Episcopal Priest in MA Pleads Guilty as Diocese Reveals Allegation of Abuse Against Him
A priest from the Episcopal Church in Western Massachusetts pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on the same day that Church officials revealed they “received devastating credible evidence” that the cleric had sexually abused a teenager. We hope that these allegations can be prosecuted and that another probably dangerous child abuser will be put behind bars where he belongs.
Now that the crimes committed by Rev. George Lisby have been made public, we call on the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts and Bishop Douglas Fisher to use all the resources at their disposal to ensure that no other victims of Fr. Lisby – or any priest – are suffering in silence. Episcopal leaders should take steps to vet Rev. Lisby’s work history, ensuring that every single parish community where he spent time is informed of these allegations. Pulpit announcements should be made in each and every location encouraging any victims or witnesses to come forward and make a report to police. Bishop Fisher and his staff should also be very clear about when they first received the allegation of sexual abuse and what they did in response to receiving that report.
We applaud the FBI and other members of law enforcement who investigated this crime and brought justice to the victims. Child pornography is an especially damaging crime because the images can live on the internet forever, so we are fully grateful for efforts to find the producers and sharers and prosecute them to the full extent of the law. We hope that Rev. Lisby will receive the harshest possible sentence and that other survivors will be empowered to come forward, make a report, and began healing.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, 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