Belleville Priest Pleads Guilty, SNAP Responds
Another Belleville area priest has pled guilty to child sex crimes but this matter can’t be considered over. Bishop Edward Braxton and his staff must use their resources to find out whether the cleric hurt children and should be charged with more crimes. And the guilty priest must be kept away from children for as long as possible, so we urge the judge to put the safety of children first when it’s time for sentencing.
Fr. Gerald R. Hechenberger of Mascoutah’s Holy Childhood Catholic Church and school, has admitted to child porn distribution and meth possession. The question is: What will his boss do to determine whether’s he’s done other wrongdoing not yet discovered by law enforcement and if so, are there victims of his who are suffering in shame, silence and self-blame?
It’s not hard, expensive or controversial to seek these answers. All it takes are short announcements on church websites, in parish bulletins and from pulpits: “If you saw, suspected or suffered crimes by Fr. Hechenberger, please call independent sources of help like police, prosecutors, therapists or support groups immediately.”
We hope every victim, witness or whistleblower with suspicions or knowledge of crimes by Fr. Hechenberger or cover ups by his colleagues or superiors will speak up now.
And we hope the judge will give him the harshest possible sentence so kids will be safe from him for as long as the law permits.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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