Another Priest Arrested for Abuse in New Orleans
A priest assigned to the Archdiocese of New Orleans has been convicted of abuse-related charges. Now, Catholic officials must use every resource at their disposal to ensure that parishioners at each parish and facility where this cleric was assigned are aware of the conviction and to urge others who may have seen or suspected abuse to come forward and make a report to law enforcement.
Fr. Michael Mulenga was arrested and charged for groping a grieving woman mourning the loss of her husband early last year. Although not incardinated into the Archdiocese of New Orleans, Fr. Mulenga was working in the area after being sent there from the Diocese of Ndola, Zambia, as part of a program to bring “lukewarm” Catholics back into the fold. Given the fact that Fr. Mulenga was working with a vulnerable population of low-income seniors, we worry that there may be others who were hurt. We are glad that Archbishop Aymond suspended Fr. Mulenga when he learned of the allegations and we hope that he will publicize the conviction, particularly at Roquette Lodge where the assault occurred, so that any other victims are encouraged to come forward.
Fr. Mulenga, Fr. Patrick Wattigny and Fr. Travis Clark were all priests working in the New Orleans area who were arrested last year. Additionally, Deacon V.M. Wheeler was removed and is currently under investigation by Jefferson Parish law enforcement. Most recently, Fr. John Asare-Dankwah who is also assigned to the Archdiocese, is currently being investigated by law enforcement.
In 2020 more than two dozen active Catholic clergy or staffers were arrested around the country on abuse-related charges. We hope that parents and parishioners who read about these stories will demand answers from their Church leaders about what is being done to protect their children and other vulnerable populations.
CONTACT: Kevin Bourgeois, SNAP New Orleans ([email protected], 504-376-5445), Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(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
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