For immediate release: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

A clergy sex abuse victim has lost his bid to expose Maine Catholic officials who have ignored and concealed the heinous crimes of a predator priest.

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/11/12/news/augusta/supreme-court-rules-against-augusta-man-in-his-suit-against-diocese-over-priest-abuse/

Our hearts ache for William Picher. Despite his betrayal – first, by a predator priest and later, by that priest’s complicit colleagues – Picher is being denied a right guaranteed to most crime victims: his day in court.

For immediate release: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

Juneau’s top Catholic official is the new head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Child and Youth Protection.”

http://ncronline.org/blogs/distinctly-catholic/committee-chairmen-elections

We call on Bishop Edward Burns to take two immediate steps.

For immediate: November 12, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris, Outreach Director, 314-862-7688 SNAPdorris@gmail.com

We are grateful that Archbishop Charles Chaput's bid for higher office has failed. He got just 20 out of 236 votes in his bid for the presidency of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/usccb-elects-new-president-vice-president

For immediate release: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris, Outreach Director, 314-862-7688 SNAPdorris@gmail.com

It’s disappointing that Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz is the new president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. His predecessor, Cardinal Tim Dolan, did a terrible job. We don’t expect Kurtz to do any better.

For immediate release: Nov. 12, 2013

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home)

Houston’s Cardinal Daniel DiNardo is the new vice-president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). We believe he’s a terrible choice.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/11/12/us-usa-religion-bishopsconference-idUKBRE9AB03W20131112

Regarding the safety of children, his record in Sioux City was abysmal. His record in Houston shows no improvement.

For immediate release: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

We are appalled that Charles Hynes and Michael Vecchione of the Brooklyn DA’s office are ignoring the recommendations of experienced prosecutors and inexplicably deciding to pursue a case against a brave whistleblower, Sam Kellner.

http://www.thejewishweek.com/news/new-york-news/chasidic-whistleblower-case-suffers-setback

They will face questions from United Nations panel

But church hierarchy has missed Nov. 1st deadline

They were to answer questions about abuse crisis

For immediate release: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

Contact: Barbara Blaine, SNAP President, +1 312 399 4747, snapblaine@gmail.com

For immediate release: Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013

Statement by Karen Polesir of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (267-992-9463, karenpolesir@yahoo.com)

A Philly priest, Fr. John P. Paul, says he’s stepping down because of “stress” caused by reports that he molested two kids. And Philly Catholic officials now claim that that they’re investigating and that despite the two allegations, church officials “allowed (him) to remain at (a) parish with restrictions that prohibited him from having unsupervised contact with minors.”

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20131111_Pastor_resigns_following_sex-abuse_allegations.html#Eicfkr3IkXl3aV7b.99

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Priest_resigns_amid_abuse_investigation.html

For immediate release: Monday, Nov. 11, 2013

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com)

Archbishop John Neinstedt now says he’ll release a partial list of predator priests.

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/11/11/catholic-church/archbishop-pledges-to-release-names-of-priests-who-sexually-abused-childr

“If Twin Cities pedophile priests now live in Rochester or Winona or Duluth, tough luck. We’re not gonna tell you who or where they are.”

That’s the message Archbishop John Neinstedt is sending to Minnesota parents. We deliberately use the word “citizens” here and not “parishioners” because child molesting Catholic clerics don’t just hurt Catholic kids. They also sexually assault kids from other denominations, because they’re relatives, they live nearby or for a wide range of reasons.

 “If a Twin Cities pedophile priest sexually assaulted you and is now deceased, tough luck. We’re not gonna disclose the names of any deceased predator, no matter how many kids he’s hurt, how recently he died or how egregiously we covered up for him.”

For immediate release: Monday, Nov. 11, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

In a long string of horrific revelations over the past few weeks about clergy sex crimes and cover ups in the Twin Cities archdiocese, today’s disclosures may be the worst.

Why are the revelations about Fr. Clarence Vavra potentially the worst yet?

Because he’s an admitted serial pedophile and because he’s never been “outed” until today, so who knows how many more kids he’s been able to sexually assault because Twin Cities Catholic officials continue to act selfishly and secretively.

It says it’s spent more than $10 million over a decade

More than 70% of money spent goes to church lawyers

In six of ten years, church pays more to its lawyers than to victims

For immediate release:  Monday, Nov. 11, 2013

For more information: David Clohessy 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com, Barbara Dorris 503 0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com

For immediate release: Monday, Nov. 11, 2013

Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)

In 1995, a Catholic priest admitted sexually assaulting several kids on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Yet no Catholic official ever told anyone about him.