Media Statements
We are SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. We are the largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious authority figures (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns and others).
Kansas Bureau of Investigation Announces Investigations into Clergy Abuse in 33 Kansas Counties
Law enforcement officials in Kanas have announced that they have opened investigations into clergy abuse in counties throughout their state. This is a great step forward for parishioners and the public in Kansas and we look forward to future updates on these investigations.
SNAP Applauds News Organizations’ Fight to Unseal Abuse Records in North Carolina
Several major news organizations in North Carolina are going to court in order to unseal records related to two local cases of alleged clergy sexual abuse. We applaud this effort and hope that their request is successful.
Vatican Punishment of ex-Bishop Bransfield Comes Up Short
Despite facing multiple accusations of sexual harassment and abuse, on Friday the Vatican declined to permanently remove a disgraced West Virginia bishop from the church, opting instead for a lesser punishment. This sends the message that cases of sexual abuse against adults are still not taken seriously by church officials.
Norbertine Release of Credibly Accused Priest Sex Offenders Raises More Questions than Answers
Today, the Norbertine Religious Order have finally released a list of priests publicly accused of abuse. We believe that this release – and others by other church officials in Wisconsin – should be reviewed and investigated by the state attorney general.
Church Officials in Lake Charles Lied About Being Informed of Abuse Allegations, SNAP Calls for AG Investigation
A new report has shown that the list of accused priests put out by a Catholic diocese in Louisiana was purposefully misleading. We call on the Louisiana Attorney General to investigate this and other wrongdoing committed by church officials in Louisiana.
SNAP Challenges North Dakota Church Officials to do Outreach
The North-Dakota-based First Nations Women’s Alliance is supporting a woman who reports having been assaulted by a Fargo priest. We echo their view and call on North Dakota Catholic officials to do outreach to find others who may have seen, suspected, or suffered crimes by clergy within North Dakota.
Priest Prohibited from Fundraising in Diocese of Lansing
Credibly Accused Priests in the Kansas City, KS Archdiocese (7/19)
The independent and respected website BishopAccountability.org lists 22 publicly accused KC KS archdiocesan clerics: John Brayley, William Bruning, Thomas F. Cawley, Lambert Dannenfelser, William A. Finnerty, James A. Forsythe, Lawrence Ginzkey, William M. Haegelin, Martin Juarez, Scott James Kallal, Steven Lamping, Adrian Lickteig, Finian Meis, Anthony Putti, Barry Richardson, Edward F. Roberts, Christopher Rossman, Frank Shepers, Dennis E. Schmitz, John Henry Wisner, Jr., Norman Charles Wolfe and Camillus Wurtz.
15 Survivors Reach Settlement with Diocese of Crookston
The Diocese of Crookston today has settled with fifteen survivors of clergy abuse. We hope that this settlement will bring comfort, healing, and change.
SNAP Urges Boycott of Businesses Displaying Signs Supporting Accused Priest
We are extremely saddened to learn that signs supporting a priest facing multiple allegations of abuse are being distributed. We fear that this will have a chilling effect on any young victims who see them displayed.
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