After days and days and days of dragging its feet, the local newsmedia, the daily Northumberland Today, finally decided to tell a Cobourg story to Cobourgers. Too little, too late. Meanwhile, Cobourg residents, obtained their local stories from sources outside the community. Talk about incompetent local news gathering. At the bottom is an exerpt from the story. Agenda anyone?
Northumberland Today declined to list the parishioners who are each facing a $20,000 lawsuit by Mr Corcoran. These are the respondents:
Jean Amelia, 723 Murray Crescent, Cobourg
Joan Mowat, 47 Munroe Street, Cobourg
Jack Vollering, 7775 County Rd #2 RR4, Cobourg
Gerald Lawless, 316 D’Arcy Street, Cobourg
Melvin McPhee, 6 Orchard Ave, Cobourg
Hilda McPhee, 6 Orchard Ave, Cobourg
Reg Ward, 34 Spencer Street West
Arthur Champagne, 812 Rutherford St, Cobourg
James Keeler, 225 Ruttan Terrace, Cobourg
Joseph O’Grady, 130 Tremaine St, Cobourg
Agnes Marchand, 478 Harden Cres, Cobourg
Huguette Keeler, 225 Ruttan Terrace, Cobourg
Mr Corcoran completed the complaint by ticking off EMPLOYMENT as the Area of Discrimination:
6. Area of Alleged Discrimination
The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination in five areas. Put an "X" in the box beside the area where you believe you have experienced discrimination (choose one).
[X] Employment
[ ] Housing
[ ] Goods, Services or Facilities
[ ] Contracts
[ ] Membership in a Vocational Association
Does your Application involve discrimination in other areas? [ ] Yes [X] No
This is the text of Mr Corcoran's complaint:
"In the fall of 2008, after Sunday mass, I was approached my my parish priest, Father Allan Hood. He told me that he was planning to launch an Adult Acolyte Guild at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Cobourg, and he invited me to join. I enthusiastically agreed to serve as I had been feeling a recent renewal of a strong, life long calling to a vocation in the Catholic Church. Along with several other adults, I attended practices and was fitted for a cassock and started serving mass in December of 2008. Just after Holy Week 2009, Father Hood asked to see me. He was clearly agitated and under duress. He told me that a group of 12 parishioners had been conducting a letter writing campaign to the Bishop (Nicola DeAngelis) objecting to many of the changes Father Hood had implemented since taking over St. Michael's parish in the summer of 2008. In their most recent letter to the Bishop this group had threatened to go public with their complaints if the Bishop did not remove the 2 gay servers from the altar. The Bishop called Father Hood to a meeting on Monday morning, April 20th, 2009 at which time he presented him with a letter signed by 12 parishioners objecting to a number of things that Father Hood has done since being appointed to this parish, one of which was allowing 2 openly gay men to serve on the altar. Father Hood summarized the content of this letter during our meeting, but did not give me a copy as the Bishop had instructed him not to. Apparently this group had written to the Bishop on this topic on at least one previous occasion. In their letters the group has tried to establish that I am married to my same sex partner, that I am an active homosexual leading an openly homosexual lifestyle and they implied that I may be in a relationship with Father Hood. Based on the group's letter, the Bishop told Father Hood to inform me that I was no longer to serve on the altar. He also told Father Hood that he would be happy to meet with me to discuss this matter. I called the Bishop at his office on Tuesday morning, April 21st, 2009 and asked him to meet with me to discuss his order. He declined to meet with me, and told me that I should follow the advice of St. Paul and abstain from doing something that others found offensive. I also asked the Bishop how he would respond if I were to pursue a vocation within the Catholic Church, and he told me that there is a process for this, but felt I should know that in his diocese applications for a vocation from persons over the age of 30 are not accepted. This seemed strange to me as most deacons are ordained in the latter part of their lives. I feel that my human rights have been violated by the 12 parishioners, by the Bishop and by the Catholic Archdiocese of Peterborough, exclusively on the basis of my sexual orientation. By threatening the Bishop with public scandal, this group of 12 parishioners have used their distaste towards homosexuality to limit my right to serve my church and deepen my faith by serving on the altar, and to pursue a vocation within the Catholic Church. They have also caused me embarrassment in my church community by circulating petitions to fellow parishioners containing accusations pertaining to my lifestyle. By not responding to this group of 12 parishioners on this issue, and by directing Father Hood to tell me that I am no longer welcome to serve on the Altar, and by discouraging me from pursuing a vocation, the Bishop has endorsed and enabled the hateful and discriminatory will of this group of 12 people towards me, undermining my rights as a human being."
Northumberland Today declined to list the parishioners who are each facing a $20,000 lawsuit by Mr Corcoran. These are the respondents:
Jean Amelia, 723 Murray Crescent, Cobourg
Joan Mowat, 47 Munroe Street, Cobourg
Jack Vollering, 7775 County Rd #2 RR4, Cobourg
Gerald Lawless, 316 D’Arcy Street, Cobourg
Melvin McPhee, 6 Orchard Ave, Cobourg
Hilda McPhee, 6 Orchard Ave, Cobourg
Reg Ward, 34 Spencer Street West
Arthur Champagne, 812 Rutherford St, Cobourg
James Keeler, 225 Ruttan Terrace, Cobourg
Joseph O’Grady, 130 Tremaine St, Cobourg
Agnes Marchand, 478 Harden Cres, Cobourg
Huguette Keeler, 225 Ruttan Terrace, Cobourg
Mr Corcoran completed the complaint by ticking off EMPLOYMENT as the Area of Discrimination:
6. Area of Alleged Discrimination
The Ontario Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination in five areas. Put an "X" in the box beside the area where you believe you have experienced discrimination (choose one).
