MN - SNAP to church officials: how many more victims?
Minnesota Catholic officials - with the Franciscans and the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese - made a secret settlement seven years ago with a clergy sex abuse victim and have stayed silent about the child molesting cleric even though more than 70 kids in three states now say he molested them.
Why are they keeping this secret and how many other secret settlements are being made by the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese and by Catholic religious orders in Minnesota?
Since the initial allegations against Br. Baker were announced (in Ohio last month), no church official in the Twin Cities area came forward to say ‘yes, he abused kids here too.'
Knowing that Baker abused at least one kid here, we want to know if there were any other victims.
There have been so many allegations that it’s almost impossible to believe that there is only one victim in Minnesota. It’s time for Twin Cities archdiocesan staff to end their dangerous secrecy and come clean about Br. Baker today.
If a single child has been hurt by Baker over the past seven years, Twin Cities Catholic officials are to blame. They had the duty, in 2005, to tell the public that Baker was credibly accused and that they settled with at least one of his victims. hey acted selfishly in stead of acting responsibly. And they're still acting selfishly today, by staying silent.
It’s time for Twin Cities archdiocesan staff to end their dangerous secrecy and come clean about Br. Baker today and explain their on-going secrecy.
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