Open Letter to Catholic Employees
Dear Catholic Priests, Deacons, Brothers, Nuns and other Employees,
Soon, according to Church policy, you will be a 'mandatory reporter,' required to tell your supervisors about any information or suspicions you have about known or suspected child sex crimes, the abuse of adults by clergy, or cover ups.
We are writing today to urge you, please do not wait until this policy takes effect on June 1. Speak up now. Every day a single perpetrator is protected – through actions or inaction – the vulnerable are in harm's way.
We also beg you, rather than just report to the Church, call secular authorities as well. If you have knowledge about sex crimes against children or vulnerable adults, reporting to law enforcement is the right thing to do. Why rely on just one entity to investigate, when you also can contact the independent professionals in law enforcement?
As Pope Francis said yesterday, you now have 'whistle blower' protection. It is safer than ever for you to speak up.
So please, if you have any knowledge of these horrific crimes, act now.
Tell your supervisor. But also tell police, prosecutors, the attorney general, the FBI - any secular authority who can investigate. It does not matter how old or vague or seemingly insignificant your knowledge or suspicions might be. Speak up. Save a child or a vulnerable adult.
Need guidance or moral support? Call us. We will honor and protect your privacy. But do not delay: someone’s life may hang in the balance.
With great hope,
Survivors and Advocates from SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
(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
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