News Story of the Day
Newark Archbishop John J. Myers poised to retire
By Mark Mueller, NJ Advance Media for NJ.com , July 24, 2016
After a 15-year run as spiritual leader to more than a million Roman Catholics in New Jersey, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers is expected to submit a letter to Pope Francis this week seeking the pontiff's permission to retire.
On Tuesday, Myers turns 75, the mandatory retirement age set by canon law. It remains to be seen how swiftly Francis will move to replace him. Some bishops continue to work a year or more after they reach 75.
Defrocked Southern Illinois priest who founded Camp Ondessonk has died
Molly Parker, July 24, 2016, The Southern Illinoisan
LIZABETHTOWN -- A one-time ambitious, popular Southern Illinois priest who spearheaded the creation of Camp Ondessonk in 1959, and nearly 50 years later was defrocked by the Vatican after allegations surfaced he sexually abused youth campers when he was director, has died.
Robert Vonnahmen, 85, was reportedly quietly buried in Elizabethtown in early May. It doesn’t appear that an obituary was written on Vonnahmen’s behalf, at least not one that is available online or otherwise readily accessible.
Documents show Vatican official allegedly stopped Minnesota investigation
(RNS) A Vatican spokesman says the release of documents alleging its former ambassador to the U.S. stopped an investigation of a Minnesota archbishop “is a very complex issue” that will require further study.
“We need more information before we can make any comment,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi said.
The spokesman’s remarks came in an interview with The New York Times on Thursday (July 21), the day after a new collection of documents regarding clergy sex abuse in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was made public.
Did the Vatican halt an investigation into former Twin Cities Archbishop Nienstedt?
Laura Yuen , Peter Cox · St. Paul · Jul 21, 2016, MPR News
Documents released by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office Wednesday showed the extraordinary measures Catholic officials took to quash a private investigation into former Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt.
Nienstedt himself had ordered the investigation, citing unspecified allegations against himself. He said at the time that the allegations did not "involve minors or lay members of the faithful, and they do not implicate any kind of illegal or criminal behavior" and "involve events alleged to have occurred at least a decade ago, before I began serving in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis."
One woman's journey out of child sex abuse helps reform Massachusetts child sex crimes law
By Ivey DeJesus | [email protected] July 18, 2016 at 7:00 AM, updated July 18, 2016 at 12:32 PM
A highway exit sign triggered the flood of memories.
Rosanne Sliney was 24 years old when the sight of the exit sign unleashed a tide of memories long repressed: Her uncle sexually abusing her in his car.
She was 5. He was her mother's brother, a beloved member of a large Italian-American family from Massachusetts, her godfather.
Irish Catholic Church ‘trying to dump’ sex abuse priests on State
The Irish Times Mon, Jul 18, 2016 by Patsy McGarry
Two of America’s leading Catholic child protection advocates have strongly opposed suggestions by the church that care of laicised priests convicted of child abuse ought, in certain circumstances, to be a State responsibility.
Ex-Penn State player won’t give up the fight for Joe Paterno despite latest damning court documents
EVAN GROSSMAN, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, Tuesday, July 12, 2016
A week after circulating a petition to have Joe Paterno’s statue and legacy restored in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky horror story, Brian Masella, a former Penn State football player, isn’t relenting in his crusade.
“No, absolutely not,” Masella told the Daily News after a wave of new accusations that Paterno knew about Sandusky’s behavior as far back as 1976 were revealed in unsealed court documents.
Priest sex abuse victim angered by lack of recourse: 'None of them are registered sex offenders'
By Ivey DeJesus, [email protected], July 09, 2016, PennLive
Shaun Dougherty's story begins on page 66 of the grand jury report into widespread child sexual abuse in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.
That page - one of 147 pages in the report detailing accusations against more than 50 religious leaders, priests and teachers - begins the account into the investigation of George Koharchik, a longtime priest, who among other diocesan assignments, was pastor at St. Clement Church in Johnstown for a decade.
Lenexa church opposes young sex crime victims remaining anonymous in civil lawsuit
BY LAURA BAUER, [email protected], July 7, 2016, KC Star
Two girls and their guardian sued Westside Family Church, saying it knowingly let teen sex offender be around kids
The victims’ attorney filed a motion to keep the girls’ identities secret during the civil lawsuit
The church’s attorney opposed that motion and said the case should be dismissed and refiled
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