ST. JOHN’S, NL –
The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has approved the sale of 42 properties belonging to the local Roman Catholic Church to pay to survivors of sexual abuse at the former Mount Cashel orphanage.
Among the properties being changed hands is the spacious, 167-year-old Basilica of Saint John the Baptist, overlooking the provincial capital.
It was sold to the Basilica Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit that has committed to maintaining the building as a place of worship.
Archbishop Peter Hundt said only some of the churches sold so far were purchased by buyers with the intention of maintaining buildings like Catholic churches.
A message from Hundt read during Masses over the weekend said an additional 70 church-owned properties across Newfoundland would also be up for sale.
The archdiocese is responsible for abuse that occurred at the St. John’s from the 1940s to 1960s following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada last year, and settlements are expected to top $50 million.
This Canadian Press report was first published on July 18, 2022.
