Judge Weighs What Assets Should Be Included in Guam Bankruptcy, SNAP Believes It Should Be All
As a judge in Guam weighs what assets should be included in an ongoing bankruptcy reorganization for the Archdiocese of Agana, we hope that she will elect to include all of the Archdiocesan assets in the bankruptcy.
To us, there is no question that all Catholic property should be included. The fact is, the abusers - priests and lay – worked at these parishes and schools, and these locations are where they found most of their victims. The victims did not walk up to the chancery office and say "here I am, abuse me now.” It does not make sense to allow these properties to be held in trust at the expense of the survivors who were hurt there.
We are especially bothered by the assertion from the Archdiocese’s attorneys that the consequences will be "grave for the community.” The consequences are already grave for these victims and the communities in which they live, so to pretend the sale of properties is somehow graver than the lifelong trauma of sexual abuse committed on those properties is insulting. More to the point, because it is a reorganization, the Archdiocese is assured of survival, so it is absurd and misleading for defense lawyers to say the consequences will be "grave" or to imply that the Catholic Church in Guam will not survive.
This proceeding is about justice and reparations for the victims of sexual abuse in Guam for the grave consequences they have already suffered. Therefore, we hope that the judge rules that all assets connected to the Archdiocese of Agana are to be put on the table to be allocated in a fair and just manner to compensate these survivors for the horrors they have experienced.
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, SNAP Treasurer ([email protected]), Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
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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