Advocates comment following the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika of the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, TN
June 28, 2023
What: Press Conference
When: June 29, 2023, 9:00 a.m. EDT
Where: Hilton Garden Inn, 216 Peregrine Way, Knoxville, TN 37922 (865) 690-6511
Who:
- Susan Vance, a Tennessee leader of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)
- Patrick A. Thronson, Attorney for the Plaintiff, John Doe v. the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Bishop Richard Stika, Janet, Janet, & Suggs, LLC, Baltimore, MD
- John Spragens, Attorney for the Plaintiff, John Doe v. the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Bishop Richard Stika, Spragens Law PLC, Nashville, TN
- Andrew C. Fels, Attorney for the Plaintiff, Jane Doe v. the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Anthony Punnackal, Fels Law
- Dave Wells, former Director of Religious Education at Sacred Heart Cathedral
Why: Commentary from attorneys as well as advocates following the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika of the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, TN
Join the complete press conference on Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86918275289 (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86918275289) You can sign into the meeting as early as 8:00 a.m. and will be let into the press conference at 9:00 a.m. This will be recorded as well and made available to be seen later.
Summary: Pope Francis yesterday, June 27, 2023, confirmed the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee. At this press conference, you will hear from key players in the events that will unfold in this saga in Knoxville. There will be time for questions at the end.
Links:
New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/us/bishop-richard-stika-resigns-vatican.html’’
Knoxville News Sentinel
Statement from Bishop Richard Stika
https://dioknox.org/news/bishop-stika-announces-retirement
Statement from Archbishop Shelton Fabre https://dioknox.org/news/message-from-apostolic-administrator
Contact: Susan Vance, SNAP Leader Tennessee (865-748-3518 [email protected] snapnetwork.org) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director (267-261-0578 [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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