For immediate release: Friday, January 22, 2010

TX Bishop admits former priest removed because of sexual abuse

By Barbara Blaine, national president of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (312-399-4747)

Courageous victims reported abuse by Father Frank Paduch, yet church officials did not warn neighbors or employers of his history. Time and time again church officials recruit, educate, house, employ and protect sexual predators yet do the bare minimum to warn unsuspecting communities.

Now more than ever it is important for anyone with knowledge of Paduch's misdeeds to contact law enforcement, regardless of when the events occurred.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around since 1988 and have more than 9,000 members across the country. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)

Contact David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003)