Letter to Bishop Murry
Wednesday, August 28, 2013
To Bishop Murry,
As victims of child sex abuse, and advocates for those victims, we urge you to act responsibly regarding the credible accusations against a deacon and teacher at a Youngstown Catholic school.
You claim that an investigation was conducted - in secrecy - and there was no evidence found. Yet another person has come forward to us - anonymously - reporting misdeeds about this individual who remains around children.
The accused cleric should have been suspended and his name publicly released. Additionally, the names and whereabouts of all proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics who have worked or lived in the diocese should be publicly disclosed and posted on your diocesan website. (Some 30 of your colleagues have done this. Why won't you?)
We urge that you reflect on your actions carefully. We urge you to keep the words of Pope Benedict in mind, when he encouraged all bishops to "do everything possible" to help victims and prevent crimes.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, [email protected]
David Clohessy, SNAP Executive Director, [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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To quote a journalist:.
“When Benedict dies, he will have the pleasure of standing before whatever furious God he believes in, to answer for how it was that he knew for undeniable fact that his priests repeatedly molested, abused and/or raped young children for decades, and he did nothing to stop it. How much does God believe the pope’s argument that Vatican PR trumps pedophilia? Joe Ratzinger, 82, will soon find out.”
― Mark Morford***
**Mark Morford is a columnist and culture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com. His opinion column is called Notes & Errata and is published weekly.