MO - Trial proceeds vs. priest
A civil child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit against who has been called “Illinois’ most notorious predator priest” is moving ahead and will be the focus of a hearing today in St. Clair County Illlinois.
It involves Fr. Raymond Kownacki of the Belleville Diocese. He’s been accused of molesting boys and girls and was once sued for impregnating a teenager and performing an abortion himself.
Leaders of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are applauding the victim for “helping to expose wrongdoing, by both a child molesting cleric and corrupt church colleagues, and helping to deter such awful behavior in the future.”
They urged current and former employees of the Belleville Catholic diocese to help find other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers, “so that Kownacki might be criminally prosecuted and kept away from kids.”
“Kownacki is elderly but we suspect he has no monitoring or supervision,” said Barbara Dorris of SNAP.
“This is a shrewd, violent, dangerous man who has almost certainly hurt others and belongs behind bars,” Dorris said.
Kownacki’s photo is at BishopAccountability.org
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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