Court approves sale of 42 Catholic church properties to settle abuse victims claims

The Supreme Court docket of Newfoundland and Labrador has authorised the sale of 42 properties belonging to the Roman Catholic Episcopal Company of St. John’s, together with 12 church buildings, as dozens extra church property gross sales loom throughout jap Newfoundland.

The transfer will reshape the panorama for Catholics within the St. John’s space and past because the church — which has been held answerable for sexual and bodily abuse on the Mount Cashel orphanage — raises cash to settle sufferer claims from the Forties, ’50s and ’60s. 

Details about the gross sales got here Monday as Ernst & Younger, the court-appointed monitor, introduced a report back to the court docket concerning the sale-by-tender course of which noticed bids for the properties submitted in early June.

An order from the court docket in chapter and insolvency proceedings posted on Ernst & Younger’s web site sheds mild on who’s shopping for the properties. The order stated the enduring Basilica Cathedral and Pastoral Centre, St. Bonaventure’s Faculty and St. Bon’s Discussion board shall be offered to the Basilica Heritage Basis, which has pledged to guard the historic properties.

The St. Teresa’s Mundy Pond Company has been really helpful because the profitable bidder for St. Teresa’s Church, whereas the Archdiocesan Renewal Company, which has Archbishop of St. John’s Peter Hundt as considered one of three administrators, has bought St. Thomas of Villanova Church and its vacant land. Each teams goal to maintain these parishes energetic.

Nevertheless, the fates of most of the different Catholic church buildings are much less sure.

In a letter learn to parishioners at mass this previous weekend, Archbishop Hundt says only some of the property consumers intend to make use of the buildings as Catholic church buildings.

Within the east finish of St. John’s, the Affiliation of New Canadians has bought St. Pius X Church and the adjoining St. Pius X Junior Excessive Faculty, the place the group is already providing programming to newcomers within the former faculty. 

St. Patrick’s Church in downtown St. John’s has been offered to Howard Actual Property Group. Corpus Christi Church, its workplace and group centre have been offered to legislation agency Stewart McKelvey, which is appearing as an agent for an unknown purchaser.

The city of Flatrock is shopping for St. Michael’s Church and the Our Woman of Lourdes Grotto — a website the place Pope John Paul II visited in 1984.

Completely different numbered corporations have bought the Mary Queen of Peace church in St. John’s and St. Joseph’s Church in Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove.

In Pouch Cove, St. Agnes Church and rectory offered to G.J. Shortall Ltd., and St. Francis of Assisi Church, the Archbishop’s residence, rectory, and a couple of parcels of vacant land have been offered to Rocky Hill Holdings Inc. 

In keeping with the court docket, 19 properties didn’t obtain acceptable bids, together with St. Peter’s Church and Mary Queen of the World Church in Mount Pearl, St. Paul’s Church in St. John’s, Holy Household Church in Paradise, St. Edward’s in Conception Bay South and Holy Trinity in Torbay. Quite a few vacant parcels of land and church rectories additionally didn’t obtain acceptable bids. 

In the meantime, Hundt says the monitor can even current a technique to the court docket to promote 70 extra properties, together with all remaining church buildings, halls and rectories positioned on the Burin Peninsula and the southern Avalon peninsula.

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