SNAP Media Events

June 28, 2023

What:  Press Conference

When:  June 29, 2023, 9:00 a.m. EDT

Where:  Hilton Garden Inn, 216 Peregrine Way, Knoxville, TN 37922   (865) 690-6511

https://www.hilton.com/en/hotels/tyskhgi-hilton-garden-inn-knoxville-west-cedar-bluff/hotel-location/

Who: 

• Susan Vance, a Tennessee leader of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)
• Patrick A. Thronson, Attorney for the Plaintiff, John Doe v. the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Bishop Richard Stika, Janet, Janet, & Suggs, LLC, Baltimore, MD
• John Spragens, Attorney for the Plaintiff, John Doe v. the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Bishop Richard Stika, Spragens Law PLC, Nashville, TN
• Andrew C. Fels, Attorney for the Plaintiff, Jane Doe v. the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville and Anthony Punnackal, Fels Law
• Dave Wells, former Director of Religious Education at Sacred Heart Cathedral

Why:  Commentary from attorneys as well as advocates following the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika of the Catholic Diocese of Knoxville, TN

Join the complete press conference on Zoom:  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86918275289 (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86918275289) You can sign into the meeting as early as 8:00 a.m. and will be let into the press conference at 9:00 a.m.  This will be recorded as well and made available to be seen later.

Summary: Pope Francis yesterday, June 27, 2023, confirmed the resignation of Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee.  At this press conference, you will hear from key players in the events that will unfold in this saga in Knoxville. There will be time for questions at the end. 

Links: 

New York Times:  https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/us/bishop-richard-stika-resigns-vatican.html’’

Knoxville News Sentinel

https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/27/knoxville-bishop-richard-stika-resign-amid-sex-abuse-lawsuits/69953710007/

Statement from Bishop Richard Stika

https://dioknox.org/news/bishop-stika-announces-retirement

Statement from Archbishop Shelton Fabre https://dioknox.org/news/message-from-apostolic-administrator

Contact:  Susan Vance, SNAP Leader Tennessee (865-748-3518  [email protected] snapnetwork.org) Mike McDonnell, SNAP Interim Executive Director (267-261-0578 [email protected])

For immediate release June 20, 2023

SNAP urges the Diocese of Oakland to publish the names of all of those accused in recently filed lawsuits

Clergy abuse victims and advocates demand that Bishop Michael Barber withdraw his request to the bankruptcy court to keep this information "confidential," saying that bankruptcy should not be used to hide child sex crimes

The group will also again beg AG Rob Bonta to publish a report about what his office has uncovered about the abuse of boys and girls in Catholic California

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

-- Urge the Diocese of Oakland to publish the names of the accused and information about their assaults for all of those who have been named in lawsuits under the recent child victims act;

-- Demand that Bishop Michael Barber rescind his request to the federal bankruptcy court to hide those names; and

-- Renew their call for Attorney General Rob Bonta to publish a report about what he has found regarding the sexual abuse of boys and girls in the Catholic Church in California.

WHEN: June 20, 2023, at 10 AM

WHERE: On the public sidewalk outside the United States Bankruptcy Court,1300 Clay Street, Oakland

(For Immediate Release June 16, 2023) 

Abuse victims to leaflet Catholic church

They ask parishioners to help prod KC bishop

‘He still refuses to disclose all molesters’ SNAP says

Group names 2 local predators ‘never outed here before’

They have been deemed ‘credibly accused’ of abuse elsewhere

Diocese won’t name two other priests, but paid their victims $377,000

WHAT

As parishioners leave mass, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will hand out fliers urging parishioners to insist that their bishop disclose the names of all predator priests who are or were in the KC MO diocese, including

--two who have never been publicly accused of abuse in the KC area before (but have been deemed ‘credibly accused’ abusers in other Catholic dioceses), and

--two who have been sued for molesting in KC MO (and cases settled for $277,000 and $60,000)

None of the four are on the KC MO diocese’s list of alleged predators even though it’s documented that they lived and/or worked in the KC MO diocese.

The leaflets also beg church-goers to ask their loved ones if they were hurt by any of the now 40+ publicly accused KC MO predator priests (according to a respected, online archive called BishopAccountability.org)

WHEN

Saturday, June 17 at 3:00 p.m.

WHERE

Outside the KC Catholic diocese’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 416. W. 12^th Street in downtown Kansas City MO

WHO

Three-four members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a St. Louis man who is the organization’s former executive director (now Missouri volunteer director)

WHY

SNAP has found four more credibly accused child molesting clerics who live or lived in the KC MO diocese and should be - but are NOT - on the KC MO diocese’s list of alleged predators.

Two of them - Msgr. Martin Henry Froeschl and Fr. Alexander B. (“Sandy”) Sinclair – have been sued for molesting KC MO kids. Cases against them have settled for a total of $337,000. Yet they are NOT on the KC MO list.

Two others - Fr. James V. McCormick and Fr. Lawrence C. Schierhoff - are on church ‘credibly accused’ lists in other dioceses - in St. Louis, Jeff City and South Dakota) but NOT on the KC MO list.

(McCormick and Schierhoff are being ‘outed’ here for the first time. Both clerics are virtually unknown in KC MO. Previously, SNAP has urged KC MO church officials to add Froeschel and Sinclair.)

