Child sex abuse victims to leaflet parishioners leaving Mass

Their fliers warn families about alleged child molesting priest

He’s in a parish today even though bishop’s panel wants him ousted

Support group says Santa Rosa’s top Catholic official “endangers kids”

SNAP urges parishioners to “donate elsewhere” until “children are safer”

WHAT
As Catholics leave mass, clergy sex abuse victims will hand them fliers about an accused predator priest who is still in a northern California parish despite
-- a recommendation by a Catholic panel that he be ousted because of credible allegations,
-- a civil child molestation lawsuit against him that has been settled, and
-- having been found guilty by Catholic authorities of financial misdeeds.

The group leaflets publicly call on
-- parents to keep their kids away from the accused sex offender,
-- others who saw, suspected or suffered his crimes to come forward,
-- Santa Rosa’s bishop to suspend him, for the sake of children’s safety, and
-- Catholics to stop donating to the diocese and donate instead to groups that protect kids

WHEN
Sunday, May 2 at 12:45 p.m.

WHERE
Outside the Cathedral of St. Eugene, 2323 Montgomery Dr. in Santa Rosa

WHO
Three or four clergy sex abuse victims who are leaders of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
Last Saturday, the Press Democrat reported that a diocesan panel, hand-picked by Santa Rosa’s bishop, investigated for two years and recommended in November that Msgr. Joseph Alzugaray be suspended from his post as pastor of St. Apollinaris Church in Napa.

But Bishop Daniel Walsh refuses to oust the controversial, credibly accused predator priest and refuses to explain why. SNAP believes this puts kids in harm’s way, and that Catholics should donate elsewhere until Walsh ousts Alzugaray.

A civil child sex abuse lawsuit against Alzugaray settled in 2007 for $2 million. His victim is Erin Brady of the Los Angeles area. Alzugaray worked in that archdiocese for a while.

SNAP considers Walsh among the worst bishops in the US, because of this case and others, including Fr. Xavier Ochoa, who was able to escape law enforcement by fleeing to Mexico before Walsh and his staff called police. Walsh was later disciplined for his failure to act responsibly.

Now more than ever, SNAP is urging anyone with information about crimes or misdeeds by Alzugaray to come forward, call police and get help from independent sources (not church officials).

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2010/03_04/2010_04_24_Espinoza_BishopWalsh.htm

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20100428/ARTICLES/4281026/1033

CONTACT
Joey Piscitelli 925 262 3699
Melanie Sakoda. 925-708-6175
David Clohessy 314 566 9790