MO-Catholics urge judge to “hold firm”
Catholics urge judge to “hold firm”
They want “openness” about predator priests
Groups to archbishop: “Start obeying court order”
“Our donations should not go to church lawyers,” they say
“Nor should our contributions finance more hurtful secrecy”
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, local Catholics and child sex abuse victims will call upon
--a St. Louis archbishop to stop his “long and expensive fight” against a court order commanding him to release records of alleged predator priests, and
--a St. Louis judge to “hold firm” and insist on such disclosure immediately and hold the archbishop in contempt.
WHEN
TODAY, Tuesday, Dec. 31 at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the “new” Cathedral, 4400 Lindell at Taylor in the city’s Central West End
WHO
A small group of Catholics who belong to three organizations - Voice of the Faithful, the Association for the Rights of Catholics, and the Faithful of Southern Illinois - along with two-three clergy sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
WHY
More than six months ago, a local judge ordered St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson to turn over, privately, records about proven and alleged child molesting local clerics. But Carlson has essentially violated that order by providing only a little bit of the information. He refuses to provide the names of proven, admitted and accused predators, despite a clear command by Judge Robert Dierker to do so.
In contrast, the alleged victim in the case has complied with Dierker’s orders. She has provided Catholic officials hundreds of pages of her private emails and her medical records.
The case revolves around accusations that Fr. Joseph D. Ross repeatedly sexually abused a then-five year old girl for years at St. Cronan’s Catholic parish in the Grove neighborhood. She is now 20 and in 2011, she filed a lawsuit as a “Jane Doe.” The suit charges that top archdiocesan staffers knew that Ross was a convicted predator yet moved him to her parish without warning anyone about him.
CONTACT
David Clohessy (314) 566-9790 cell, [email protected], Barbara Dorris (314) 503 0003, [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