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  Canada Bishop Must Do More, Support Group Says

SNAP
May 9, 2011

http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_statements/2011_statements/050911_canada_bishop_must_do_more_support_group_says.htm

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

Belatedly ousting a convicted child molesting cleric isn’t enough. Ottawa’s Catholic bishop must do more. He must publicly explain and apologize for his recklessness, callousness and deceit. And he must aggressively seek out anyone else who may have seen, suspected or suffered Fr. McCann’s crimes and urge them to call police.

Ottawa’s Catholic officials knowingly gave a proven child predator access to unsuspecting families and vulnerable kids. They must do more now than just stop letting him work as a priest because of public pressure.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 23 years and have more than 10,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, SNAPblaine@gmail.com), Peter Isely (414-429-7259, peterisely@yahoo.com), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688 home, 314-503-0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

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http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110507/OTT_mccann_110507/20110507/?hub=OttawaHome

No more services for priest convicted of abuse

Father Jack McCann will no longer provide services in the Archdiocese of Ottawa. McCann has a previous conviction of sexually abusing young girls.

Updated: Sat May. 07 2011 4:33:56 PM

ctvottawa.ca

Father Jack McCann will no longer provide services in the Archdioceses of Ottawa following revelations of his 1992 guilty plea to sexual assault.

The news was read in a letter to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church parishioners during a special prayer session Saturday morning.

Deacon Norman Levesques, who read the letter, said he didn't know any more information than what had been in the news.

CTV Ottawa first reported on Thursday that McCann spent 10 months in jail after pleading guilty to sex crimes against underage girls in B.C. in the 1970s.

McCann was supposed to be supervised while performing mass, but was not. Father Stephen Liang of Our Lady of Mount Carmel said he was "horrified" when he learned he hadn't been told of McCann's past.

Parishioners said they were also shocked by the news.

"I don't want to be prejudiced but once you enter that relationship with God you have to respect whatever you vowed for," said Mae Jumo-As.

"Anybody can make mistakes," said Lynne Brazzeau. "We're all human and I feel really bad for the priest."

Sylvia MacEachern runs a blog that tracks priests who have been accused, charged and sued for crimes like McCann's. She said priests shouldn't be allowed to return to the church in the first place.

What a shame that these men aren't defrocked instantly," she said. "We wouldn't run into these situations."

McCann lives in the Ottawa area but has been unavailable for comment.

With files from CTV Ottawa's Melissa Lamb

 
 

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