Dozens of people who say they were victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests picketed Wednesday outside College Notre-Dame on Queen Mary Rd.

They say school administrators turned a blind eye to a "deluge" of sexual abuse of young students over many years.

Members of AVP – l'Association des victimes de pretres – chose the beginning of Lent to decry what they call the church's refusal to face the problem of abuse.

They say the result is that many priests have not been brought to justice and victims have been denied therapy.

They are also calling for the resignation of the Archbishop of Quebec, Marc Cardinal Ouellet, who promised zero tolerance of pedophilia in the church.

AVP wants other alleged victims of abuse at the college to come forward on its website, http://www.victimesdepretres.org

The alleged victims have already filed a class action suit.