610 CKTB News
06 April 2011
Siobhan Morris
Where is James Wingle?
One year after suddenly resigning as Bishop of the St. Catharines Diocese, little is known about his whereabouts.
Over the summer, Wingle wrote to parishioners to say he was on sabbatical in Jerusalem.
He hasn’t been heard from since.
Lawyer Robert Talach would like to talk to the former Bishop.
He represents 2 men pursuing civil suits against Wingle, the Diocese & the former priest who molested them, Donald Grecco.
Talach’s clients, Mike Blum & James Hennessey were sexually assaulted by Grecco as teens in the 1970s & 80s.
Grecco is serving a 18-month sentence in a Brampton jail.
Blum & Hennessey have filed separate, $3 million suits. Talach says 3rd victim, who can’t be named because of a publication ban is also considering action.
But Wingle’s vanishing act has ground the legal process to a halt.
Talach tells 610 CKTB News the 1st step is for all the parties to question each other. That could start without Wingle, but Talach says when the former bishop DOES get on board, his lawyer would likely want to star over. Talach doesn’t want to put his clients through that.
He’s looking at ways to push ahead with the lawsuits in Wingle’s absence.
Talach finds it hard to believe Wingle hasn’t kept up any relationships that would’ve spanned decades or that he isn’t aware of the civil suits.
Talach says he’s received little more than “arrogant silence ” from the St. Catharines Diocese. He feels that’s reflective of the organization’s overall culture.
Blum & Hennessey have been warned the legal road ahead of them will likely be a long one. Talach says they’e anxious to put the civil suits behind them, but any court resolution won’t erase the abuse they suffered as teens