Medley accused of covering up priests’ child abuse
The Survivors Network of Victims Abused by Priests (SNAP) held a press conference in Owensboro on Friday to reveal the details of a formal complaint against Diocese of Owensboro Bishop William Medley. The 10-page complaint argues Medley covered up the abuse of children by assigning at least one priest with credible allegations of sexual abuse to a parish where children were expected to be less present.
The complaint was filed by Bowling Green native Michael Montgomery — a lifelong Catholic — and will be presented to Kentucky’s highest-ranking Catholic official, Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz. The complaint will also be presented to one of Pope Francis’s top U.S. officials. These alleged actions occurred when Medley was serving as the personal director for the Diocese of Louisville during the 1990s.
Montgomery’s filed complaint reveals a memo written by Medley, detailing a Louisville priest that was reassigned to a Catholic parish with fewer children given the priest’s “history” and subsequent six-month therapy.
Missouri-based SNAP Director and spokesman David Clohessy said Friday’s formal complaint is extremely rare.
“Very, very few of these are turned in,” he said. “Sadly, the overwhelming majority of Catholics don’t speak up against this issue. The inaction of most Catholics has been distressing. However, things are beginning to change. The overwhelming majority of Montgomery’s complaint comes directly from the official church records from court, and from Medley’s records.”
Clohessy believes Medley won’t respond to these factual recor...
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