Remains of priest removed from Quebec Mohawk community after sex abuse allegations

The remains of a priest alleged to have sexually abused children have been exhumed and removed from the Mohawk community of Kahnawake.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, which governs the community south of Montreal, says the remains of Rev. Leon Lajoie, who died in 1999, were exhumed Wednesday.

Last summer, several members of the community alleged that they were abused by Lajoie and called for his remains to be removed to start a healing process.

“There is some relief already,” said Melissa Montour-Lazare, a spokesperson for the victims. “Yesterday, we [saw] some closure start to happen.”

Members of the community in March voted 233 to 195 in favour of the exhumation.

Montour-Lazare says Lajoie’s burial site brought trauma to many.

“There was people starting to patronize his grave, bringing flowers,” she said. “It was almost like a slap in the face to the survivors because when they’re passing, they’re seeing this.”

Lajoie, a Jesuit, arrived in Kahnawake in 1961 and was a parish priest until 1990.

Montour-Lazare was on hand for the exhumation Wednesday and said one of the alleged victims was emotional.

“Her face changed and I heard her sigh of relief and she cried,” she said.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke says in a statement: 

“It was important to remind ourselves, as a community, that this has been a difficult and emotional issue. It was important to carry out the relocation in the respectful and dignified manner that a solemn occasion such as this deserves. As a collective, we must continue to find the path towards true healing. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke strongly supports all sincere efforts towards that healing and to reconciliation overall.”

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An investigation by the Jesuits found no evidence of abuse by Lajoie, though it found evidence of a “serious sexual assault at St. Francis-Xavier Mission,” the church where Lajoie was buried, but the probe concluded the assault was committed by someone else.

In a statement, the Jesuits of Canada tell CityNews:

“Respect for human remains are deep spiritual beliefs in both Catholic and Indigenous cultures. The repatriation of Fr. Leon Lajoie’s remains has been planned in consultation with the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK), the Community and the Parish Council of St. Francis-Xavier Mission. […] The Jesuits will be welcoming home one of their own to his intended resting spot. We have faith that the repatriation will lead to a peaceful solution to this situation and promote healing in the community of Kahnawà:ke.”

Lajoie’s remains were moved to a Jesuit cemetery in St-Jerome, 60 kilometres north of the community.

For victims, Montour-Lazare says, the path to healing can now begin.

“When the survivor (saw) that his grave was dug up, that his remains were gone, you don’t have to pass by there and feel sick anymore, know they know he’s gone now, they’re kind of like clear in their mind about that part,” she said. “They can start working on other things, and to me, that was what was most important.”