A Catholic religious order in Ireland is looking for Canadian victims of noted pro-life pastor Fr. Ted Colleton.
The callout comes as the Spiritan Provincial acknowledges “sexual abuse carried out by Fr. Colleton in his role as Spiritual Director and Counsellor at Blackrock College” in Ireland.
“I wish to declare, for the purposes of public record and the upcoming Commission of Inquiry into child sexual abuse in secondary schools in Ireland, that the Spiritans have issued a written apology to a former pupil at Blackrock College,” wrote Brendan Carr, head of the Spiritan Provincial in Ireland, in a press release issued this week.
Colleton, who also worked in Kenya, was transferred to Canada in 1971. He retired in 2007 and died in 2011. He is well known in this country for his pro-life work. Niagara Region Right to Life holds an annual essay contest for high school seniors dubbed The Father Ted Colleton Scholarship Program.
“News of formal allegations of abuse comes as a shock to us and, we expect, to those who knew Fr. Ted and his work in defence of life,” said Jeff Gunnarson, National President of Campaign Life Coalition.
“We fully recognize the gravity of any allegation of sexual abuse, especially involving a minor. For this reason, we are approaching this matter with the seriousness, charity, and concern for truth that it deserves.”
The Spiritan Provincial in Ireland is asking anyone in either country “who suffered childhood or any abuse,” by Colleton to reach out to is safeguarding office in Dublin via safeguarding@spiritan.ie.
Liam O’Connor told Village Media that he first reported the historic abuse he suffered at Colleton’s hands in 2002. He said the incident happened in 1967 when he was 14 years old.
“I spent eight years in therapy and felt strong enough to report my abuse,” said O’Connor. “The Garda said that because of his age – Colleton was 89 and living in Canada – they would have to apply for an extradition order which would not be granted so, they wouldn’t take the case forward.”
In May 2023, after a Restorative Justice Meeting, O’Connor was issued a formal apology from the head of the Spiritans at the time. O’Connor said officials in Canada including members of the Spiritan Province of TransCanada and Colleton himself were notified about the report.
“The complaint against Edward (Ted) Colleton was also reported at the time the complaint was made, to the statutory authorities in Ireland, An Garda Siochana (Irish National Police Service) and Tusla (Child and Family Agency, Ireland), and to the NBSCCCI (the Catholic Church Body in Ireland for Child Safeguarding),” said Carr.