Episcopal Priest Accused of Abuse, SNAP Calls for Outreach
An Episcopal priest who was removed from the priesthood in 1992 has now been accused of sexually abusing a child. Anglican officials must use all resources at their disposal to warn parents and parishioners and encourage others who may have been hurt by the priest to come forward and get help.
According church officials from the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, Bruce Wirtz has been accused of sexually abusing a child while he worked at St. Peter’s Church in Springfield, MA in the 1970s. Though Wirtz passed away in 2007, we believe that it is likely that there could be still-suffering victims who have yet to come forward. We call on Episcopal church officials to use all available resources to share this news and encourage those with information to come forward.
Church officials indicate they have already informed parishioners at each location where Wirtz worked. We are grateful that they have taken this step and hope that they will keep the information about Wirtz prominently displayed on parish websites and in parish bulletins, alongside lists of local resources for survivors of sexual abuse and information on how victims can report to police.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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
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