First Lawsuit Filed Against Fr. John Smyth in Chicago
The first child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit has been filed against a high-profile Chicago priest who had access to thousands of already-vulnerable children.
Fr. John P. Smyth headed a residential treatment facility called Maryville Academy in Des Plaines from 1970-2003. He was removed in 2003 after a resident's suicide and allegations of abuse surfaced. From 2007-2014, The priest was president of Notre Dame College Prep in Niles 2007-2014. He was removed from ministry in January 2019 when allegations against him were reported to the Archdiocese of Chicago. Today he is being sued for reportedly molesting a child. We hope this development will spur others who may have information or suspicions about him to step forward.
In March, we included Fr. Smythe on our list of the 12 more potentially dangerous Chicago accused clerics. We considered him dangerous because he was clearly well spoken, able to win people’s trust and confidence, and had access to hundreds or thousands of already-vulnerable children, who are less likely to report if they are victimized by a powerful authority figure.
It is always hard to report abuse. It is even harder when the accused is a priest, and it is especially hard when that priest is powerful and popular. So we are very grateful to every person who is playing a role in this case and bringing critical information to light. We hope their courage will inspire others to speak up, too.
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