Letter to Bishop Nauman
Archdiocese of St. Louis

Nov. 3, 2003

Dear Bishop Naumann,

Congratulatons on your election as Administrator of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. We realize that this job entails many heavy responsibilities, none more important than the protection of children. We, the members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss our concerns about the safety of the children and the ways that the diocese can assist victims of clergy abuse in their healing.

We feel there are at least two issues that must be dealt with immediately.

As you know from our letter, dated September 19, we were offended and shocked by Monsignor Richard Stika's post-conviction public remarks that Bryan Kuchar could be innocent. Those comments rubbed salt into the already deep wounds of men and women who have been victimized by clergy. They also made it harder for other abuse victims to come forward.

We again urge you to do three things:

--publicly apologize for Monsignor Stika's remarks;
--formally discipline Stika; and
--ensure that Stika does not have any contact with abuse survivors or their families.

Second, according to the trial docket in the city of Saint Louis, Father Thomas Graham will appear go on trial in the near future. We would like to discuss the implications of his wearing his Roman collar and the archdiocese's compliance with the Dallas charter. For a man facing criminal charges to wear his clerical garb is inappropriate. A policeman in the same situation would not be allowed to wear his uniform to court. We would like your assurance that this will not happen again.

Thank you for your consideration. We wish you good luck with your new responsibilities and hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely yours,

Barbara Dorris
St. Louis SNAP leader
862 7688