In a correspondence dated March 31, 1970, Father Leonard Joseph Kelly received a directive from Bishop John Michael O’Neill, instructing him to vacate his parish promptly as the bishop perceived no alternative course of action. The bishop’s letter hinted at prolonged misconduct on the part of the priest, urging Kelly to make arrangements to permanently depart from Baie Verte under the guise of requiring medical treatment due to feeling unwell.
The bishop’s communication was veiled, never explicitly disclosing the nature of the priest’s transgressions, referring to it simply as a “problem” that was more deeply ingrained than previously known. Interestingly, O’Neill emphasized the importance of candor and honesty from Kelly while emphasizing the need for confidentiality.
Rather than involving authorities, newly discovered letters from Kelly’s personnel file at the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Grand Falls revealed that the bishop directed the priest to the Southdown Institute, a contentious therapy center near Toronto known for treating various issues among priests, ranging from alcoholism and depression to pedophilia.
These letters have become central to a rare legal action in central Newfoundland, with the church’s insurance provider, Guardian Insurance, seeking a Norwich order to compel the Southdown Institute to release Kelly’s files from 1970. Guardian aims to ascertain why Kelly was admitted to the institute, suspecting that the records could indicate prior knowledge within the church of Kelly posing a risk to children before the insurance policy was established in the 1980s.
The lawsuit filed in 2022 accuses Kelly of sexual abuse in Gander, with the plaintiff alleging enduring forced sexual acts by Kelly between 1977 and 1983, starting from the age of six. Kelly was previously convicted of sexually assaulting two 12-year-old boys in the mid-1980s, leading to a brief probation term and subsequent imprisonment.
The legal battle sheds light on the church’s actions regarding Kelly’s misconduct and its efforts to address the scandal while highlighting the broader issue of clergy abuse within the Catholic Church.
