CHARLOTTETOWN (CANADA)
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) [Toronto, Canada]
August 21, 2025
By Thinh Nguyen
Brendon Earl Gallant served in more than a dozen parishes before retiring in 2018
Warning: This story contains details of sexual assault.
A retired Catholic priest who served communities across Prince Edward Island for decades pleaded guilty Thursday to a sexual assault charge dating back to the late 1980s.
Brendon Earl Gallant, 80, entered his guilty plea to a charge of historical sexual assault in Georgetown court.
He could face up to 10 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for Oct. 9.
The charge stems from incidents that occurred between 1988 and 1989 when Gallant was serving as a priest in St. Margaret’s Parish in northeastern P.E.I. The victim was 12 years old at the time, while Gallant was in his 40s.
[PHOTO: Brendon Earl Gallant has pleaded guilty to a sexual assault charge that stems from events in the 1980s. As CBC’s Cody MacKay reports, the alleged victim came forward two years ago, and RCMP laid charges against Gallant in May.]
In May, the RCMP laid charges against Gallant following a two-year investigation that began when the victim came forward in 2023.
According to court documents, Gallant took an interest in the boy after the child’s mother was diagnosed with cancer.
Gallant invited the victim to stay overnight at his residence on several occasions. Court documents say that during these visits, Gallant touched the boy’s private areas, gave him alcohol, and invited the child to sleep in the same bed with him.
The victim woke up disoriented one night and believed Gallant had tried to have sex with him, according to court documents.
In November 2023, Gallant told officials he did, indeed, ask the victim to come to bed for sex. The Crown prosecutor said Gallant was remorseful and emotional when he was arrested.
During the course of his career, Gallant served as a priest in more than a dozen parishes across Prince Edward Island.
His postings included Catholic churches in Cardigan, Little Pond, St. Georges, Georgetown, Souris, Charlottetown, Glenwood, Brae, Alberton, Bloomfield, Foxley River, St. Charles and Burton. He retired in 2018 after his final posting in Tignish.
Bishop of Charlottetown apologizes for priest’s actions
The Diocese of Charlottetown issued a statement Thursday after Gallant pleaded guilty.
It said he had been removed from any further active ministry as soon as the diocese learned he was under investigation.
“I apologize for the actions of Rev. Gallant and for the harm they caused,” Bishop Joseph Dabrowski was quoted as saying in the statement.
The message said Dabrowski “remains committed to working so that our churches are safe environments for children and vulnerable adults and that victim-survivors are received with compassion and offered assistance when they come forward.”
It also noted that the diocese has had a response policy for incidents of sexual abuse since 1992, adding: “Our current policy is available on our website, together with a way for the public to submit a report of misconduct. These reports can always be made directly to the police.”
There are resources and supports available to anyone who has experienced sexual violence:
- Victim Services P.E.I. / Queens and Kings County: 902-368-4582; Prince County: 902-888-8218
- Rise P.E.I. / Phone or text: 902-218-6143
- P.E.I. Rape and Sexual Assault Centre / Call: 902-368-8055 or 1-888-368-8055
- Here is a list of sexual assault centres, crisis lines and support services elsewhere in Canada.
With files from Cody MacKay