Advocates of sex abuse victims want SF Archdiocese to sell unused property as reparations
The letter references at least eight parishes that don’t have an in-house priest and another 10 churches permanently closed or merged.
"These are properties they could liquidate," said Sakoda.
For example, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School merged with the St. Monica school. The building left behind on Balboa Street, which SNAP said is worth about $25 million, is now leased to a non-Catholic private school, the Terra School.
"There are examples of open land attached to parishes that are not being used for religious purposes that could be sold," said McNevin. "The seminary has 40 acres of land in Atherton. It doesn’t need 40 acres – it could use 10, and 30 acres could be sold to build houses.
"The same with St. Vincent’s in San Rafael. They have 700 acres of ranch land that could be sold to a hold builder," he continued.
McNevin estimates each parish is worth an average of $28 million. He also said their estimates on the property values are conservative and don’t include miscellaneous income the church may be getting.
Litigation records reveal more than 200 priests with the SF Archdiocese are accused of child sex abuse, but SNAP has a record of 400 abusers. SNAP submitted a list of 21 parishes which housed more than seven accused clerics.
"They made these decisions, they created these victims," said Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivors Support Director.
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