[X] Employment
[ ] Housing
[ ] Goods, Services or Facilities
[ ] Contracts
[ ] Membership in a Vocational Association
Does your Application involve discrimination in other areas? [ ] Yes [X] No
This is the text of Mr Corcoran's complaint:
"In the fall of 2008, after Sunday mass, I was approached my my parish priest, Father Allan Hood. He told me that he was planning to launch an Adult Acolyte Guild at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Cobourg, and he invited me to join. I enthusiastically agreed to serve as I had been feeling a recent renewal of a strong, life long calling to a vocation in the Catholic Church. Along with several other adults, I attended practices and was fitted for a cassock and started serving mass in December of 2008. Just after Holy Week 2009, Father Hood asked to see me. He was clearly agitated and under duress. He told me that a group of 12 parishioners had been conducting a letter writing campaign to the Bishop (Nicola DeAngelis) objecting to many of the changes Father Hood had implemented since taking over St. Michael's parish in the summer of 2008. In their most recent letter to the Bishop this group had threatened to go public with their complaints if the Bishop did not remove the 2 gay servers from the altar. The Bishop called Father Hood to a meeting on Monday morning, April 20th, 2009 at which time he presented him with a letter signed by 12 parishioners objecting to a number of things that Father Hood has done since being appointed to this parish, one of which was allowing 2 openly gay men to serve on the altar. Father Hood summarized the content of this letter during our meeting, but did not give me a copy as the Bishop had instructed him not to. Apparently this group had written to the Bishop on this topic on at least one previous occasion. In their letters the group has tried to establish that I am married to my same sex partner, that I am an active homosexual leading an openly homosexual lifestyle and they implied that I may be in a relationship with Father Hood. Based on the group's letter, the Bishop told Father Hood to inform me that I was no longer to serve on the altar. He also told Father Hood that he would be happy to meet with me to discuss this matter. I called the Bishop at his office on Tuesday morning, April 21st, 2009 and asked him to meet with me to discuss his order. He declined to meet with me, and told me that I should follow the advice of St. Paul and abstain from doing something that others found offensive. I also asked the Bishop how he would respond if I were to pursue a vocation within the Catholic Church, and he told me that there is a process for this, but felt I should know that in his diocese applications for a vocation from persons over the age of 30 are not accepted. This seemed strange to me as most deacons are ordained in the latter part of their lives. I feel that my human rights have been violated by the 12 parishioners, by the Bishop and by the Catholic Archdiocese of Peterborough, exclusively on the basis of my sexual orientation. By threatening the Bishop with public scandal, this group of 12 parishioners have used their distaste towards homosexuality to limit my right to serve my church and deepen my faith by serving on the altar, and to pursue a vocation within the Catholic Church. They have also caused me embarrassment in my church community by circulating petitions to fellow parishioners containing accusations pertaining to my lifestyle. By not responding to this group of 12 parishioners on this issue, and by directing Father Hood to tell me that I am no longer welcome to serve on the Altar, and by discouraging me from pursuing a vocation, the Bishop has endorsed and enabled the hateful and discriminatory will of this group of 12 people towards me, undermining my rights as a human being."
Mr Corcoran has asked the Ontario Human Rights Commission for the following Financial remedy: "I feel that a penalty of $20,000 paid by each of the 12 parishioner towards a charity of my choosing will serve as a deterrent to each of them from slandering the reputation of and trampling on the human rights of others. I would like my legal costs related to this application to be covered by the Diocese of Peterborough, to a maximum of $25,000."
Mr Corcoran has further requested the following: "I would like the group of 12 parishioners to be held accountable for their un-Christian actions, in front of their peers in a public forum, by the Bishop or the Bishop's superior. I would like the Bishop to preach a sermon at St. Michael's Church on the consequences of practicing discrimination and the slanderous spreading of rumours, hate and innuendo. I would also like the Bishop to publicly restore my role as a server at St. Michael's church, and to apologize for the injustice caused to me, my friends and family."
Mr Corcoran requested the following 'Public Interest remedy': "I would like the Catholic Archdiocese of Peterborough to publish an article written by the Bishop in the regularly published diocesan news magazine on the rights of persons with same sex attractions to practice their faith within the Catholic Church without fear of threats, recrimination or discrimination. I would also like the Catholic Archdiocese of Peterborough to develop and publish policies that support the human rights of all people within the church."
=================
Northumberland Today reports:
"While the decision that they must quit their voluntary church work came down from De Angelis in April, Corcoran's application to the tribunal was only filed about two weeks ago, he told Northumberland Today. That's because the same group of 12 parishioners are continuing a vendetta against Father Hood and had circulated yet another petition against his decisions and actions, he said.
'It was then I decided to file the complaint,' Corcoran said."
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