Abusive Priest from Louisiana Lives in Texas
An abusive priest from Louisiana now lives in Texas where he’s reportedly ‘well-liked,’ probably because few know that he is a credibly accused child molester, according to Catholic officials. We call on bishops in both states to aggressively seek out anyone else he may have hurt and to warn police, prosecutors, parents and the public about him.
A year ago, Fr. Roger Temme’s name appeared on a list of credibly accused priests released by the New Orleans Archdiocese.
“But for the past 20 years he’s been an active and well-liked figure in Austin, serving for nearly two decades as a volunteer recruiter and trainer for The Care Communities, a nonprofit that provided support for those affected by serious illnesses, including cancer and HIV,” “was named one of the grand marshals of the Austin PRIDE celebrations” and belonged to St. David’s Episcopal Church, according to USA Today.
It is irresponsible for bishops to recruit, educate, ordain, hire, train, supervise, transfer and shield predator priests, then oust them when their crimes surface and do little or nothing to alert vulnerable families, neighbors and co-workers.
Austin Bishop Joe S. Vásquez and New Orleans Archbishop Greg Aymond must do outreach. It’s not hard, expensive or controversial to do. All it takes are short announcements on church websites, in parish bulletins and from pulpits: “If you saw, suspected or suffered crimes by Fr. Temme, please call independent sources of help like police, prosecutors, therapists or support groups immediately.”
We hope every victim, witness or whistleblower with suspicions or knowledge of crimes by Fr. Temme or cover ups by his colleagues or superiors will speak up now.
(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