Allegations Against Former Florida Priest Found Credible, SNAP Urges Outreach
Now that allegations against a former priest from the Diocese of St. Augustine have been found credible, church officials must use every tool at their disposal to share the information with their parishioners and do outreach to still-silent victims, encouraging them to come forward and file a complaint with police.
Fr. John Dux was suspended last May after allegations that he had abused a child while he worked at St. Patrick Parish in Gainesville, FL. In recent years, Fr. Dux had been living and working within the Diocese of Charleston, SC. We call on church officials from both states to immediately publicize the credible allegations and take steps to bring victims forward.
Church officials can start by adding Fr. Dux’s name to their lists of credibly accused priests. Bishops from both the Diocese of St. Augustine and the Diocese of Charleston should immediately visit each location where Fr. Dux worked and personally beg victims to come forward and make a report to police and prosecutors. Then they should ensure the information about Dux is published in parish bulletins and on diocesan websites.
For every victim of clergy abuse that comes forward, there are certainly many more still suffering in silence. Church officials in Charleston and St. Augustine must do the right thing now and take every step possible to inform the public and help bring survivors forward.
CONTACT: 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