FL - Archbishop owes flock an explanation for sudden reversal
We are grateful that Fr. Garcia has been suspended. We are appalled that it has taken years. Wenski owes his flock and explanation and St. Agatha parishioners an apology.
Among many other questions, the most troubling is this: why does it take four lawsuits and two settlements to get Fr. Rolando Garcia ousted from his job?
This is the latest - and most egregious - example of how many bishops are violating their pledges of reform.
Archdiocesan officials settled two cases against Garcia years ago. Now, Wenski claims that no case against him is 'credible?' We hope Wenski's flock will demand to know why their church officials are apparently paying money to victims who they deem "not credible."
Yesterday, one of Wenski’s public relations staffers declared the latest Garcia victim “not credible” before she even saw his lawsuit. She attacked the victim’s past, hoping (we suspect) that such viciousness will scare other victims into staying silent. We, on the other hand, hope that it spurs other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers into saying "enough" and stepping forward.
Wenski postures as a reformer but is essentially Favalora on steroids. With Fr. Garcia, for months, Wenski unilaterally and inexplicably changed the church's purported policy of "one strike and you're out" to a practice of "four strikes and you're still in."
Finally, grudgingly, Wenski has taken a bare minimum step toward making kids safer. But he owes Catholics and citizens a real explanation for his recalcitrance and reckless.
We urge Wenski to personally visit every parish where Garcia worked, and beg others who saw, suspected or suffered Garcia’s crimes to come forward, call police, get help, expose wrongdoing, safeguard kids and start healing.
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