Priest Imprisoned in Nebraska Named in Wheeling List of Accused Priests, SNAP Pushes Nebraska Church Officials for Action
Newly-released records show that a Catholic priest was imprisoned for abusing a Nebraska child, but he has never been “outed” before, as best we can tell. Fr. Paul J. Schwarten spent 18 months in jail for “inappropriate touching of a minor,” according to the Diocese of Wheeling, WV. The disclosure was made last week when Archbishop William Lori released a list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors as it pertains to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
Given that this disclosure shows abuse of at least one child in Nebraska ,we hope Nebraska’s bishops will now follow Archbishop Lori’s lead and post their own lists of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors as it pertains to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.
We also hope anyone who may have suffered or seen sexual abuse by a member of the Catholic Church, or suspected sexual abuse by a member of the Church, will end their silence and report what they know, saw or suspect to law enforcement officials. We also hope that Catholic officials in both Nebraska and West Virginia will aggressively seek out other victims, witnesses, whistle blowers – using pulpit announcements, church bulletins and diocesan websites – of Fr. Schwarten and other current or former church employees, no matter where they are from or whether they are alive or deceased.
Bishops across the US repeatedly pledge to be ‘transparent’ in clergy sex abuse and cover up cases. Here is a chance for several of them to do so.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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