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SNAP Media Events
The Archdiocese of Washington DC (ADW) wants to thwart the will of the people of Maryland by declaring the CVA unconstitutional.
The Archdiocese of Washington DC (ADW) wants to thwart the will of the people of Maryland by
declaring the CVA unconstitutional.
ADW speaks out of both sides of its mouth after relying on funds obtained by the retroactive
application of asbestos civil cases.
The CVA was passed unanimously in the Maryland legislature and rapidly signed by the governor
WHAT: A sidewalk news conference, abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors
Network of those Abused by Priests, will demand that the ADW stop their immoral and unethical
practices of re-abusing and re-traumatizing survivors by attempting to have the Child Victims’ Act (CVA)
declared unconstitutional. In 2017 the ADW, along with the other two dioceses in Maryland quietly
snuck in a provision to the child abuse statutes that seemingly treated child abuse under statute of
repose restrictions. This seemingly prevented the ability for child abuse lawsuits from EVER being
resurrected through any retroactive changes in the statutes. However, even first year law students
understand that you can pretend to call a pig a duck, but that doesn’t make it a duck. Child abuse simply
does not follow the definition of repose. The ADW is doing this despite the fact that about 25 years ago,
they not only benefited from but actually encouraged the legislature to amend the existing statute of
repose for asbestos so that they, the ADW, could sue for retroactive damages, which they did.
WHEN: Wednesday 3/6/24 at approximately noon (immediately following the hearing scheduled to start
at 10 AM)
SNAP presser Thursday, Feb. 1 at 11:15 a.m. in Kansas City
Ex-cleric & abuse victims beg KC archbishop to act
They want him to re-assign accused priest
‘To be safe, move him to a parish without a school,' SNAP says
Twice in six months, accused abusers are put in/near KC Catholic schools
Just last month, SNAP says an Overland Park priest pleaded guilty to child porn
WHAT
Holdings signs at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and a former Kansas City Kansas Catholic priest will publicly beg Kansas’ top church official to
--reverse his recent decision to transfer an accused child molesting priest to a Lenexa parish with a school,
--fire a recently-hired Mission Catholic school principal who faced a child sexual abuse lawsuit, and
--hold an unprecedented, historic joint open public Q & A session and invite the public to discuss how reports of crimes against kids are handled in his archdiocese.
They will also
--disclose that last month an Overland Park KS priest was sentenced to prison on child porn charges,
--prod the archbishop to publicly seek out any youngsters there he may have hurt, and
--publicly appeal to Lenexa parishioners to insist that their church officials ‘work harder to safeguard the vulnerable.’
Clergy abuse victims/advocates presser THURS 11/30 @ 11:15a.m. & 1:15pm in Chicago
At a sidewalk news conference with signs and childhood photos, clergy sex abuse advocates will
-- announce a new formal, first-ever complaint to the Vatican against five top Chicagoland Catholic officials for 'ignoring, hiding and/or enabling' child sex crimes by clergy,
-- blast those church figures for ‘doing little or nothing’ to protect others from a predator priest who is believed to now live and work 'unsupervised and unmonitored' in the Chicago area (despite a recent $2 million settlement paid to one of his victims), and
-- urge the church officials to warn police, prosecutors, parents, parishioners and the public about him, and
-- harshly critize the heads of three dioceses (Chicago, Joliet, Rockford) and a Chicago-based Catholic religious order for how they mishandled the predator, the case and the settlement.
They will also beg anyone who saw, suspected or suffered his crimes or church cover ups to call law enforcement.
