Greenville Catholic priest placed on administrative leave amid allegations of using his position to have sex with a parishioner; SNAP supports the victim
Fr. Wilbroad Mwape, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua in West Greenville and formerly of Holy Trinity in Orangeburg, has been accused of sexually abusing an adult parishioner in a lawsuit filed this week. The Catholic priest was placed on administrative leave by the Diocese of Charleston in the wake of the allegations. The complaint accused Fr. Mwape of grooming an adult female parishioner at Holy Trinity and continuing his pursuit when he assumed his duties at St. Anthony of Padua.
Our hearts go out to the survivor who has bravely come forward in this case. She sought counsel and wished to enrich her faith through Fr. Mwape and instead fell prey to the solicitation of sex by a trusted faith leader. We are concerned that there may be other victims and encourage them to report to law enforcement.
“We believe and stand with the survivor in this case. We don't know what lengths this accused perpetrator would go to, and whether or not he might also groom and victimize children in the parishes where he worked,” said South Carolina SNAP Leader MJ Briggs-Austin.
Fr. Mwape came to the U.S. in 2000 for graduate studies in Washington state and then relocated to South Carolina to complete a course as a board-certified chaplain before returning to his native home of Zambia. The cleric returned to the states and was new to the Diocese of Charleston in 2014. He was assigned to Gregory the Great Church in Bluffton in January of that year.
It is troubling to us that Fr. Mwape has had 3 different assignments in his 7 years in the Diocese. Frequent transfers can be a red flag. We call on Bishop Robert Guglielmone to fully and publicly disclose what steps he took in vetting the cleric prior to assigning him to a parish in his Diocese.
The Bishop should also go to all 3 churches where Fr. Mwape worked and urge anyone who experienced, witnessed or suspected Fr. Mwape of abuse to report to law enforcement. We believe taking this action will bolster Catholics’ confidence in their Church and will also be a sign that the Bishop takes the outcries of victims seriously.
CONTACT:Mike McDonnell, Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009) MJ Briggs-Austin, South Carolina SNAP Leader ([email protected], 803-537-1264)
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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