Yes, there was a farm by the name of Ste Véronique. That's where they raised sheep. We sometimes got to go there for the summer as well as stayed there after the fire.

I was there from summer 1970 to spring 1977.

I do remember staying after the fire before my parents picked us up in the summer of 1976.

From the names you gave when you said you had fond memories..... I would think you were in the group that was younger than me. You probably would have known my sister, Jacqueline. My family consisted of 9 kids in there, 6 girls and 3 boys.

Hey did you know that some of us ex-members are metting on face book as well as yahoo? Look it up if you think you might be interested in reconnecting with other old members.

I'm on FB and I have reconnected with a Jacqueline...thanks

Hey there, nice to meet u guys, i lived at the cult from 1985-2001. u guys seem to have been there before my time. But i still have some relatives up in there. i guess father john is still alive but barely, he had an operation 12 years ago removing half his pancreas it was cancerous. He`s been very week ever since. Father Mathurin (father jerome`s ,sister Jeanne d`arc son) is now running the place. i dont know if he`s gone proclaim himself pope or not when father john dies, thats gone be real funny. When i was there i did the entire juvenat thing 10 years of it then 6 years at the brothers. There was a big rade in 1999, i was at the novices camp that morning, when the cops busted in, lol. Alot of people have left that joint, they dont have enough people anymore. Now they are bringing up black folks from their mission in Guadeloupe to do all the forced labor. Anyway get back to me i would be interested in hearing your stories!!

Even though we did not all live there at the same time, you can still join a group which networks with past members. In the yahoo "ex-apotres" group, we recently had someone who joined who was there from 84 to 86. Maybe you knew her brother? Anyway, hope you are doing well and hopefully we will come to know you too. Eventually, maybe more will come that you actually knew.

The facebook group is not actively posting as some people are very concious of how "almost anyone" can read the topics. Some did not want it to be known that they were ever associated with the place, others wanted to scream and shout about the abuse while others worried about slander charges. Therefore, two other groups were formed on yahoo where discussions could be kept private: "Ex-apotres" and "St. Jovite survivors".

The first yahoo group, places emphasis on renewing friendships, how we have moved on as well as discussing the past, the good memories and the bad. Most in this group still have family relatives there too. A second yahoo group was formed, as the first was not meeting their needs.

Hopefully, you will find the niche group that best fits you. Neither group is better than the other, it's just that ex-members are all at different levels of growth/healing depending on what happened to them in the monastery as well as after they got out.

As far as I know, two members from this rick ross group are now in the "ex-apotres" group and two have moved over to form the "survivors" group. As I said, pick the group that best fits your path in life. It is interesting for us to hear how things have been after we got out.

Hey, I didn't remember Père Jérôme having a son! I only knew of his daughter. I was with the police on one of the 1999 raids as we were looking for Germain and Brenda. But of course, I did not get to go on the boys side.

Hi Santos,
So glad you found this website. How old were you while you were there? How did you manage to get out?
There have been many ex-members that have connected through this website as well as through some yahoo groups.
I read about the raid in the paper....it seems that no one is able to make any court charges stick to this guy. Many of us experienced extreme abuses while we were there.
Anyway, there are lots of us out here and if you want to connect, let us know.

Hey wow!! this is amasing!! That i found u guys, i will definetely get into those yahoo groups. I got there when i was 6 years old and left at 22. It was long boring and painful time. I`m just glad i got out young. Alot of them are on the point of no return. They have been institutionalised.... Anyway see u on those yahoo groups!!

Chatte is right, the ex-apotre group is more for people who want to reunite with old friends and talk about the good times and maybe some of the bad times. Chatt is also right that in the ex- apotre group they are at all different stages of recovery.Some members never say anything at all, they do not participate in any discussion and no one knows where they are in their recovery, some acknowledge there were abuses, while others are still in denial, and there is even one who does nothing but find excuses for child abuse and the abusers.

That's why St Jovite Survivors was created, ...for people who reject child abuse.
We are a very small group, more like a family, we support each other and talk about anything and everything.
ex-apotre is a nice group if you want to shoot the breeze and talk about more comfortable things, but I wouldn't disclose any personal stuff because there are too many people at so many different levels and I have found that many of them wouldn't know child abuse if it fell out of the sky and did a tap dance on their nose.
So enjoy yourself in the ex-apotre group, they are a great bunch of people, just remember to keep the personal stuff to yourself, because that is not a safe environment.