Priests to listen to harm confrere inflicted

Three Roman Catholic priests representing the London diocese will be in a Chatham courtroom tomorrow to hear first-hand the heart-breaking stories of women sexually abused by a fellow priest.

The priests will hear the 26 victim-impact statements on the second day of the indecent assault trial of Rev. Charles Sylvestre of Belle River.

The retired 84-year-old priest is at the centre of the largest sexual abuse case faced by the diocese and one of the largest non-residential school cases known on the continent.

Sylvestre pleaded guilty to 47 counts of indecent assault in August.

The victims were between the ages of nine and 14 at the time of the assaults committed between 1953 and 1986. All were in Sylvestre's parishes in Windsor, Sarnia, London, Chatham and Pain Court.

The diocese said it is responding to criticism that Sylvestre was the only person wearing a priest's collar in the courtroom the day he pleaded guilty.

Diocese spokesperson Ron Pickersgill said the priests will be there "learning and listening to the stories."

He also said the diocese has asked Sylvestre not to wear his priest's collar tomorrow.

One of the three priests will be Rev. John Sharpe, a vicar general hand-picked by Bishop Ronald Fabbro to take on the responsibility for the area of clergy sexual abuse.

Fabbro made an unprecedented apology to the victims last month, vowing to urge that Sylvestre be defrocked and to eliminate sexual abuse in the diocese.

Fabbro is unavailable to attend the hearing, Pickersgill said. "It's Father Sharpe's job to go on behalf of the bishop."

Also attending will be Rev. Robert Champagne, the episcopal vicar for Kent deanery and Rev. Dan Vere of Chatham's St. Ursula's parish, where 29 of the victims were abused.

Champagne also served in Immaculate Conception parish in Pain Court where four of the victims attended.

Twenty-six victims are expected to be heard from over the day-long hearing.

The other 21 gave their impact statements at the last court appearance on Aug. 3.

They described a disturbing pattern of child abuse perpetrated by a man they trusted.

Sylvestre, known as Father Feeler and Sylvestre the Molester on school playgrounds, hand-picked little girls, many from devout Catholic families, to be volunteers for special church duties.

All of them had their breasts fondled. Others described him putting his hands down their pants and digitally penetrating them. Some victims said Sylvestre had sexual intercourse with them.

He admitted most of the abuses, but said his memory is foggy. He denied any intercourse.

Pickersgill stressed the priests are not there to steal the limelight from the serious issues in the courtroom.

None of the priests will be giving media interviews, he said.

He added they considered in their decision the effect on the victims and stressed the diocese wants to be sensitive to them.

The three priests will not be the only church officials in attendance.

Sister Eleanor Gleeson, superior general of the Ursuline Sisters in Chatham, said she will be there "to support the victims and their families."

The Ursuline Religious Order has been based in Chatham for more than a century and were the initiators of Catholic education in the area.