Whistleblowing Mom who Reported Fr. Geoghan Passes Away
A brave, persistent Catholic mom who tried diligently to protect others from Boston’s most notorious predator priest has passed away. Seven boys in her extended family were molested by the cleric, Fr. John Geoghan.
Maryetta Dussourd is a hero, plain and simple. Long before anyone had heard the phrases ‘pedophile priests’ or ‘child molesting clerics’ or ‘church abuse crisis,’ she worked long and hard to warn others about dangerous men like Fr. Geoghan.
We extend our deepest condolences to her loved ones. We hope they take comfort in the fact that Maryetta led the kind of life she read about in the Bible and heard about in church – one of compassion, love and sacrifice and one that the rest of us can admire and try to emulate.
We are very glad Maryetta lived long enough to see attorneys general across the US investigating dioceses, see Vatican officials finally take at least minimal steps and – most important – see thousands of survivors of pedophile priests be believed as they came forward to expose their abusers, thereby making our society and her church safer for all.
For funeral details, contact the Mann & Rodgers Funeral Home in Jamaica Plain. Visiting Hours will be Monday, June 3rd from 5-7pm. If you are interested in leaving a kind note in memory of Maryetta in the guestbook, you can do so here.
CONTACT: David Clohessy, SNAP Missouri (314-566-9790, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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