NY--Victims blast Syracuse bishop over suspended priest
For immediate Release, December 8, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790cell, 314 645 5915 home, [email protected])
In an act of stunning callousness, Syracuse Bishop Robert Cunningham let an accused child molesting cleric “spin” an abuse allegation from the pulpit. Shame on him.
Last month, Fr. Paul F. Angelicchio, pastor of St. John the Baptist and Transfiguration parish, read a statement to parishioners saying he would be taking a leave of absence. Yesterday, however, Cunningham’s public relations staff disclosed that Fr. Angelicchio has been accused of molesting a child and has been suspended.
What other employer lets an alleged sex offender break and “spin” such news to families he allegedly “serves?” Does anyone really believe that this pastor told the full truth to his flock weeks ago? And how does Cunningham explain waiting almost a month before telling the public about another alleged child molesting cleric? (A month gives a predator tons of time to intimidate victims, threaten witnesses, discredit whistleblowers, destroy evidence, fabricate alibis and even flee the country.)
And why do you think bishops nearly always point how when the alleged crimes happened? (“About 27 years ago,” Cunningham wrote.) Because they want to distance themselves and irresponsibly reassure their justifiably worried parishioners that all this happened years ago and their own kids weren't or aren't at risk.
For the safety of kids, this priest belongs in a remote, secure, independently-run treatment center. Cunningham should hold a news conference to answer questions about these serious accusations. He should personally visit every site where Fr. Angelicchio worked, begging victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to step forward. He should remind his staff and flock that they have a moral and civic duty to share what they know or suspect about potential sex crimes and cover ups with the independent, experienced professionals in law enforcement. He should make sure Catholics understand that keeping silent about this horror only makes the church less safe and healthy for everyone.
No matter what church officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in Catholic churches, schools or other institutions to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has 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 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])
Rome priest put on leave Diocese probes 27-year-old allegation
Published Dec 8, 2016
A Rome clergyman is on a leave of absence while the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse investigates details of an allegation of abuse of a minor 27 years ago.
The Rev. Paul F. Angelicchio, pastor of St. John the Baptist and Transfiguration parish, wrote and read a statement to parishioners on the weekend of of Nov. 19-20 stating he would be taking a leave of absence.
On Wednesday, the diocese issued a statement offering more details:
“Father Paul Angelicchio has been temporarily placed on administrative leave due to . . .
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