SNAP Statement on Federal Lawsuit against Bishop Deshotels, Archbishop Aymond, and the Vatican
SNAP New Orleans supports the five John Doe plaintiffs who allege that they were abused by Monsignor Kenneth R. Morvant between 1972 and 1982 while he worked as a priest in the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette. The cleric died in 2003. These survivors are suing the current bishop of Lafayette, J. Douglas Deshotels, Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans, and the Vatican for neglecting to protect boys in the Diocese from the monsignor.
The lawsuit alleges that now-deceased Archbishop Phillip Hannan and his successors in the Archdiocese of New Orleans were aware of Morvant’s crimes, but did not remove him from ministry.
The plaintiffs further contend that the hierarchy in Lafayette, New Orleans, and the Vatican did nothing to warn the public of Monsignor Morvant’s criminal behavior.
This lawsuit also seeks to expose the cover-up of sex crimes by clerics against the children of the Diocese of Lafayette. Attorneys representing the Diocese of Lafayette filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. In this motion, they demand the plaintiffs reveal their true identities. SNAP supports these brave plaintiffs and urges the court to maintain the privacy of each individual.
Finally, this lawsuit hopes to show a civil conspiracy between the Bishops from the Lafayette Diocese, the Archbishops of New Orleans, and Rome to hide the sex crimes of Monsignor Morvant.
The monsignor was not named among the 37 “credibly accused” clergy listed by the Diocese of Lafayette on April 12, 2019. However, Monsignor Morvant is named as a publicly accused priest in the Lafayette Diocese by BishopAccountability, an independent database chronicling the Catholic abuse scandal in the United States. Eleven men came forward in 2018 to accuse the priest of abuse in a lawsuit filed in state court.
CONTACT: Kevin Bourgeois, SNAP New Orleans ([email protected], 504-376-5445), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in insti- tutional 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