Clergy Abuse Survivors Protest Diocese of Victoria
Clergy Abuse Survivors Protest Diocese of Victoria
Lawsuit Announced This Week Claims Abuse and Cover-up at a Victoria School
Diocese of Victoria Also Denies Survivors Request to Participate in this Weekend’s Conference
WHAT: Holding signs and posters at a sidewalk press conference, local survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their advocates will:
- Call on the Diocese of Victoria to explain why it is excluding survivors from this weekend’s conference,
- Bring attention to an ongoing abuse and cover-up case in the Diocese of Victoria, and
- Demand that Catholic officials reveal the whereabouts of the accused priest and all other child abusers who have lived or worked within the Diocese of Victoria
WHO: Several members of a survivor support and advocacy group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, including a Victoria woman whose daughter accused a priest of abuse last year and a Houston man who is the support group’s local leader
WHEN: Between 8:15 and 9:15 AM on Saturday, October 17
WHERE: Outside St. Joseph High School, located at 110 E. Red River Road in Victoria, TX, 77901
WHY: This week, it was announced that a lawsuit has been filed against the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and one of its priests, as well as the Diocese of Victoria and a Victoria school. Now, survivors and advocates are demanding that the Diocese of Victoria share information related to the accusations and take steps to warn parents and parishioners about potentially dangerous men in their communities.
The priest in question, Fr. Phi Nguyen, is currently under investigation by the Victoria police, but has apparently fled from justice and cannot be found to be served with the lawsuit. SNAP believes that Catholic officials likely know where Fr. Nguyen is located and are putting children and the vulnerable at risk by not disclosing his location.
Local survivors are also drawing attention to their exclusion from the Diocese of Victoria’s 33rd annual Catholic Conference that is taking place this weekend. Multiple survivors from SNAP wrote to Diocesan officials in Victoria, asking for survivor voices and experiences to be included in the conference. All but one of those survivors were completely ignored.
“This is just another example of how the Catholic Church wants survivors to be in the background,” said SNAP Leader Eduardo Lopez de Casas. “We are showing up on Saturday to show that we won’t be silent.”
CONTACT: Eduardo Lopez de Casas, SNAP Houston ([email protected], Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
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
Showing 3 comments
Thank you SNAP for keeping Survivors of Abuse by The Catholic Establishment updated on what’s going on behind our Backs. From above Article I now know where The Bishop ( I won’t name him as I have already mentioned him to SNAP) who was SUPPOSED to call me was. I was tackled, sweet talked and Lied to by A Nun instead.
No doubt in The World The Catholic Establishment helped the priest run and hide. Typical M.O.
P.S. Check and see he’s not hiding in The Kimberelys. W. A. An Undesirable Hideout for the pedophile priests. Massive Compound Owned by The Church. That’s where the priest who got me was often sent. I even still have some of the postcards he’d send me. A Young Girl! Always ended with, ‘I love you.xxxxx’. Sickens me just thinking about him.
My Love for The Survivors. The only way to Stamp out this Evil is TO ALWAYS KEEP IT IN THE LIMELIGHT!!!