Aroostook County legislators meet with Roman Catholic leaders

PORTLAND – State Sen. John L. Martin, D-Eagle Lake, and state Rep. Rosaire Paradis, D-Frenchville, met Friday with leaders of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland to relay the concerns of people of the St. John Valley about the removal last week of two parish priests.

Martin and Paradis met for more than an hour with Bishop Joseph Gerry, Auxiliary Bishop Michael Cote and co-chancellors Sister Rita Bisonette and Monsignor Marc Caron at the chancery offices.

The meeting involved discussion about the Revs. Michael Doucette and John Audibert, who were placed last weekend on administrative leave from their priestly duties.

The removal of the two priests came with the announcement that the diocese had taken on a “zero tolerance” policy on the issue of priests and the sexual abuse of minors.

Five weeks ago, at the direction of the diocese, the two priests told their parishioners of their participation in the sexual abuse of minors in the 1970s. After a month of discussions, the “zero tolerance” policy was put into effect, and the two men were removed from their parishes.

Martin declined to speak about the meeting, saying it was a private discussion.

“We wanted to have a private meeting and discussion with the bishops to relay some concerns that we had,” Martin said by telephone from Augusta after the session. “I will not be specific about things that were said because it was a private conversation.”

Paradis was more open about the session, saying it was a meeting to discuss information relayed to him by constituents from Madawaska, St. Agatha, Frenchville and Sinclair.

“I really don’t know how much movement will come off this,” the legislator said. “I have mixed emotions, but we had questions to ask.

“We did not ask for their reinstatement; that wasn’t why we wanted to meet with them,” Paradis said. “Many people are worried about the well-being of the two priests, and we were assured they are being taken care of.”

“The meeting was very cordial. The bishop listened attentively, with concern and compassion, to the two legislators who were able to convey to him feelings and emotions of the St. John Valley,” said Sue Bernard, a diocesan spokeswoman who was not in the meeting. “Plans are being made for the bishop to travel to the St. John Valley, but no specific date has been set.”

The two priests have left their rectories in the St. John Valley and have been staying with friends since last weekend, when Auxiliary Bishop Cote announced the bishop’s decision during Masses.

“Nothing has been decided on the future of the two, except that it will not include ministry,” Bernard said. “The church has an obligation to give them decent support until they come of retirement age.”

Bernard said the diocese needs to provide for the priests. Decent support is enough for a place to live and a stipend of some kind, and it includes medical insurance. Priests can retire at age 61, but retirement benefits are not paid until they are at least age 65.

The two will be entitled to pensions when they reach age 65 since they were both in the ministry for more than the minimum 15 years. Doucette is 55 and Audibert is 61.The removal of the two priests was met last weekend in the St. John Valley with shock, dismay and disbelief. Parishioners, according to Paradis, have raised many concerns, feeling their wishes were not taken into consideration in the discussions and decisions by the bishop.

Paradis said some people are talking about separating from the diocese or creating a new diocese, a smaller one like those in New Brunswick.

“Residents of the St. John Valley felt let down by the process, disconnected from the diocese,” Paradis said. “Those concerns, many of which are about the well-being of the two priests, have been relayed to us by letter, in person and by telephone.

“These two priests served their parishes and the area very well for many years,” Paradis said. “They were well-liked by their parishioners, and it shows in their concern for them.”

Doucette was not a stranger to the area, even though he served St. Agatha, Frenchville and Sinclair only since July 2001. He was in St. Francis before last July, had served in Madawaska for eight years, and was in St. Louis Parish in Fort Kent in the early 1980s.

Audibert, a Fort Kent native, served in the St. Agatha Parish from 1978 to 1985. He began serving in Madawaska in July 2001.

Two new priests, the Rev. Clement Thibodeau and the Rev. Hubert Paquet, arrived Friday in the St. John Valley and are expected to begin ministering today in Madawaska and the other three parishes.

“Programs in these valley parishes will suffer without them,” Paradis said of the removed priests. “There are all kinds of mixed feelings in the parishes about their priests.”

Paradis said he thought the bishop would go north at some point to “calm the waters.”

“I don’t know if it will bring any changes about,” he said.