Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
1993-2009 · 16 years · show in timeline

Cornwall (Ontario) 1993 to 2009: Diocese paid a victim who undertook not to pursue criminal proceedings and to keep silent; the bishop reinstated a charged priest "with joy"

The Ontario public inquiry into Cornwall classed the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall as a public institution and examined its response to abuse allegations. In 1993 the diocese paid the complainant David Silmser money under an agreement in which he undertook not to take any civil or criminal proceedings against the parties, to end current actions and to keep everything secret. According to the report, the lawyers' aim was to avoid scandal and protect the accused priest's reputation. Bishop LaRocque reported the allegations neither to police nor to the child protection agency. In 2001 he reinstated "with joy" a priest who had been charged with indecent assault on a girl and falsely told the parish that the court had found no case.

Period
1993-2009 (16 years)
Country
Canada
Institutions
Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall
Bishop Eugène LaRocque
Category
Sexual abuse, Cover-up
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?
Persons
Eugène LaRocque (Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall, according to the inquiry failed to report allegations and reinstated a charged priest)

What happened to the people

How were they charged and sentenced?

  1. The Cornwall Public Inquiry of the Province of Ontario classed the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall as a "public institution", so that its response to allegations of historical abuse could be examined.
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 843
    „I found the Episcopal Corporation of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall (referred to in this Report as the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall) to be a“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 843. Original · Archive copy

What happened to those affected?

  1. In the signed release Silmser undertook not to take any legal proceedings, civil or criminal, against the parties and to terminate any current ones immediately, and not to disclose either the terms or the alleged events. Father MacDonald afterwards continued to be paid as a full-time priest. Later he was charged on several counts concerning various complainants but was not convicted on any of them.
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 967
    „I hereby undertake not to take any legal proceedings, civil or criminal, against any of the parties hereto and will immediately terminate any actions that may now be in process.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 967. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 967
    „I further hereby undertake not to disclose or permit disclosure directly or indirectly of any of the terms of this settlement or“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 967. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 976
    „Father MacDonald continued to be paid as a full-time priest.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 976. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 988
    „Father MacDonald was not convicted of any of these criminal charges.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 988. Original · Archive copy
  2. When the provincial police in 1999, in the case of Father Romeo Major, asked for a list of the altar servers of 1975 to 1979, LaRocque wrote "no list available" on the letter, although parish bulletins often listed the names. Major was charged in 2000 with indecent assault on a girl; in 2001 the Crown withdrew the charges because the complainant had a malignant brain tumour. LaRocque wrote to the parish that he was reinstating Major as pastor "with joy" and that the court had found no legal case. According to the inquiry he knew the matter had never been adjudicated, and he decided without any internal investigation.
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 989
    „Inscribed on this correspondence from the OPP, Bishop LaRocque wrote “no list available.”“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 989. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 989
    „bulletins from St. Martyr’s Church, at which Father Major was a pastor, would often list the names of the altar boys and girls“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 989. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 991
    „On October 10, 2001, charges were withdrawn by the Crown as a result of a serious illness suffered by the complainant, a malignant brain tumour.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 991. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 992
    „The Bishop said that it was with joy that he was reinstating Father Major in his position as priest of the parish.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 992. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 992
    „He knew that the matter was never adjudicated by the courts. Yet the Bishop told parishioners in Father Major’s church that the courts had concluded that there was no legal case.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 992. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 992
    „Bishop LaRocque came to this conclusion without an internal investigation by the Diocese of the allegations of abuse against Father Major.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 992. Original · Archive copy

Background

Who received the assets, who profited?

  1. In 1993 the lawyers of the diocese and of the accused Father Charles MacDonald advised Bishop LaRocque to make a payment to the complainant David Silmser; according to the report they saw the benefits as avoiding scandal in the diocese and protecting the priest's reputation so that he could continue his ministry. LaRocque told the inquiry it would appear that the diocese was giving the money to buy off and shut up the victim. Silmser was prepared to settle for 32,000 dollars; on 2 September 1993 the diocese sent a cheque for 27,000 dollars. Who contributed what was never satisfactorily explained at the inquiry.
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 958
    „the benefits of entering into a monetary settlement with Mr. Silmser were avoiding scandal in the Diocese and ensuring that Father Charles MacDonald’s reputation was not adversely affected. It would enable Father MacDonald to continue his ministry.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 958. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 958
    „it would appear that the Diocese was giving this money in order to buy off and to shut up the victim“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 958. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 960
    „who was prepared to agree to a settlement for $32,000“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 960. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 962
    „A cheque in the amount of $27,000, not $20,000, was sent to Mr. Leduc’s law firm from the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall on September 2, 1993.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 962. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 962
    „The contributors and the amounts in the settlement were never satisfac“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 962. Original · Archive copy

Response of the Church

  1. According to the inquiry, the diocese and Bishop Eugène LaRocque delayed investigating the allegations against Father MacDonald, made no effort to identify potential victims, did not protect young people from him and reported the allegations neither to police nor to the Children's Aid Society.
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 988
    „It is clear from the evidence that the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall and Bishop Eugène LaRocque delayed investigating the allegations of inappropriate contact with young persons by Father Charles MacDonald.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 988. Original · Archive copy
    Evidence: Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 988
    „Moreover, the Diocese and Bishop LaRocque did not advise either police agencies or the Children’s Aid Society of the allegations of sexual abuse involving Father MacDonald and young people.“
    Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, Bd. 1, Kap. 8, S. 988. Original · Archive copy

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Government report
    Province of Ontario, Cornwall Inquiry: Report of the Cornwall Inquiry, Volume 1, Chapter 8: Institutional Response of the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall. Original · Archive copy (retrieved 30 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 30 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.