SNAP Media Events

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) will hold a press conference in Rome on Tuesday, March 25th at 11:00am to release a letter from clergy abuse survivors to be delivered this weekend to Pope Francis. The letter conveys survivors’ urgent appeals to the pope in light of his declining health and the looming transition in church leadership.

Victims blast Peoria bishop on abuse

In new video, man who sued speaks up for first time

His predator priest still lives in IL but diocese won’t say where

Advocate challenges Tylka to “help put abusive cleric behind bars”

SNAP: “Offering prayers won’t cut it. Bishop must act to safeguard kids”

Roughly 50 Peoria area priests are now publicly accused child molesters

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will try to hand deliver a letter to Peoria’s Catholic bishop

--blasting him for ‘reckless inaction’ in response to a lawsuit last week against a still-living but defrocked predator priest,

--urging him to protect kids by ‘personally visiting each place the abuser worked and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call the police,’ and

--challenging local church employees - ‘no matter what the bishop does or doesn’t do’ - to ‘aggressively warn parents and the public about this predator.’

Also, in an impassioned new video, the victim who sued the cleric last week will discuss his shame, suicidal feelings, hopefulness and explain why he’s coming forward and taking action now.

WHEN
Monday, March 17 at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Peoria Catholic Diocese headquarters (a.k.a chancery office or Spalding Center), 492 NE. Madison Ave. in Peoria

WHO

Two-four clergy sex abuse victims including a Missouri man (also abused as a child by a priest) who is the former national director of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

Victims charge Houma Catholic church is ‘reckless’ on abuse

Group says diocese ‘is still hiding at least 4 local perpetrators’

Other dioceses post their names & say the allegations are ‘credible’

SNAP: “But Houma officials refuse, leaving kids at risk & victims wounded”

Support group also alerts child victims to an unusual new legal opportunity

New law means that anyone molested at any time by anyone can now sue

‘By coming forward, the wounded can protect the vulnerable,’ survivors say

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will

--write on a sidewalk the names of four publicly accused clerics who are or were in the Houma-Thibodaux diocese but are largely ‘under the radar’ and are still being hidden by local church officials, and

---urge anyone “with information or suspicions about known or possible abusers” to call police, not church staff, contact SNAP and “protect others and start healing.”

They will also urge Catholics to join with them in spreading awareness of an “unusual and ground-breaking child safety law” that “enables virtually any child sex abuse victim to sue, no matter how long ago the crime happened, so that the truth will be known about every bishop, priest, brother, nun, seminarian, or layperson who hurt kids.”

WHEN

Thursday, Oct. 10 at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Cathedral of St. Francis, 500 Goode St. in Houma (985-876-6904)

WHO

Two child sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Missouri man who for 30 years was the organization’s national director

Abuse victims blast Baton Rouge bishop

He’s hiding at least three ‘credibly accused’ abusive priests

Other church officials say allegations against the men are ‘credible’

SNAP: “If church officials are hiding them, what else might they be hiding?”

Support group also alerts child victims to unusual new legal opportunity

New law means that anyone molested at any time by anyone can now sue

‘By coming forward, the wounded can protect the vulnerable,’ victims say

WHAT

Using sidewalk chalk, while holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims will write on a sidewalk the names of three publicly accused child molesting clerics who are NOT on the Baton Rouge Catholic bishop’s ‘credibly accused’ list and thus remain largely ‘under the radar.’

They will also urge 

---Catholics and others to “spread the word” about an unusual new Louisiana law that will make kids safer by enabling victims of childhood sexual abuse to sue those who committed or concealed the crimes - no matter how long ago they were violated, and

---those with information or suspicions about ANY other known or possible perpetrators to a) call police, not church staff, and b) contact SNAP.

WHEN

Wednesday, Oct. 9, at 2 PM

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside St. Joseph Cathedral, 401 Main Street (corner of 4^th) in Baton Rouge

WHO

Two child sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Missouri man who for 30 years was the organization’s national director

New perpetrator priest lawsuit is filed

Victims also blast local bishop over ‘continued secrecy’

SNAP: He’s hiding at least 3 ‘credibly accused’ abusive priests

They’re still alive, so they may still be a threat to kids, group says

Other church officials say charges against them are substantiated

But their names are NOT on the official Lafayette diocese list

Victims also urge greater awareness of new state child molestation law

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, abuse victims will announce and discuss a new child sexual abuse and cover up lawsuit against ‘the most notorious child molesting’ cleric in Louisiana history.

Using chalk, they will also write on a sidewalk the names of several publicly accused pedophile priests who have spent time in the Lafayette area but are NOT on the Lafayette bishop’s ‘credibly accused’ list.

