‘I’m a mad DA’: Brett Ligon won’t back down from investigating Conroe priest accused of molesting children
Brett Ligon has not been to Mass since the Sept. 11 arrest of Father Manuel La Rosa-Lopez. A longtime Catholic, he was married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Conroe in 1993 and moved in recent years to St. Matthias the Apostle in Magnolia.
Now the district attorney of Montgomery County, he can’t bring himself to go back.
“I haven’t been to Mass since we arrested the priest — but that’s a personal issue,” he said. “I’m a mad DA, which is what victims need. We don’t need a DA who’s looking for forgiveness.”
Ligon, 50, made no secret of his ties to the Conroe church where La Rosa-Lopez worked as more than 60 local, state and federal law enforcement officials descended on the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston’s headquarters on Nov. 28, looking for evidence linked to accusations that the priest molested two young parishioners over a three-year period.
And Ligon’s made it clear he won’t stop there — warning that other members of the clergy who may have done wrong will come under scrutiny from his office.
“When I’m there on a Sunday, I’m there to worship,” Ligon said at the time of the search. “When I’m there on a Monday through Friday, my job is to investigate thoroughly.”
It’s the biggest case of alleged priest abuse in the Houston area in decades and the biggest of Ligon’s 10 years as Montgomery County district attorney, where he has built a reputation as an aggressive prosecutor who won’t back down. Ligon has vowed to go all the way to the Vatican to investig...
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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Rich, MSW