MN - Priest working with Minnesota group is accused of abuse
A Catholic priest who works with a Hilo based church music group is being accused of molesting two boys in Hawaii and acknowledges he faced a third similar accusation.
Fr. George DeCosta is a pastor in the Hale Lokahi community in Hilo, Hawaii. He also works with Music Ministry Alive, a group that trains young people to become liturgical ministers. He was a teacher at Damien Memorial School in Honolulu in the 1960’s and 70’s where the alleged abuse occurred, and has also served as a pastor at parished in Honolulu and Hilo.
"In light of these serious and credible allegations, we call on Music Ministry Alive to immediately and publicly suspend Fr. DeCosta, and put a notice on their website urging anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes to come forward, get help, protect others, expose wrongdoing and start healing," said David Clohessy, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
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
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