IL--Four charged in Catholic School bullying case
Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, President of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
(312-399-4747, [email protected])
We're glad that four boys are being charged in a bullying case at a Chicago Catholic school. But we're disturbed that for more than a month, no one reported the alleged crime to police.
In fact, it's possible that not a single church or school official called law enforcement until after a parent did. WLS reports that "A parent and school representatives reported the incident to police on April 28." To us, this suggests that a mom or dad likely made the first call and when Catholic officials heard about this, one of them hastily called shortly afterwards.
We hope our suspicions are wrong. We hope Archbishop Blase Cupich will be more honest about this case and who called law enforcement first. He should also aggressively seek out others who have been hurt and see little or no evidence that he is doing this.
We also hope that every single person who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover ups at de Sales High School or other Catholic institutions will call police promptly. That's the best way to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded and expose the truth.
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
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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