Jason Berry
Beginning with the diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana in the 1980s, journalist Jason Berry has continued to report and investigate sex abuse and cover-up in the Catholic church.
He wrote in the National Catholic Reporter about how impactful this reporting was for him and how important it is that the press and others speak up about abuse.
"You can attack the messenger but the message will come out."
As a journalist Jason Berry is a big part of fighting this injustice. He has helped survivors by countering the silence by uncovering the truth and exposing perpetrators. Berry also played a key role in the beginnings of SNAP in 1988 when he insisted The Phil Donahue Show post the phone number for victims to contact SNAP. Here is Berry joined by SNAP founder, Barbara Blaine, speaking out against Catholic abuse in 1993 on a later Donahue show.
Jason Berry has spoken at numerous conferences, the most recent ones being in 2008, 2011 and 2014. He spoke at the 2014 SNAP Conference about Pope Francis and the probability of genuine reform of the Vatican's sexual abuse policies. He also discussed how the survivors movement was affecting this reform and what the next steps are.
"The real problem is that when challenged the church engages in counterattack rather than any type of rational course of reform."
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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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In gratitude to you, Barbara, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh