ME- priest sued for child sex crimes
Two brothers are suing a Maine Catholic diocese saying they were molested by a priest.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/45ecbfd836864f418b8acfc2c1de79d7/ME--Church-Abuse-Maine
We applaud these brave brothers for coming forward and seeking justice. Every time clergy sex abuse victims find the courage to speak up, kids become safer and truth becomes revealed.
We hope this step will help these courageous men heal. We are confident it will help Maine Catholics learn more about corruption in their church’s hierarchy.
Though Fr. Vallely has passed away years ago, the church knew of his abuse. The article quotes: "The Conroys decided to file the lawsuits after recently becoming aware that church officials knew of Vallely's abuse but did nothing to stop it, said Garabedian, who represents clergy sex abuse victims around the world."
So we hope that Fr. Vallely, and Catholic officials who helped conceal his crimes, may someday be prosecuted.
We call on Maine’s bishop to personally visit each place where Fr. Vallely worked and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call police. We urge every current and former Maine Catholic church employee or member to seek out others who were hurt by Fr. Vallely and offer them support.
Maine’s bishop should also disclose where every one of his child molesting cleric lives and should insist that they move immediately to remote, secure, professionally-run treatment centers so that kids will be safer.
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