Gérard Tsatselam boarded the ferryboat and settled in his usual place, on a reclining seat, at the back of a cold, unlit room that would have been packed in summer.
Uneasy, he sat shrouded in his large, black coat as high winter winds delayed the boat’s arrival in the village where he was trying to save the church.
Except for a quick stopover for a funeral, he had not visited his parish — in Unamen Shipu, an Indigenous reserve on the frigid, isolated coast of northeastern Quebec — in months.
Mold had invaded the presbytery and left him scrambling for lodging on each visit.
Another reason behind his unease was the enduring fallout from the accusations of sexual and other abuse by a predecessor, a Belgian priest.
Persons:
Gérard Tsatselam, Mold, Father Gérard, —
Organizations:
Quebec —, Catholic, Central
Locations:
Unamen, Quebec, Belgian, Central African, Cameroon