Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Faces Lawsuit for Sexual Harassment: SNAP Reacts
Two nuns are suing the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (GOA) forsexual harassment and cover-up. In 2017 the sisters reported years of abuse by a high ranking priest.
According to the GOA, the cleric admitted that he had “inappropriate relations” with two women, one in Massachusetts and one in Brooklyn. But instead of helping the sisters when they spoke up, Church officials retaliated, saying that they would send these Americans to Greece to learn to be “good nuns.”
SNAP applauds these courageous survivors for coming forward. No one – child, parishioner, religious brother or sister, seminarian or clergy – should be subjected to sexual abuse or harassment by a spiritual superior. And no faith community should tolerate this conduct.
This type of abuse is incredibly damaging to the victim, and can even culminate in suicide. There is absolutely no excuse for a church to allow such a perpetrator to remain in ministry.
We hope that others who experienced sexual abuse or harassment in the GOA will be inspired by the nuns, and instead of reporting to the Church will call independent sources of help, such as law enforcement, therapists, and support groups like ours.
CONTACT: Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Orthodox Christian Leader ([email protected],925-708-6175), 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