SNAP praises brave nun & courageous child sex abuse victim in KC
It takes real courage for anyone to stand on a bishop’s doorstep and criticize him. That’s especially true if you are a Catholic nun. It takes real compassion to openly challenge your ‘superiors’ and publicly side with suffering victims and vulnerable kids. That’s especially true if you are a Catholic nun and you’re in a diocese headed by a particularly callous, reckless and deceitful bishop.
This shouldn’t take courage, but it does. And today, we commend Sr. Jean for her bravery and her caring.
Few are as credible as she is about how the KC diocese has gone backwards in the handling of clergy sex crimes and cover ups, especially since she worked as a Victims Assistance Coordinator for the diocese. It will be hard for Finn, his expensive lawyers and his shrewd public relations team to try and discredit her.
We hope Sr. Jean’s compassion and courage today will inspire others church employees – current and former – to get on the right side of history and share what they know about suspected clergy misdeeds with police, prosecutors, our group and others outside the Catholic hierarchy, so kids might be protected, victims might be healed, and the truth might be revealed.
It also takes real courage for anyone to report child sex crimes, particularly when the accused is a cunning and powerful clergyman. So we also commend today the brave man who has found the strength to disclose how severely he was hurt as a child by Fr. Michael Tierney. We believe and hope that his responsible step today will bring him healing and better protect others.
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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