Knoxville Bishop Resigns or Retires; SNAP responds
Knoxville Bishop Stika, according to reports, is stepping down, after the diocese has been besieged by scandals, primarily of his own creating, for more than a year. We hope that this departure will result in genuine reform in this area, rather than just a people change.
For the past year plus, Stika has faced scandal after scandal, from his involvement in lawsuits, to his alleged victim intimidation, to priests with grave concerns of Stika’s leadership. We can’t help but wonder if there was anything sincere accomplished. The diocese is currently without an episcopal nominee. His bad performance as a church leader, in our opinion, caused or perpetuated an avalanche in the Diocese of Knoxville. Sitka has insulted parishioners' wisdom.
We hope that when the administrator for Knoxville is chosen, he will be a prelate who learns from Bishop Stika. That is, we hope that this new bishop will do the opposite of his predecessor at every chance, will be truly transparent rather than secretive, and will embrace the truth rather than try to stifle it. Knoxville parishioners deserve no less.
Our local SNAP Leader, Susan Vance, has dedicated years of work in exposing Bishop Stika. Statement by Susan Vance, Tennessee leader of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP):
‘Bishop Richard Stika is gone in disgrace from East Tennessee and the 50+ Catholic parishes of the Diocese of Knoxville. It is an outrage that Stika would disguise his departure as a retirement when it is clear that he was asked to resign following Vatican investigations of cover-up of clergy sexual abuse and other misconduct. It is imperative that all the truth now be told to the whole world. Pope Francis read the reports about Stika and basically fired him. Do not let this lie of Stika’s stand. We will be lied to no longer.’
CONTACT: Susan Vance, SNAP Leader Tennessee, ([email protected], 865-748-3518) Michael McDonnell, Interim Executive Director (267-261-0578, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 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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