St. Mary's Catholic Church in Chilliwack on Dec. 10, 2020. (Paul Henderson/ Chilliwack Progress)

LETTER: St. Mary’s parishioner not happy Father Santos was barred from coming to Chilliwack

'With its sad history of sexual abuse, the leaders of the Catholic church are twitchy about accusations of cover up'

I am a member of St. Mary’s parish in Chilliwack. We are a strong, vibrant and compassionate community, we conduct many valuable and worthwhile ministries, and we look out for each other. We are the beneficiaries of the wide-reaching, dedicated work that Father [Nelson] Santos did for our parish. As our pastor, he reinforced our beliefs with solid, inspiring thoughtful sermons.

READ MORE: Chilliwack Catholic church pastor fired for alleged ‘sexual misconduct’

That he has been ordered not to come here denies him the right to receive the assurance from his many friends that he has not been judged.

With its sad history of sexual abuse, the leaders of the Catholic church are twitchy about accusations of cover up. However, after three years of silence, and during these stressful COVID times, is the public humiliation of a fundamentally decent and compassionate man truly warranted?

Adrienne O’Shea

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