Over the past 2-3 years, SNAP has criticized KC MO Bishop James Johnston before for refusing to put all child molesting clerics (priests, nuns, bishops, seminarians, monks, brothers) on his diocesan ‘credibly accused’ list.

For the most part, Johnston has ignored SNAP’s requests, even though he chairs the US Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Youth Protection

https://www.usccb.org/committees/protection-children-young-people/committee#tab--committee-members

Bishops elsewhere have, however, responded to several such requests by SNAP, adding names of credibly accused child molesting clerics.

DETAILS

According to BishopAccountability.org, an authoritative and respected online archive of the church’s abuse crisis, there are 41 publicly accused KC MO predator priests, although the KC MO diocese lists only 38 such priests.

SNAP says Bishop Johnston should list, but refuses to list, more than 20 proven, admitted, or credibly accused child molesting clerics who are or were in his diocese.

https://www.bishop-accountability.org/dioceses/usa-mo-kansas-city-st-joseph/

https://kcsjcatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/Substantiated.08012022.Hartwayupdate.PUBLISHED.pdf

CONTACT

David Clohessy, SNAP Leader Missouri (314-566-9790, [email protected])  Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager (267-261-0578 ([email protected])

The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) will speak about the new revelations that
identify many of the redactions that were made in the Attorney Genera’s report on the Child Sexual
Abuse in the Archdiocese of Maryland

https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/press/2022/111722.pdf

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/community/religion/john-krzyanski-joseph-omeara-samuel-
lupico-catholic-sex-abuse-report-NTWFDCHPJBHBVPU6OIGNRJTTG4/

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/investigations/bs-md-church-officials-sexual-abuse-redacted-
20230504-pngpc2eym5ehjjocmgttwg3o4q-story.html

WHAT: A sidewalk news conference, abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors
Network of those Abused by Priests, will speak about the information revealed by the two major
newspapers in Baltimore. We know that several of the officials were completely complicit in
covering up and enabling abusers.

WHEN: Monday, May 8th at 11:30 am

WHERE: In front of the Archdiocese of Baltimore office, 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201
WHO: 7-10 abuse survivors and advocates, including the Maryland SNAP Leader David Lorenz, who
wants to see church officials remove any and all priests who knowingly mislead victims or enabled
abusers to continue harming children by their actions or lack of action.

SNAP writes abusers names on sidewalk

Victims group wants five more predators exposed

Group says they should be listed on church website

Four of them are alive; three likely still live in this area

SNAP blasts bishop: “Your secrecy is endangering kids”

Diocese now has almost 50 publicly accused clergy molesters

(Media Advisory for April 7, 2023) 

• Victims applaud the release of the Maryland Attorney General Report
• They also announce the passage of the Child Victim’s Act (CVA)
• Demand that the Church add the 30 new names in the AG to their list and stop using hair-splitting distinctions to avoid being transparent
• Demand that the Church provide the assignment history, last known location, and employment of perpetrators listed in the AG report
• Demand that the Church stop fighting the constitutionality of the CVA

WHAT: Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will announce the passage of the CVA along with the release of the scathing Attorney General report.  ,

-- Demand that the Archdiocese explain their recklessness and continued secrecy in not listing the 30 newly named perpetrators.

-- Celebrate the passage of the CVA and look forward to having it signed by the Governor of Maryland.

-- Demand that the Archdiocese of Baltimore provides work and assignment history for each of the perps listed in the report, their last known location as well      as whether they know if the perp is still living.

-- Demand that the dioceses of Washington DC and Wilmington, DE publicly release the information that they have given to the AG. 

WHEN: Friday, April 7^th at 11:00 AM. 

(Media Advisory For February 15, 2023)

SURVIVORS GATHER AT THE CAPITOL TO RALLY FOR TEXAS STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM

HB206 and SB751 ELIMINATE STATUTES OF LIMITATIONS (SOLs) FOR SURVIVORS OF CHILD SEX ABUSE

What: A coalition of Texas survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) will gather in solidarity at the Capitol to educate legislators and their constituents about the need for SOL reform, giving voice to all survivors in the name of justice and healing.

When: Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 9:00 am to 11:00

Where: South Steps of the Capitol, 1100 Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas.

Who: Texas leaders and members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests SNAP); President and members of Survivors of Child Sex Abuse (SCSA); President and members of SOSChildAbuse.org, SexAbuseRegistry, SurvivingScouting.org; Texas CSA survivors and their supporters and advocates. Speakers will include Rep. Ann Johnson, Texas House Member Dist. 134; Dr. Amy Kemter, San Antonio Psychotherapist who works with abuse survivors; Michael Johnson, 28-year veteran, retired law enforcement child sexual abuse investigator, and former director of Youth Protection for the national headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America and Whistleblower; Mr. Joe Alarcon, Kanakuk Youth Camp Survivor Advocate; as well as several child sex abuse survivors.

Why: HB 206,¹ filed by Rep. Ann Johnson, and SB 751,² filed by Senator Pete Flores, permanently eliminate the civil statutes of limitations (SOL) allowing survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) to take legal action against predators, and the institutions who enabled them. It is retroactive, reviving previously expired SOLs. These SOL bills protect our community by exposing hidden predators. They empower survivors--no matter how long ago their abuse occurred--to speak out and get the healing support they need.

(For Release February 13, 2023)