And they will also “urge anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered ANY other known or possible abuse to a) call police, not church staff, and b) contact SNAP.

WHEN

Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 11:00 a.m.

(NOTE: The group will hold a similar event in Baton Rouge later the same day, Wednesday, October 9 at 2 p.m.)

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, the address for the Cathedral is 914 St. John Street, Lafayette, LA, press conference will be at 515 Cathedral. Call if you can't locate them: David, 314-566-9790 (Cathedral phone: 337-232-1322)

WHO

Two child sexual abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Missouri man who for 30 years was the organization’s national director

Victims blast Alexandria bishop on child abuse

They say he’s “concealing four publicly accused priests"

Other church officials admit charges against them are ‘credible’

SNAP: “If church officials are hiding these guys, what else might they be hiding?”

Support group also alerts child victims to unusual new legal opportunity

New law means that anyone molested at any time by anyone can now sue

‘By coming forward, the wounded can protect the vulnerable,’ victims say

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sexual abuse victims will

---disclose four publicly &/or ‘credibly accused’ priests who were in the Alexandria diocese but are NOT on the local Catholic bishop’s official ‘accused’ list, and

---write their names - and names of other alleged pedophile priests - on the sidewalk with chalk.

The victims will also urge 

---Catholics to “spread the word” about a new Louisiana law that “helps protect kids and expose predators” by enabling “anyone abused at any time by any one” to file a civil lawsuit against “both the actual perpetrators and those who enabled their crimes” and

---anyone with information or suspicions about ANY other known or possible abuser to a) call police, not church staff, and b) contact their SNAP.

WHEN

Tuesday, Oct.  8 at 2:00 p.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, 626 4th St. in Alexandria (318-445-1451)

WHO

Two child sexual abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Missouri man who for 30 years was the organization’s national director

Abuse victims blast Lake Charles bishop

He’s hiding at least four ‘credibly accused’ abusive priests

Other church officials say allegations against the men are ‘credible’

SNAP: “If church officials are hiding them, what else might they be hiding?”

Support group also alerts child victims to unusual new legal opportunity

New law means that anyone molested at any time by anyone can now sue

‘By coming forward, the wounded can protect the vulnerable,’ victims say

WHAT

Using sidewalk chalk, and holding signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse victims will write on the sidewalk the names of child-molesting clerics, at least four of whom have been left off the Lake Charles Catholic bishop’s ‘credibly accused’ abusers ist.

Holding signs and childhood photos, they will also 

---urge Catholics to join with them in spreading awareness of an “unusual and groundbreaking child safety law” that “enables virtually any child sex abuse victim to sue, no matter how long ago the crime happened,” and

---urge those with information or suspicions about ANY other known or possible perpetrator to a) call police, not church staff, and b) contact their support group.

WHEN

Tuesday, October 8, 2024, at 11 AM

(NOTE: The group will hold a similar event in Alexandria later the same day, Tuesday 10/8 at 2 p.m.) 

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 935 Bilbo St. in Lake Charles (337-436-7251)

WHO

Two child sexual abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a man who for 30 years was the organization’s national director

Victims say top Catholic official is 'becoming worse' on abuse

They write names of 'credibly accused perpetrators' on sidewalk

Newly filed civil lawsuit targets four or five priests accused of abuse

SNAP: But Jeff City bishop refuses to 'reveal even one fact' about them

Group wants Bp. McKnight to disclose who 'Fr. Dave' is and where he is now

And it 'especially urges' those who were hurt as adults to 'come forward & get help'

WHAT

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, abuse victims will discuss a new lawsuit filed last week accusing four or five Jefferson City area Catholic priests of child sexual crimes and adult sexual misconduct. They will also prod Jefferson City's Catholic bishop to reveal more information about 

--the four newly-accused abusers - including which are alive and where they are now 

--all of the clerics on his 'credibly accused' abusers list, including their photos and complete lists of each parish where they worked. 

Using chalk, they will write the names of the 10-12 proven, admitted and 'credibly accused' priests who are or were in the Jeff City area and are still alive.

And they will call on 

--anyone who was 'sexually manipulated, exploited or victimized' as an adult to 'speak up, protect others and start healing,' and

--state lawmakers to reform Missouri's 'archaic, arbitrary and predator-friendly' statute of limitations on child sexual crimes.

WHEN

Thursday, Sept. 19 at 11:00 a.m.

WHERE

On the sidewalk outside Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (where one of the priests is accused of abusing a woman), 1206 E. McCarty in Jefferson City (573 635 6143)

WHO

Two abuse victims including a mid-Missouri native who for 30 years led SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) and who sued the Jefferson City diocese years ago