MO - New Philly priest verdict should worry KC bishop, SNAP says
The historic guilty verdict today against a top Philadelphia Catholic official should embolden KC prosecutors and give KC Bishop Finn serious pause.
Finn faces essentially the same charge that his Philly colleague did – endangering kids by concealing crimes.
For the first time in history, a high ranking US Catholic official was held responsible - for knowingly, repeatedly and selfishly - putting kids in harm’s way. He was led from the courtroom in handcuffs.
We hope this landmark verdict will prompt current and former Catholic officials – in Philly, in KC and across the country – to “come clean” with what they know about child molesting clerics. We also hope it will give hope to victims and encourage them to call police and prosecutors, so that other child molesters and corrupt officials can be exposed, removed, charged, convicted and jailed, so kids will be safer.
(The lead defendant in the Philly case was Msgr. William Lynn.)
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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