Father Adrian McInerney, parish priest at St Alipius in Ballarat East, has spoken out about the damage and despair Christian Brother Best wreaked between 1969 and 1988.

Best will face court today to be sentenced on a range of charges relating to victims aged between seven and 13.

Victorian County Court Judge Roy Punshon has been asked to jail Best, now 70, for at least 16 years.

Best pleaded guilty in May this year to the charges, including aggravated buggery and aggravated indecent assault.

The offences were committed over 20 years at three different Catholic schools, including at St Alipius Christian Brothers school in Ballarat, St Leo’s Christian Brothers College at Box Hill and St Joseph’s College, Geelong.

From 1968 to 1973, Best taught at St Alipius, where he also acted as headmaster.

Fr McInerney said the news of the crimes had had an ongoing impact on the congregation. “There is a great sadness in the community but they don’t deny it,’’ he said

“The people of this parish are the collateral damage of this, and while that is nowhere near the damage that has been done to those who have been the victims of the abuse, it does hurt to the parish, to the church and in my opinion to all humanity.”

Fr McInerney said he found the news of the high number of suicides among Best’s victims particularly harrowing.

“We are only beginning to understand how radical this harm is to the human person,’’ he said “These people had lost all hope and that is so horrible.”

Fr McInerney said he recognised the ongoing pain and anger of victims, which was often directed at the Catholic Church in general. “I don’t think anyone can understand the pain unless they themselves are abused and that is why we have to bear the anger. But I would rather bear the anger than deny it or deny people’s right to feel hurt,” he said.

Fr McInerney said the damage of the abuse scandals had “undoubtedly” changed the public perception of the church and could test the loyalty of Catholics.

He said the congregation found it particularly frustrating that in media coverage of the abuse scandal in Ballarat, St Alipius school was confused with an earlier Christian Brothers’ school where Best’s crimes were committed.

“It was another school that no longer exists and people should know that our parish school had nothing to do with it.”