Priest from Catholic Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend resigns amid allegations of child sexual abuse; SNAP is concerned
The Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend announced today that Fr. David Huneck has resigned following an allegation he sexually abused a minor. The priest was only ordained in June of 2018, having previously worked in pastoral ministry and as a deacon. Fr. Huneck was assigned as pastor of Saint Paul of the Cross Catholic Church in Columbia City and also as chaplain of Bishop Dwenger High School in Fort Wayne.
To us, these allegations are a grave concern given the brief assignment period and young age of this priest. We know that false allegations of child sexual abuse are extremely rare, and we suspect that the accusations will fall within the criminal statute of limitations. We hope the Diocese holds true to its statement of cooperation with authorities, and we encourage law enforcement to act swiftly to investigate. A resignation does little to protect children. Since we also know that those who commit crimes against boys and girls rarely have just one victim, we believe that there may be others who were hurt by Fr. Huneck who are still suffering alone and in silence. Quick action by law enforcement would assure those potential victims that their outcry will be taken seriously and that their voices will be safely heard.
Similarly, we also urge Catholic officials in the Diocese of Ft. Wayne-South Bend to aggressively seek out anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered crimes at the hands of Fr. Huneck, or any others in the Diocese.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, (267-261-0578, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(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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