Bishop Tobin Cancels New Job Post For Fr. Eric Silva in Rhode Island
(For Immediate Release August 5, 2022)
Bishop Thomas Tobin of the Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island, has canceled the new work order for Fr. Eric Silva to report to Saint Thomas More in Narragansett on August 15th as an assistant. While we applaud the decision of Bishop Tobin not to allow Fr. Silva to return to parish work, we are not commending the Bishop himself. Fr. Silva should not have been on a list for reassignment in the first place, as he had been removed from active ministry for asking inappropriate questions of children. We believe that any "investigation" done solely by diocesan-employed investigators is suspect and that better results are achieved by independent, secular investigations.
We believe the moral approach, with the continuing large and alarming numbers of priests under inquiry, is to be careful, not complacent. We also believe that our group, survivors who spoke out, and advocates who also expressed concern about placing Fr. Silva back into parish life without an independent investigation have made a huge difference.
It is simply irresponsible to ignore history, patterns, and common sense. It is wrong to justify such a dangerous decision by saying that a cleric has done everything his superiors have asked, and therefore is ready to be placed back in a position of trust and responsibility. We believe that the earlier decision by Church leaders would have put the lives of innocent children at risk.
CONTACTS: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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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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