PA -- Catholic Diocese of Erie releases names of accused priests, laypeople; victims group responds
Statement by Melanie Jula Sakoda, Volunteer Secretary of SNAP’s Board of Directors (925-708-6175, [email protected])
We are always grateful when a diocese releases the names of accused priests. We are doubly grateful in this case, since Bishop Lawrence Persico has also released the names of accused laypeople, which we believe is a first.
http://www.goerie.com/news/20180406/erie-bishop-disclosures-part-of-search-for-truth
However, we must be blunt: Bishop Persico has been in charge of the Erie Diocese since 2012. We find it hard to believe that this is not a public relations move in response to the imminent release of the grand jury investigation into how Erie and five other Catholic dioceses handled allegations of sexual abuse. If Bishop Persico had truly cared about helping victims, he would have released the names years ago.
http://www.eriercd.org/nb_cv.htm
http://www.goerie.com/news/20180406/erie-bishop-disclosures-part-of-search-for-truth
We will never know how many children have been put at risk because the Erie Diocese concealed the names on this list until today. We will never know how many were harmed because the Church chose to protect itself instead of innocent young lives.
Bishop Persico has promised that more names will be forthcoming. We hope he will keep his promise. We also hope that he will include a list of where each of these people worked, as survivor James Faluszczak has suggested.
In the meantime, we urge anyone who has been victimized in the Erie Diocese or elsewhere to protect children by calling police, to get help by calling therapists, and to receive comfort by calling support groups like ours.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contacts - Judy Jones ( 636-433-2511, [email protected]), Tim Lennon, (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [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
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