TX--Victims oppose archbishop’s pending promotion
Victims to leaflet outside Catholic church
The pastor was accused of molesting a boy
And they oppose archbishop’s pending promotion
Soon, it’s likely he will become head of all US prelates
But group says DiNardo should “withdraw from the race & stay home”
SNAP: “For kids’ safety & victims’ healing, he should work on prevention here”
WHAT
Handing out fliers to church-goers as they leave mass, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will urge Houston’s top Catholic official to
--end his campaign to become head of all US bishops next week, and
--post names, photos & records of ALL predator priests (not just the ones who are sued), and
-- do the same with religious order clerics, so that kids can be protected and victims can heal.
They will also urge
--parishioners to be careful around their pastor who was accused of molesting a boy and
--anyone who has seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover ups by Houston clerics to “come forward, protect kids, expose secrets, deter wrongdoing and start healing” by calling independent sources of help (therapists, police prosecutors, support groups), NOT church officials.
WHEN
Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Prince the Peace Catholic Church, 19222 Highway 249 (near Perry Road) in Houston TX
WHO
Three-four adults who belong to a self-help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org). Some were molested as kids; others are concerned Catholics.
WHY
1)Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston is the vice-chair of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, the organization that includes all of the prelates in the nation. According to custom and practice, he is considered to be the front runner to become president when the group meets in Baltimore Nov. 14-16. Nine other bishops are also running for the post.
But given what they call DiNardo’s “awful track record regarding kids’ safety,” SNAP is urging him to “drop out of the race, stay home, and take strong, immediate and public steps to reveal the names of predator priests and their complicit colleagues, so that Houston area youngsters will be safer and Houston area ‘enablers’ will be exposed,” says Michael Norris of SNAP.
“Doing this would achieve two purposes. First, it would safeguard the vulnerable. And it would be a sign of genuine remorse and contrition that would help heal the wounded, both suffering victims and betrayed parishioners,” Norris believes.
http://www.snapnetwork.org/tx_houston_s_top_catholic_runs_for_national_post
http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_s_dirty_dozen_bishop_list
2) In 2002, Fr. John T. Keller was accused of giving a teenage boy booze, calling the intoxicated boy into bed with him, and fondling him in the 1980s, according to the Dallas Morning News.
According to BishopAccountability.org, Fr. Keller also wrote "love letters" to the 16 year old. Fr. Keller denied abusing the boy but admitted holding him in a "manner inappropriate for a priest," according to then-Bishop Joseph Fiorenza. Members of the bishop’s hand-picked abuse panel - including Monit Cheung, a social work professor and then-chair J. Michael Solar, a lawyer - unanimously agreed that Father Keller "acted very inappropriately," the bishop wrote in his letter. (She’s at [email protected], 713-743-8107. He’s at [email protected], 713-850-1212.) M. Jean Kitchel, who taught at the University of St. Thomas, was also on that panel.
Archdiocesan officials then claimed Fr. Keller’s misconduct did not fit their definition of sexual abuse so he continues as an active priest. They didn’t even suspend him pending a church inquiry, which is required by the US bishops’ national abuse policy.
SNAP feels this is irresponsible and reckless. The group wants DiNardo to re-examine how Fr. Keller’s case was handled by the previous bishop and publicly urge others who may have information or suspicions about wrongdoing by Fr. Keller to call police.
Carol and Stephen LaBonte are the parents of Fr. Keller’s alleged victim.
According to the Official Catholic Directory, Fr. Keller was ordained in 1974 and has spent his entire career in the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese, working at St. Francis Cabrini in Houston (1975-1977), Prince of Peace in Houston TX (1978-1980), Christ the Good Shepherd in Spring (1981-1983), back at St. Francis Cabrini (1983-1991), St. Justin Martyr in Houston TX (1992-1999), and back at Prince of Peace in Houston (2000-present). Since 1988, he has been on the Diocesan Presbyteral Council and in 2012, DiNardo made him the head or “dean” of a part of the archdiocese called the San Jacinto Deanery.
3) Last month, largely from news accounts in mainstream newspapers, SNAP has discovered three predator priests who worked in Houston but remain largely or completely “under the radar” here as child molesters despite having been credibly accused of such crimes in other cities or states. (They are Fr. Daniel Ramsey Barfield, Fr. Walter Dayton Salisbury, Fr. Joseph (Ngoc Nguyen) Tu and Fr. Sofronio A. “Pon” Aranda.)
The group believes there are adults now in Houston who were hurt by these clerics here but are “suffering in silence, shame, confusion and self-blame.”
SNAP is urging those victims to “find the courage to speak up, safeguard others and start healing.”
A list of 17 other Houston predator priests – compiled through public records by an independent organization – can be found at BishopAccountability.org
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2003_01_06/2003_06_09_Dunklin_HoustonPriest.htm
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2003_01_06/2003_06_19_Dooley_ScandalLingers.htm
http://www.poynter.org/2003/houston-priest-still-working-despite-abuse-accusation/12171/
http://eurekaencyclopedia.com/index.php/Category:Archdiocese_of_Galveston_Houston
http://www.archgh.org/TCH/Pastoral-Appointments/Pastoral-Appointments-2012/
CONTACT
Michael Norris [email protected], 713 8559178, David Clohessy 314 566 9790 cell, [email protected], Barbara Dorris 314 503 0003 cell, [email protected]
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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We can only speak up as individual victims. We must all challenge the injustices practiced by the Church and other institutions regarding sexual abuse.
John M. Merryman