Monsignor from Archdiocese of San Antonio Removed due to Allegations of Abuse, SNAP Responds
A monsignor from the Archdiocese of San Antonio was removed due to multiple allegations that he abused both children and adult parishioners. We applaud the brave survivors for coming forward and exposing this man’s behavior and call on local church officials to pull out the stops in spreading the information and encouraging other survivors to come forward and make a report to police.
The Archdiocese of San Antonio did the right thing by removing Msgr. Davalos’ faculties so he cannot exercise ministry within the SA archdiocese. However, merely “requesting that he refrain from all ministry during an investigation into the allegations” leaves us considerable concern about the welfare of children and vulnerable adults in our community. We believes that the archdiocese should not attempt to investigate an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult since it lacks the training and expertise to do so, but should allow law enforcement to do their job and encourage these and any other survivors to report any sexual abuse or misconduct to the local district attorney’s office or local police.
We call on church officials in San Antonio to make available to the public the current location of this accused priest and his proximity to public spaces where children may be at risk. They should also be fully transparent regarding the offenses of this priest, past and present, as the more that parishioners and the community know, the better they can protect themselves and others at risk. It is the perfect time, in fact, to educate the community about imbalanced power relationships and the subtle coercion or psychological grooming that is involved when someone in a position of power abuses his authority.
SNAP commends the survivors for coming forward as their bravery ensures that no one children or vulnerable adults will be hurt by Msgr. Davalos. We are here to support them along with any other survivors of clergy abuse here in San Antonio. Any survivors can contact Patti Koo at [email protected] or 956-648-7385 for support or information on local support group meetings.
CONTACT: Patti Koo, SNAP San Antonio ([email protected] 956-648-7385), Zach Hiner, Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.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