CANADA
The Telegram
Barb Sweet
Published on April 15, 2016
Correspondence between the 1950s indicates there was a pattern of the Christian Brothers seeking approval from the archbishop for activities like bingos, fairs, garden parties, collections and the Christmas Raffle, suggested lawyer Geoff Budden this morning at the Mount Cashel civil trial in Newfoundland Supreme Court.
Newfoundland Supreme Court Justice Alphonsus Faour is presiding over the Mount Cashel civil trial. — Photo by Barb Sweet/The Telegram
He is continuing to cross-examine today historian John FitzGerald, expert witness for the RC Episcopal Corp. of St. John’s.
But FitzGerald noted the archbishop of the day was concerned with being proper and not having his congregation put upon. FitzGerald has said the seeking of permission speaks to the lay order Christian Brothers and other groups within the faith trying to avoid conflicting fundraising events, so as not to appeal to the parishioners all at one time.
But Budden, who is seeking to establish a role of the archdiocese in the operations of the orphanage, noted the flow of the permissions either denied or approved was one way — from the archbishop to the Brothers.
Budden also questioned FitzGerald on what correspondence exists between the archbishop and the Brothers’ superior from the orphanage founding to pre-1950. There is little, the court heard. Budden said there are three possible reasons why — either it doesn’t exist, it couldn’t be found or it got lost over time.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.