Montreal Priest Who Was Stabbed: ‘I’m Looking Forward to Going Back to Work’

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A Notre Dame de Grâce man has been charged with attempted murder and assault with a weapon after Father Claude Grou was attacked while saying mass at St. Joseph’s Oratory Friday morning.

Vlad Cristian Eremia, 26, was arraigned by videoconference from a detention centre on Saturday afternoon.

Eremia will undergo a psycho-social evaluation before having a bail hearing on Monday.

Crown prosecutor Geneviève Bélanger said she will object to his release.

Eremia appeared calm during his brief court appearance.

In 2015, Eremia pleaded guilty to uttering threats in another case.  He was granted an absolute discharge, which means the guilty plea remained on his record for one year.

Grou, the 77-year-old priest, was released from the Montreal General Hospital on Friday night.

In a statement released Saturday, Grou said he is in good health and added that all the good wishes he has received helped him through the difficult moments on Friday.

“I pray that the Oratory remains a place of welcome, prayer, calm and peace as it has been for more than 100 years. I’m looking forward to going back to work.”

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