--At 11:15 a.m. outside the St. John Stone Friary, 1165 E. 54th Pl. (in Hyde Park), Chicago
--At 1:15 p.m. outside St. Rita of Cascia High School, 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago
A veteran Chicago attorney who represents abuse victims and the former long-time director of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
A large photo of the abuser and a poster listing credibly accused Chicago clerics in the Augustinians, the religious order to which the predator priest belongs
Wrongful death suit filed vs. Missouri boarding school
Wrongful death suit filed vs. Missouri boarding school
Mom sues because her son, gang raped there, is now dead
Unusual case names eight defendants; two of them are sheriffs
It also accuses a company that transports kids to such facilities
Victims also call for better laws & enforcement 'to prevent more abuse'
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will
--announce the first-ever wrongful death lawsuit against a controversial, unlicensed, independent and now-shuttered Baptist facility for 'troubled teenagers' in southern Missouri, and
--call on Missouri lawmakers to pass a new law that would expand the state's civil statute of limitations on abuse which would enable more child sex abuse victims to expose those who commit or conceal child sex crimes in court.
--urge local and state law enforcement agencies to more aggressively investigate similar schools and more vigorously prosecute wrongdoers.
WHEN
Tuesday, Oct. 24 at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Federal Courthouse 400 E. 9th Street in downtown Kansas City, MO
Groups seek Vatican’s help re: Springfield IL bishop
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will announce that their group is filing with the Vatican (under a new and little-known church process) a lengthy formal complaint charging that Springfield's bishop is deliberately protecting predator priests and making it harder for victims to report abuse.
--use chalk to write on the sidewalk the names of proven, admitted &/or credibly accused child molesting clerics who are or were in the Springfield Diocese but are NOT on the official diocesan 'credibly accused' list, and
--ask Springfield's bishop to let victims them speak later this month at a diocese-wide assembly.
Thursday, Oct. 19 at 1:00 pm
Diocese of Oakland priest accused of child sexual abuse in a current lawsuit still in ministry in Rodeo
For immediate release September 29, 2023
Diocese of Oakland priest accused of child sexual abuse in a current lawsuit still in ministry in Rodeo
As far as SNAP can tell, the faithful in the parish were never alerted to the accusations and the cleric was never suspended
Survivors’ group thinks that this does not square with the promises of the Dallas Charter and prior actions by the Diocese
Victims and advocates urge Bishop Michael Barber to be transparent with the parishioners of his Diocese and the public
WHAT: Holding signs at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and advocates will:
-- Discuss whether the failure of the Diocese of Oakland to notify the faithful that their priest was accused in a lawsuit for child sexual abuse is part of a deliberate strategy to keep the information secret;
-- Urge Bishop Michael Barber to come clean to the affected parishioners and let them know about the accusations; and
-- Ask the faithful to ponder how this omission squares with the promise of the Dallas Charter and the usual procedures of the Diocese in such cases.
WHEN: October 1, 2023, at 9:00 AM
WHERE: On the public sidewalk outside of St. Patrick Catholic Church, 907 Seventh Street, Rodeo
WHO: 4 to 5 clergy abuse victims and advocates, including survivors from the Oakland Diocese
WHY: An active Diocese of Oakland priest has been accused of child sexual abuse in a recently filed lawsuit. The clergyman, Fr. Larry Young, is still in ministry as the pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Rodeo despite the accusations.
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) speak about the bankruptcy filing of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (AOB).
(For Immediate Release)
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) speaks about the bankruptcy filing of the Archdiocese of Baltimore (AOB).
The AOB does not include parish assets in its declaration of assets but desires to have parishes protected by bankruptcy filing. They can’t have it both ways.
Survivors and supporters will attend the hearing to make their presence known to the bankruptcy judge followed by a protest at the Baltimore courthouse
WHAT: A sidewalk news conference, abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will demand that the AOB drop its bankruptcy filing in order to protect the patrimony of the Church. We will point out the hypocrisy of church officials. We will demand that survivors be allowed to tell their stories in open court because justice requires it. For those who suffered from child sex crimes committed in the Archdiocese, there is no upside to this cruel and, in our opinion, unjustified legal tactic. SNAP believes that children, not secrets and assets, are what need to be protected.
