Catholic Monk Comes Forward in Msgr. Harrison Case
We applaud Br. Justin Gilligan, not only for his courage to speak out and share publicly his experiences with Msgr. Craig Harrison, but also for his efforts to support the men – and their families – who have also come forward. His willingness to speak truth to power and stand up for other victims is inspiring. We hope that other survivors and whistleblowers will be encouraged by Br. Gilligan’s example and follow in his footsteps.
Each story that has come out about this situation so far has referenced Msgr. Harrison’s high status and support in his community. These stories have also featured incendiary, ad hominem attacks from Msgr. Harrison’s attorney. Yet in the face of these barriers, John Doe 1, Br. Gilligan and the other survivors in California have persisted in their efforts to share their truth and help protect children. We owe them a great debt of thanks.
We hope that, as these stories continue to mount, the Bakersfield community will start rallying around survivors instead of the accused priest. We believe that when this happens, more survivors will feel safe enough to come forward. When they do, we hope that they will make a report to AG Xavier Becerra’s clergy abuse investigation, along with their local police department.
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP Board Member ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Joey Piscitelli, SNAP California ([email protected], 925-262-3699) Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator, ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Esther Hatfield Miller, SNAP Los Angeles (562-673-9442, [email protected]), 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 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