NY--New lawsuit says accused predator priest is in Long Island parish now
For immediate release: Tuesday, Jan. 20,
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected], [email protected])
A new civil lawsuit charges that Rockville Centre Bishop William Murphy is keeping a priest on the job in a parish despite a credible report that the priest sexually assaulted a girl.
Father Gregory Yacyshyn now works at St. Jude in Mastic Beach on Long Island. He was apparently never suspended after a young woman told top Catholic officials that Fr. Yacyshyn had sexually violated her. That’s a violation of local and national church abuse policies and repeated pledges by bishops to put the safety of kids first and promptly suspend accused predator priests while investigations are done.
The alleged crimes happened at St. Francis Assisi Parish in Greenlawn. Bishop Murphy, it should be noted, was a long-time close aide and advisor to Boston’s disgraced Cardinal Bernard Law.
Bishop Murphy’s public relations staff will no doubt claim that they were allegedly unable to “substantiate” the girl’s report. Catholic officials say this often. But if they would honor their policies about being “transparent” in clergy sex cases and publicly disclose allegations against priests, many more such charges would be deemed “substantiated.”
In other words, bishops like Murphy want to have their cake and eat it too: be secretive about abuse reports, and then tell accusers “we can’t corroborate your allegation.”
We hope every single person who may have seen, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by Fr. Yacyshyn – or cover ups by Bishop Murphy – will find the courage to call police, expose wrongdoers, deter deceit, protect kids and start healing.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We were founded in 1988 and have more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy 314-566-9790, [email protected], Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003, [email protected], Barbara Blaine 312-399-4747, [email protected]
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
Showing 4 comments
Moreover, I remember going to religion class and that sick fuck once was there. I was walking down the stairs and he was walking up the stairs, and in a perverted and condescending tone he says to me “Hello Ryan” with a wide smirk and grin, walking past me. I did not know about his truth then, nor could I remember who he was, but I sure do remember who he is now. It was almost as if he was proud of what he had done to those kids, including my sister. He is utterly disgusting and will pay for what he has done in the afterlife. I despise this man and what he has done, but I pray that he is own his knees begging to God for forgiveness, because once he dies, well, we all know where he is going to end up.
It is utterly appalling how our society protects child molesters. “I know him for a long time”, “He would never!”… Do you truly know this man? do you see where he goes when he alone? Do you know his minds? Do you know his secrets. No, you don’t. It is disgraceful how people like Jane will proclaim “These accusations are false” without even understanding or even attempting to understand what this man has really done and who he really is in this world. So many people blinded by faith, this is the reason innocent children and victims will have to suffer more rape and torment by these pedophiles who are shielded by blind followers. This man belongs in prison and will burn in hell for his crimes. Just because one wears a religious robe and cross which symbolize love, peace and kindness and may spill occasional words of kindness to you and put on a smile at church, does not mean you know their true self. Further, he wears these robes and attire to shadow himself from his true character which is of the wicked, condescending, liar, perversion and pedophilia. For there is nothing of this man that is christian but the robes he wears.
Lastly,I pray that he finds his peace and is on his knees begging for forgiveness to God because there is surely no seat for child molesters in Heaven.