WHEN: Tuesday 10/3/23 noon
WHERE: In front of the United States District Court in Baltimore.101 W Lombard St, Baltimore, MD 21201
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) Will speak about the upcoming activation of the Child Victim’s Act (CVA) and the possible bankruptcy declaration by the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
For Immediate Release September 27, 2023
WHAT: A sidewalk news conference, abuse survivors and advocates who are part of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, will encourage survivors to come forward and seek help while updating them on the upcoming change in Maryland law on 10/1/23. The CVA will take effect.
WHEN: Thursday 9/28/23 11:00 am
WHERE: In front of the Baltimore Basilica, 409 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201
WHO: 7-10 abuse survivors and advocates, including the Maryland SNAP Leader David Lorenz, who wants to reach out to adult survivors of sexual abuse and make them aware of the changes in Maryland law known as the Child Victim’s Act that will take effect on Sunday. They will also call attention to the fact that the Archdiocese of Baltimore is floating the idea of declaring bankruptcy even before the first case is filed
Media Statements
Sacramento Catholic bishop will file for bankruptcy on April 1; to SNAP this is no joke
For Immediate Release: March 18, 2024
This weekend, parishioners in the Diocese of Sacramento learned that their bishop would file for bankruptcy on April 1st. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, sadly acknowledges that this is no joke, and again urges Bishop Jaime Soto to reconsider this scorched earth legal tactic.
Bankruptcy is not the only way to achieve fair recoverys in all of the lawsuits against the Diocese. In the last window, universal agreements were reached between the Church and survivors and their attorneys, without the draconian consequences that bankruptcy will bring along with it.
Victims group seeks help from area ministers
Victims group seeks help from area ministers
SNAP to church leaders: ‘Help us help the wounded’
Organization writes 25+ congregations in ‘outreach effort’
‘We can’t be complacent now; much remains to be done,’ it says
Group plans two local meetings – one private, one open - in the weeks ahead
A support group for abuse victims is writing to more than two dozen churches in Wayne County asking them for help in finding and consoling anyone who’s been hurt at Lighthouse Christian Academy, where three officials have recently been arrested.
It also plans to hold two meetings in the Piedmont area in the weeks ahead.
“Now is not the time to be complacent,” SNAP’s letter reads. It wants “to find and help the 'lost sheep' - anyone who was hurt at Lighthouse, recently or in years past. . .so they won’t have to “suffer in shame, silence and self-blame.”
The group is urging ministers to preach about the Lighthouse scandal from the pulpit, give out and post leaflets about the situation to their members and urge anyone with knowledge or suspicions about the facility to contact law enforcement.
In the weeks ahead, SNAP plans to hold two meetings in Wayne County. “One will be a private, confidential support group meeting for anyone who was violated as a child anywhere,” the letter notes. “The other will be an open, public discussion and Q & A session about the Lighthouse/ABM Ministries scandal.”
SNAP is seeking meeting space at a local church.
SNAP Applauds Ruling in Maryland CVA Challenge
For Immediate Release March 6, 2024
A significant Maryland law that permits survivors of childhood sexual abuse to sue regardless of how long ago the alleged assault occurred survived a constitutional challenge on Wednesday. We applaud Circuit Judge Robin D. Gill Bright's ruling today.
Institutions and the insurance industry have long lobbied against reforms that benefit child victims. We are elated for the many victim-survivors who deserve validation and justice. 'The challenge to constitutionality alone tells us that the catholic church continues to deny accountability. Never should we trust twice what they have shown us once. I am thrilled survivors have again prevailed.' Mike McDonnell, SNAP Executive Director
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578) David Lorenz, SNAP Maryland leader ([email protected], 301-906-9161) Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board President ([email protected], 814-341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
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SNAP wants boarding school employee fired
For immediate release: Tuesday, March 5
Victims’ group also passed out fliers in the Piedmont area recently
“Call law enforcement if you see, suspect or suffer any wrongdoing,” survivors urge
A support group for clergy sex abuse victims is urging officials at a southern Missouri faith-based boarding school to fire an employee who is accused of abusing children. The owners of the facility, Larry and Carmen Musgraves, were arrested Friday by the local sheriff’s department on charges of first-degree kidnapping and were jailed without bond.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, recently wrote to top officials at Lighthouse Christian Academy, a.k.a. ABM Ministries, including the Musgraves. In the letter, the survivors’ group begged them to remove Julio Sandoval from the premises and payroll of its facility just outside Piedmont in Wayne County.
