Bishop claims abuse settlement is not admission of guilt
Shame on San Angelo’s Catholic bishop. He’s trying to have his cake and eat it too – paying a settlement to make a clergy sex abuse and cover up case go away while suggesting no one did anything wrong. And he’s basically trying to bully other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers into keeping silent, by talking tough about going to trial.
Bishop Michael Pfeifer should be encouraging, not discouraging, those who suffer to come forward. Instead of acting like a caring shepherd, he’s acting like a cold-hearted CEO.
The bishop called the settlement ‘the best solution.’ Of course he thinks that. A trial would have almost certainly exposed callous and corrupt church co-workers and supervisors who knew of or suspected – and ignored or concealed - Father David Espitia’s child sex crimes.
We hope that anyone who saw, suspected or suffered crimes by Father David Espitia – or any cleric – will find the strength and courage to speak up, get help, call police, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.
Read more: http://www.mywesttexas.com/top_stories/article_a1e015cb-a2f0-52f9-afb7-8ed18d080825.html
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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