Oratory stabbing: Father Grou out of hospital, suspect to appear in court

Father Claude Grou is in stable condition and the suspect will appear in court Saturday to face charges.

A suspect is to be arraigned in court on Saturday, the day after the rector at St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montreal was stabbed as he said mass in the church.

Footage from the 8:30 a.m. mass on Friday, broadcast on a Catholic television network, showed a man dressed in dark clothing and wearing a white baseball cap walking toward the altar. The man knocked over a candle as he rushed toward Father Claude Grou, striking him at least twice with an object in his right hand. Grou moved away, falling as the man attacked him and knocking over a banner at the right of the altar.

Several other people rushed to the altar, blocking the man from getting close to Grou. The priest then stood up and was helped by people in the church.

“There was a man, a young man, who stood up and, quickly, went to the front, into the sanctuary, behind the altar where Abbé Claude Grou was standing. No one was sure what exactly was happening and I saw the priest move a bit, farther away from this person,” said Philip Barrett, who witnessed the scene. “He struck him. I didn’t see clearly how he struck him, but it was toward (Grou’s) body, then after that I think the priest fell. Then, suddenly, people reacted and went toward the front of the church.”

Barrett said the suspect did not resist when he was subdued by security guards.

“The assailant was on the ground, calm, and had two men on top of him keeping him there,” said witness Alice Plamondon.

Police spokesperson Caroline Chèvrefils said the 26-year-old suspect is known to police. He was questioned and is to be arraigned by videoconference in the Court of Quebec in Montreal on Saturday, the police announced on Friday afternoon. They did not release the name of the suspect because he wasn’t yet charged.

For its part, the Crown had not announced by late Friday what charges would be laid against the suspect.

Oratory spokesperson Céline Barbeau confirmed that Grou, 77, was taken to a hospital. She said she spoke to Grou later Friday and that he was doing well.

“The wounds were superficial,” she said. “He’s shaken by the situation but he has a clear voice and is doing very, very well.”

Grou was released from the hospital later Friday. He told CTV News he would go home to rest and return to work after he has recuperated, but “my health is fine.” He also thanked all those who helped after the altercation, and those who expressed concern and prayed for him.

Grou, who is a member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, has been at the Oratory since the early 2000s.

Police closed off the area around the crypt in the lower section of the Oratory for their investigation. But Barbeau said the rest of the building is open to the public. Masses are being said in the basilica at the church, she said.

“People will come to pray for Father Grou,” she said.

While there is 24-hour security at the Oratory, Barbeau said there are no metal detectors in the building.

“This is a place of openness and a place of prayer so we cannot close a place like that,” she said. “It is an absolutely safe place.”

The Archbishop of Montreal, Christian Lépine, issued a statement on the website of the Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal offering support to Grou and thanks to those who assisted him.

“We are all shocked by this act of violence that has taken place in our city, in a space dedicated to peace,” the archbishop’s message said.

“We know that places of worship of many religions are targets of acts of violence. We must continue to follow the path of peace and love, believing that good will overcome evil through prayer and good works. … I would especially like to recognize the first responders, especially those who courageously protected Father Grou. I thank the police force for their timely response, the ambulance technicians for their diligence and the support staff for their courage.”

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante reacted to the attack on Twitter, saying, “What a horrible and inexcusable gesture that has no place in Montreal. I am relieved to learn that Father Claude Grou … is out of danger and in stable condition. In the name of all Montrealers, I wish him a speedy recovery.”

The diocese, meanwhile, said it wouldn’t comment on whether any security measures are being taken to protect churches in the city in the wake of the attack.

Barbeau said about 50 people were attending the mass when the attack occurred, including the attacker, who was at the back of the church.

She said people were shaken and saddened by what happened. “Father Grou is very much appreciated by the pilgrims who come to the Oratory.”

Barbeau said that to her knowledge a similar attack has never taken place at the Oratory.

The Oratory towers over Queen Mary Rd. in the city’s Côte-des-Neiges district. It is visited by more than 2 million people every year.

It houses a basilica that can seat 2,000 people, as well as a smaller crypt church with seating for 1,000. It is also home to the tomb of Saint Brother André, the Catholic lay brother whose small wooden chapel laid the foundations for the massive basilica.

The Oratory is the largest church in Canada.

Some people visiting the Oratory on Friday said they were shocked by the attack.

“That’s crazy,” said Abilash Uthayabas, 19, visiting from Toronto. “Why would they do that to a priest? It’s a holy place to commit a crime. I’m wondering why that would happen to begin with? We’re going to pray for the best for the priest.”

“In Paris, these kinds of attacks are frequent,” said Isabelle Michel, visiting from Chartres, France. “It is always shocking, though. There are more and more of these kinds of dramatic events. And that it happened to a priest — it’s true that it’s difficult.

“The world in which we live is getting worse and worse. But we can’t live in fear. We have to take measures.”

The Montreal Gazette’s T’Cha Dunlevy and Linda Gyulai and Canadian Press contributed to this report.

Mélanie Joly, minister of Canadian Heritage, speaks with Father Claude Grou, rector of St. Joseph’s Oratory in 2016.

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