PA- Former minister arrested for child sexual abuse, SNAP responds
For immediate release: Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003, SNAPdorris@gmail.com)
A former Pennsylvania minister has been arrested after it was discovered that he had been abusing a boy for a decade. We are extremely grateful to the brave witness who reported what she knew to an adult, who reported to police.
When victims, witness, and whistleblowers speak up children are safer.
Norman T. Faux was a pastor at Centenary United Methodist church in Lake Ariel before he was suspended and voluntarily gave up his credentials as a minister, following allegations that he sexually abused a parishioner. That was in 2011. Our question for United Methodist church officials is how was Faux able to continue abusing a child for 10 years? It appears that police only learned of the alleged abuse against this boy from the victim’s girlfriend and her mother.
We urge United Methodist church officials to explain what they knew and when they knew it. Did they report what they knew to police? We urge Wayne county law enforcement to investigate not just Faux, but also anyone who covered up abuse and/or did not report what they knew.
We hope anyone who saw, suspects, or suffered child sexual abuse by Faux or any other church official will find the courage to come forward, report to police, 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’ve been around for 25 years 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 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [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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