Newfoundland Acquires 32 Schools Owned by [Catholic] Archdiocese

The Catholic Register ^ | 5/10/23 | Quinton Amundsen

[marshmallow]

A recent tentative agreement struck in a St. John’s courtroom will transfer control over 32 schools on the Avalon and Burin peninsulas from the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. John’s (RCESJ) to the Newfoundland and Labrador government.

After months of uncertainty gripping these schools because of the RCESJ’s insolvency after being found liable for the claims of abuse survivors, this deal paves the way for these institutes to continue being used for the education of young minds for the long-term future.

Meanwhile, the $13 million granted to the episcopal corporation, the property arm of the Archdiocese of St. John’s, through this transaction will go towards compensating victims of abuse at the infamous Mount Cashel Orphanage and Catholic clergy over the years.

The RCESJ had already raised $31 million through the sale of 43 church properties in 2022. Adding the $13 million from the schools generates a compensation pot of $44 million. Geoffrey Budden, the lawyer representing most of the abuse survivors, has publicly stated many times that it would take more than $50 million to adequately compensate the over 100 people expected to step forward to make a claim.

“Right from the beginning I have said this has to be a survivor-centred process, and I thought we would need at least $50 million to do justice to the claims,” said Budden. “What I mean is to pay them the values that a court would order if these were going through a typical court assessment. I think we are on track. The money is starting to get to where we need it to get, but there is still work to do.”

St. John’s Archbishop Peter Hundt told The Catholic Register in an email that the archdiocese is “hopeful that this tentative agreement will be a positive step forward in our......

[Bayard]

Subversion of the Church was one part of the long march.