Church properties approved for sale to settle abuse claims, SNAP Responds
(For Immediate Release July 19, 2022)
The Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador has approved the sale of 43 church-owned properties. This court approval, according to news reports, is aimed at helping to compensate victims for crimes committed against them by Catholic Clerics. In 2021, abuse claims and settlement figures mounted against the Diocese of St. John’s. As expected, the legal arm of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation- St John’s filed for protection from creditors.
We are extremely concerned to learn in this report, supplied by the accounting firm handling the sale of the properties through the bankruptcy court, that the Catholic church, via several legal entities it formed, is buying up some of its own properties.
For us, this raises several questions:
First, if the church is bankrupt, where does it get the cash to in essence keep and maintain these properties? Is it actually bankrupt?
Second, is the sale price an arm's length transaction?
We can’t help but think since the church has found another source of cash, why aren’t those funds being applied to the settlement amounts, so that another bidder can buy the properties and thus generate even more funding to compensate victims?
We hope the judge handling this bankruptcy will review these real estate transactions carefully. So often, victims are retraumatized beyond just the sexual abuse; they get lied to when reporting, stiff-armed by bishops who claim to be pastoral but who are not, and shortchanged when they finally succeed in court.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, (267-261-0578, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President, (814-341-8386, [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)
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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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