Children in Buffalo Bear the Brunt of Catholic Officials’ Abuse and Cover-up
Millions of dollars have been diverted from schools and programs for children thanks to the decision by Catholic officials in Buffalo to resolve the lawsuits brought on by their cover-up of sexual abuse with a bankruptcy. We hope that parishioners in Buffalo will divert donations towards these children and their schools instead of continuing to give money to Diocesan leaders.
According to the Buffalo News, $3.8 million has been spent this year on attorney fees and bankruptcy-related expenses. We have to assume this number will only grow as the bankruptcy continues to drag on. The sad fact in this case is that it is children, teachers, and parents who are bearing the brunt of mismanagement by Catholic officials in Buffalo who chose to declare bankruptcy rather than face lawsuits brought about due to their enabling and covering up of sexual abuse. It was children who were harmed in the first place, and it is children being harmed now.
It is difficult for us to ignore the fact that bankruptcy was declared to help continue a cover-up. We hope that the judge overseeing the bankruptcy will force the Diocese of Buffalo to make a complete disclosure of facts about abuse uncovered during the proceedings. This would allow secular authorities to better discern who enabled what, and when. These cycles of abuse will repeat if secular authorities do not put in place guardrails that prevent bishops and other Church officials from hiding the truth.
CONTACT: 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
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