As Powerful Documentary on Clergy Sex Abuse in Canada is Released, SNAP Windsor Stands Ready to Support Survivors
An explosive new documentary on clergy sex abuse in Canada is set to be released later this spring and a Windsor, ON advocate wants survivors of sexual abuse to know that they are not alone and that there are places to turn for support.
Brenda Brunelle is the Windsor, ON leader for SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. For the past decade, Brenda has been operating support groups for survivors of clergy sex abuse in Windsor and is anticipating her services to be even more needed after the release of PREY later this spring.
“Following the release of the film SPOTLIGHT, SNAP leaders in the U.S. experienced a dramatic increase in requests for help from survivors of clergy sex abuse,” said Brunelle. “Given what we know about the global diaspora of clergy abuse, I expect the same thing to happen here in Windsor after PREY debuts in April.”
PREY is the newest documentary from director Matt Gallagher and producer Cornelia Principe. The film follows the case against a serially abusive priest, Fr. Hod Marshall, and the lives of survivors who had been impacted by Fr. Marshall’s abuse. The film is set to debut with a viewing on April 26 in Toronto and is expected to lead to new revelations about the clergy sexual abuse crisis in Canada.
And what Brunelle wants survivors who have been impacted by clergy abuse to know that there is help available.
“Films like these often result in other survivors coming forward because they know they are not alone, that someone else went through what they went through. I want those survivors, whether they have been suffering alone or not, to know that our group exists and we are here to help.”
Brunelle’s support group for survivors of clergy sex abuse meets in the Windsor area on the second Sunday of every month. She urges anyone who has been impacted by sexual violence to contact her for information. For information on her support group, Brenda can be contacted at [email protected] or 519-903-7503.
“Our group is here to help and we will welcome you, believe you, and be there to support as you move forward,” said Brunelle.
View the trailer for PREY here.
CONTACT: Brenda Brunelle, SNAP Windsor ([email protected], 519-903-7503), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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