MA - Accused cleric still on the job
He allegedly molested in California
Now, he's working as a mall chaplain
For immediate release: Thursday, Jan. 16, 2014
For more info: David Clohessy 314 566 9790, [email protected]
A Catholic cleric who was accused of abusing a child in California now works as a chaplain at a Massachusetts mall.
He is Br. Damien Chong, who belongs to a religious order known as the Carmelites.
“We want to warn the public about this potentially dangerous cleric," said David Clohessy of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "We believe Boston Archbishop Sean O’Malley and Chong’s direct supervisors should suspend him and aggressively seek out others he may have hurt."
“We don’t know a great deal about the allegations against Br. Chong,” Clohessy stressed. “But Los Angeles Catholic officials revealed and posted a notice about him on line, along with credible allegations against dozens of other child molesting clerics, most of whom faced civil abuse and cover up lawsuits that settled.
http://www.carmelitechapel.com/staff/4578571183
“We were surprised to learn that, despite this, his Catholic supervisors are keeping him on the job,” Clohessy said.
Chong is on the staff at the St. Therese Carmelite Chapel at the North Shore Mall in Peabody MA.
“We’re worried each time a cleric is accused in one place and then moved by his church supervisors somewhere else and still given a job where he might have access to kids,” said SNAP’s Barbara Dorris.
Earlier today, SNAP held a news conference in Chicago about Chong. He worked there for about a decade.
http://www.snapnetwork.org/il_chicago_catholic_officials_challenged_on_2_predators
http://www.snapnetwork.org/il_another_catholic_predator_is_outed
Catholic officials, in Massachusetts, Illinois and in California and in Massachusetts, should announce the allegations against Chong, and “beg anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered any crimes or misdeeds of his to call police, expose wrongdoing, protect others and start healing,” Clohessy said.
Chong reportedly lives at a priory in Peabody.
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