Currie – former Vicar General etc etc of the Halifax diocese who allowed Walsh to dipsy-doodle amidst the unwitting faithful in Halifax and minster to the sick and dying at the Royal Vic.

    When it comes to clercial sexual abuse I frequently ponder why our ‘shepherds’ seemingly boundless tolerance and ‘compassion’ for molesters are poles apart from the deep concerns and sentiments of the Catholic in the pew?

  9. SICKENED says:

    And you know what…they are the first ones to complain about ”someone living in sin”, unmarried or having children without being married…..apparently thats unforgivable but if you molest a child you are put on a high horse..

  10. Peter whittle says:

    I find your site a very useful resource. The father Walsh issue has been in the media here this past week or. I do not understand why these pervs get continue to be called father or reverend. They should be defrocked the moment they are convicted.

    That said, I seem to be getting conflicting versions of the st brendans issue. It would appear that Walsh choose to retire in his hometown and thar he was not stationed there as some have indicated. He also has no role wit the church other than what he has taken on as an individual.

    I think you have to be fair to the bishop and put the record straight on this.

  11. Sylvia says:

    Yes Peter, I understand too that Father Walsh was retiring in his hometown. However, retirement for a convicted clerical molester in any community is one thing, serving as a priest in the community is quite another.

    Father Walsh obviously has his faculties to hear confession and say Mass in the Diocese of Grand Falls. Why? Why has Archbishop Currie allowed this man to say Mass and hear confessions anywhere in the Diocese of Grand Falls period?

    Had the archbishop done the right thing and ‘revoked’ Walsh’s faculties the situation which has so sorely divided the community would never have arisen – Had Currie done the right thing Father Walsh would have known then and there that the climate of tolerance which prevailed for him in Halifax had come to an end and he therefore would not have been in a position to concelebrate on Sundays, say Mass during the week and/or hear confessions.

    Father Walsh had faculties to hear Mass and say confessions in the Diocese of Halifax, NS. Why? I don’t know what role then Father Currie played in that decision, but as Vicar General of the diocese and Rector of the Basilica he would I believe have had some say. At the very least, as Rector of the Basilica, Currie was in a position to advise Catholics that Walsh had sexually abused several young boys in Newfoundland. Did Currie so advise the flock? I doubt it, but, I don’t know. Do you?

    You say that Father Walsh has no role with the church in St. Brendan’s other than what he took on as an individual. That’s not quite true. Without the authority from Bishop Currie to do so, Father Walsh could not have heard confessions or said Mass in St. Brendan’s or elsewhere in the diocese. The fact that Father Walsh was not as you say “stationed” at St. Gabriel’s is irrelevant. What is relevant is the fact that Father Walsh, a convicted child molester, has been saying Mass and hearing confessions at St. Gabriel’s, and that he has been allowed by the bishop to do both.

    Archbishop Currie can bring this to an end by revoking Father Walsh’s priestly faculties, and prohibiting him from functioning as a priest and wearing his clerical attire. Will he do so?

    I agree 100 % Peter that these men should be defrocked. Failing that, as often unfortunately seems to be the case, their faculties should be revoked and they should be prohibited from both functioning as a priest in any capacity and wearing priestly attire.

    It’s up to Archbishop Currie to set the record straight.

  12. Sylvia says:

    Father Walsh is now living in a senior citizen’s residence in Windsor, Ontario. Also living in the residence is convicted molester Father Len Kelly.

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