Nashville Catholic priest removed; SNAP calls for more information as well extensive Diocesan outreach
For immediate release: January 8, 2024
A Catholic priest from a parish in Franklin, Tennessee, has been removed from ministry following accusations that he "improperly touched" a teen. SNAP now calls on Catholic officials in the Diocese of Nashville to provide additional information on the accusations, as well as to do extensive outreach ensuring parishioners at every parish where this man worked are informed about the allegations. The outreach should urge those who experienced, witnessed, or suspected abuse to come forward and make a report to local law enforcement.
Fr. Juan Carlos Garcia had only worked as the associate pastor at St. Philip Catholic Church in Franklin since 2022. The cleric, who was ordained in 2020, was previously the associate pastor at St. Rose of Lima in Murfreesboro. Clearly, despite constant and repeated rhetoric from Catholic officials, abuse within the Church is not just a thing of the past.
We also ask the Diocese to explain why, if the accusation was brought to them in November, Fr. Garcia apparently remained in ministry until recently. We hope that no children were injured because the priest was allowed to continue in his position of authority.
Anyone with pertinent information about Father Garcia should contact Detective Andrea Clark with the Franklin Police Department's Special Victims Unit at 615-476-2809. While delayed disclosure of child sexual abuse is common, we hope that the fact that this brave young person has already spoken out will encourage others to report to law enforcement as well. There is no reason to suffer alone and in silence when there are people who will believe and support you.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35+ years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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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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