WASHINGTON — Bishop Frank Rodimer and Father Peter Osinski were friends.
Father Osinski was a priest in the Diocese of Camden, New Jersey. Bishop Rodimer was bishop of Paterson, a nearby diocese, from 1978 until 2004.
What Will the US Bishops and the Pope Do Next to Combat Abuse Crisis?
For years the men rented a beach house together each summer on New Jersey’s Long Beach Island, south of Seaside and north of Atlantic City. There, for seven years in the 1980s, Father Osinski molested a young boy. The first year it happened, the boy was 7.
The priest was arrested in 1997. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
In 1999, the victim settled a lawsuit against the bishop, the priest and the priest’s diocese. Bishop Rodimer was not alleged to have committed sexual abuse, but the suit charged that the bishop had been negligent in failing to recognize what was going on.
In 2002 Bishop Rodimer apologized for failing to prevent the abuse at the beach house. He also acknowledged that he had mishandled other cases of sexual abuse involving priests of his diocese.
At the same time, he defended his decision to allow an admitted child abuser, Father William Cramer, to serve as a hospital chaplain from 1991 to 2002.
For much of his tenure in Pat...
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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Rich, MSW