Letter to National Review Board

May 24, 2011

Ms. Diane Knight
Chair, National Review Board
US Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 Fourth Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20017
(202) 541-3000

Dear Ms. Knight,

We are victims of clergy sex abuse who are relentlessly dedicated to the safety of children everywhere. We are the leaders of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

We are writing to express our alarm over the situation of Fr. Richard P. McGann of Bristol, Connecticut. In 2005, McGann was quietly suspended from ministry by the Archdiocese of Hartford. In 2009, the Archdiocese reached a settlement with a man, Jeffrey Libby, who accused McGann of sexually assaulting him over 200 times from 1975-77. The Archdiocese of Hartford has never disclosed the reason for McGann's suspension, nor Libby's allegations, nor the settlement.

We are deeply disappointed in the archdiocese's secrecy. And we are stunned to learn that this credibly accused predator is apparently living at Pumpkin Patch Day Care Center in Bristol. For the safety of the children there, we recommend his immediate location to a treatment center.

This dangerous situation could have been easily prevented by the Archdiocese of Hartford six years ago, but they have consistently refused - then and now - to be transparent or cooperative about this situation. We are writing to you because we hope that the National Review Board can persuade the Archdiocese to be forthcoming about McGann and any other child molesting clerics they know about.

The safety of the children of Bristol is of utmost importance, and they need every voice possible to join them in support. We hope that you can convince the Archdiocese of Hartford to agree.

Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you soon,

David Clohessy of St. Louis
SNAP National Director
314-566-9790
[email protected]

Barbara Blaine
President, SNAP
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
PO Box 6416
Chicago IL 60680
312 399 4747

Barbara Dorris
Outreach Director, SNAP
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
6245 Westminster
St. Louis MO 63130
314 862 7688, 314 503 0003

SNAPnetwork.org