Please RSVP: 2013 Annual Conference

The church has been a huge player in opposing strengthening child protection laws, especially statute of limitations in reporting both criminal and civil

Bishop McEroy of San Francisco said that if the statue of limitations has expired he is not complelled to report to the police. Nor does he feel he needs to inform the community affected. He said that if abuse happened twenty years ago he doesn’t need to report or make public the abuse.
Ask your bishop if they report ALL abuse.

Thank you for sharing your story. Your experience describing grooming was insightful. Best wishes to you.

All power to you David. I honor that courage and strength of character you expressed in that letter.

I am a local leader of SNAP in San Francisco and volunteer with SNAP as much as I can. I am a survivor of clergy sexual abuse when I was thirteen. I am married and have twin daughters who are thirteen. I retired two years ago.

You are now doing an incredible thing to fight evil by supporting your friend and standing with him in his struggle to heal. The concern, sympathy and support we demonstrate for survivors provides a foundation for healing.

There are practical steps to take as well. These steps are listed in the SNAP website at “Take Action” www.snapnetwork.org/take_action

Here is a SNAP phrase to remember:
“Our most powerful tool is the light of truth. Through our stories and actions we bring healing and justice.”

I believe that Mark’s comment is wrong and unnecessarily harsh for a number of reasons.
1. Clergy sex abuse is wrong no matter whether it inflicted on a child or a vulnerable adult. The injury caused by a priest who uses his authority, prestige and power to abuse is real.
2. As I survivor I support other survivors. The degree of injury can vary whether the abuse happened when they are eight or eighteen. But I suggest we refrain from dismissing the trauma and injury suffered by a survivor because we may judge that injury as less than there own.
3. As any therapist knows, taking advantage of their patients is wrong and in most instrances criminal. Somehow the catholic church seems to dismiss actions of their priests when acting as therapists. The church needs to conform to similar professional standards.
4. SNAP is a support organization to those survivors abused by clergy. It does not limit itself to just children. Further, I believe we support survivors of clergy abuse, not dismiss their injury.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/11/75_separate_defenses_for_sexual_predators.html

I want to comment on your entry as to the point of abuse. Clearly what happened to you was clergy abuse. The priest who took advantage of you is too similar to the many other in clergy who prey on the vulnerable. They use their power, prestige and status to take control. The subjects of their abuse varies from small children to vulnerable adults. Their abuse takes many forms from sexual abuse, physical torture, to emotional battering. All of it is abuse; in all cases, it is not your fault. Many other victims of predators feel responsible but it is not true that you are or were responsible.

This year my wife and I will celebrate 24 years together. In 1998 I became a father to twin girls at the age of 51. They are now thirteen, an age were they provide great joy and challenge. Due to the benefits of being a member of a union I retired in 2008 after working 30 years in a hospital as a technician. I am involved with by daughters' middle school and serve at the PTA secretary. I am also on a community advisory committee for the Board of Education. I have been taking cello lessons for about five years and enjoy working with stone in crafting mosaics as a hobby.

I have a long history of involvement in many political and social movements since the sixties. I began my political life opposing racism and discrimination. I then worked in anti-war activities for years (Vietnam). Throughout, supporting the Civil Rights movement has always been important work for me. I watched the start and dramatic growth of the woman's movement, the gay liberation movement, the environmental movement, and to varying degrees, worked with these movements to support these progressive changes. I did solidarity work with liberation movements against dictatorships and US military involvement. For decades I was involved with numerous left, progressive organizations and movements as well as support for organized labor and various community improvement projects . After my girls were born I began to focus on local and educational issues and especially the work to promote and improve public schools.

I was active member with SNAP in San Francisco from 1995 to 1997 and then moved on to focus on my family. In the fall of 2010 new horrific memories of abuse came forward which compelled me to seek therapy and once again be to be active with the San Francisco SNAP support group.

I have been fortunate that therapy and the SNAP support group, as well as the tremendous support I received from my wife and daughters, brothers and sisters and friends, has helped me in dealing with this crisis and on a path to a healthy future.

Come on Tim..you can easily beat me... I am exhausted.............. J we just keep on keeping on..!