Diocese of Duluth, MN to Get New Bishop
A Minnesota Catholic diocese is getting a new bishop soon and we call on him to make the protection of children and prevention of abuse his number one priority once he takes the job in Duluth.
Father Michel J. Mulloy, a priest from the Diocese of Rapid City, South Dakota, has been chosen by Pope Francis to lead the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota. The diocese has a checkered history with the issue of clergy abuse and we hope that Bishop-elect Mulloy will immediately take steps to improve transparency and prevention efforts in his new assignment.
The previous bishop of Duluth, Paul Sirba, was accused of covering-up the crimes committed by Fr. Curtis Wehmayer and also of hiding allegations against a different priest, Fr. Cornelius Keleher, for more than a year. Bishop Sirba previously worked under Archbishop John Nienstedt in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. The archbishop was not only accused of covering up abuse in the archdiocese but was also accused of abuse.
It is clear that Bishop-elect Mulloy has his work cut out for him as he works to bring the Diocese of Duluth out of an era of silence and cover-up and into a new one of accountability for abusers and enablers and support for those who were harmed by clergy in Duluth.
The bishop-elect can start to show how differently he would handle these kinds of crimes by immediately turning over all files related to abuse to the Minnesota attorney general and personally requesting an independent and secular investigation of his diocese. This is but one step that Bishop-elect Mulloy can and should take, and we hope he makes it a priority when he officially becomes the leader of Duluth later this year.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP 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