PA--Convicted "enabler" church official moved to new prison
For immediate release: Tuesday, July 14
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003, [email protected])
We’re glad that a convicted complicit Catholic official has been moved to a prison and won’t be visited by Pope Francis in September. We’re grateful for this news. And we’re grateful that Msgr. William Lynn is still behind bars because we believe this might help deter cover ups by other church officials.
Some abuse victims were troubled by the prospect of the only imprisoned complicit Catholic cleric getting a personal visit from Pope Francis. It would have been depressing sight for many and would likely have been seen as yet another instance in which powerful church figures backed a guilty church figure. So we’re glad this will likely not happen.
If, in the weeks ahead, Msgr. Lynn is moved back from Scranton to the Philly prison, we hope Francis will consider visiting a different facility.
(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, S[email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Blaine(312-399-4747, [email protected])
Monsignor Lynn Moved From Prison On Pope’s U.S. Itinerary
July 14, 2015
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A former church official jailed for his handling of priest sexual-abuse complaints no longer resides at a Philadelphia jail on the pope’s U.S. itinerary.
Monsignor William Lynn is serving a minimum three-year sentence for endangering children in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
The 64-year-old Lynn has recently been housed at the city’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Center while . . .
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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