AZ--Crosiers Fathers and Brothers seek bankruptcy protection, Victims respond
For immediate release
Statement by Tim Lennon of Tucson, AZ, SNAP Volunteer Arizona Leader and board member, (415) 312-5820, [email protected]
When dioceses and religious orders seek protection in federal bankruptcy courts, they do so to protect their assets and embarrassing secrets from public sex abuse and cover-up civil trials.
he Crosiers’ decision today is no different. Church leaders in Phoenix and Minnesota must use every means at their disposal to publicize this bankruptcy and allow victims of sexual abuse plenty of time to learn about the bankruptcy’s deadlines. We urge them to be open and transparent about the process and make public all evidence of child sexual abuse in their files.
We also hope that the Crosier leadership does not use the bankruptcy to hide decades of abuse and cover-up, or to force victims into shame and silence because they did not learn of arbitrary court deadlines.
The Crosier Order trained and housed some of the most heinous predators who worked in the United States—men like Gerald Funcheon, who after abusing in California, Hawaii, Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, Florida, and overseas as a chaplain, was finally banned from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for abusing children. Now is not the time for silence and secrecy.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact – Tim Lennon, (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Melanie Jula Sakoda (925-708-6175, [email protected]), Joelle Casteix (949-322-7434, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003, [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