TX- El Paso child molesting cleric visits school recently & repeatedly
For immediate release: Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003, [email protected])
A Catholic cleric who molested in El Paso is back in the news. A Louisiana newspaper reports that he made regular visits recently to a school, but now has reportedly stopped doing so after his trips were made public.
Br. Samuel Martinez was reportedly visiting the Holy Family Community on the campus of John Paul The Great Academy in Lafayette on weekends. He is credibly accused of molesting at least ten children.
Br. Martinez belongs in a remote, secure treatment center run by independent professionals, not church officials. And Catholic officials - in El Paso and in Louisiana - should personally visit every parish where he worked, even briefly. They should stand up at masses and beg anyone who may have information or suspicions about Br. Martinez' crimes or misdeeds to contact law enforcement immediately.
We urge parents, parishioners, and the public to not let Br. Martinez’s alleged ill health lull them into a false sense of security. It takes just seconds for a predator - even one who may be sick - to stick his hands down a boy's pants or his tongue in a girl's mouth. So Br. Martinez is still a dangerous predator.
We encourage anyone who saw, suspected, or suffered abuse - by Br. Martinez or other clerics - to come forward, get help, call police and start healing.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 20,000 members. 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, [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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