Sandoval previously worked at Agape Boarding School in Stockton, Missouri, for 10 years. In August of 2022, Sandoval was arrested on federal charges of violating a protective order issued at the request of a student. Sandoval was accused of taking the student against his will and transporting him from Fresno, California, to Agape the previous August. Sandoval was working as dean of students at the school at the time.
Sandoval has pleaded not guilty to the charges and a jury trial is scheduled for October. He could receive up to five years in prison if convicted.
Also, during Sandoval’s tenure as dean of Agape, the Missouri Highway Patrol launched an investigation into abuse of students at the school. In September of 2021, the Cedar County prosecuting attorney charged five staff members with 13 counts of third-degree assault.
In 2022, The Kansas City Star reported that Missouri’s child welfare agency had substantiated 10 reports of physical abuse at Agape. Multiple sources at the time told The Star that several staffers appealed their findings. They said Sandoval was among them. His case is still pending, and state law allows staffers to work with children while their case is under appeal.
In addition, last fall, Kathleen Britt sued Agape, claiming that her son’s death stemmed from abuse he suffered at the facility. Among those named in the suit was the company that transported students to the school, which is owned by Sandoval.
Abuse Scandal Rocks Catholic School in Southwestern France: SNAP Applauds Survivors for Coming Forward
For immediate release: March 5, 2024
A criminal investigation was launched last month following reports of physical and sexual abuse at a private Catholic boarding school in Betharram, at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains near Lourdes. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, believes and fully supports the former students who have filed dozens of complaints.
Leaked Michigan police report points to Alabama Catholic Bishop covering up abuse; SNAP reacts
For immediate release: March 4, 2024
An Alabama blog, Birmingham Diocesan Watch, anonymously received a copy of a 2007 Flint, Michigan, police report earlier this year. The report indicated that Fr. Steven Raica of the Diocese of Lansing was told by an 8-year-old boy that the child had been brutally assaulted by Fr. Vincent Anthony DeLorenzo from May to June of 1978. The victim said that the assaults stopped after he talked with Fr. Raica. At the time of the victim’s disclosure, Fr. Raica was a deacon in Michigan. He is now Bishop Raica and leads the Diocese of Birmingham.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, has questions about what Bishop Raica did or did not do after he learned of Fr. DeLorenzo’s assaults on the victim. Michigan’s Child Protection Law, which was enacted in 1975, required clergy to report abuse to the civil authorities at the time of disclosure. The police did not have a report on the assaults prior to the victim’s 2007 disclosure.
SNAP says: It matters when survivors of sexual abuse speak out!
For immediate release: March 1, 2024
Former Connecticut State Representative John Metsopoulos reported sexual, psychological, and physical abuse by two Greek Orthodox bishops on the SNAP website in November of 2023. His outcry has apparently produced repercussions for one of the two prelates. We are very happy for John!
John named Metropolitan Athenagoras Aneste (George Angelo Aneste), the Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Mexico and Central America, as his primary abuser. A metropolitan is the equivalent of an archbishop or a cardinal. According to the January 24, 2024, issue of Orthodox Times, a new metropolitan was elected for Mexico, and Metropolitan Athenagoras was elected as the new metropolitan of Vize, Turkey. As far as we can tell this is a significant demotion.
Two Oakland Catholic schools to close; SNAP suggests the properties be sold to compensate CSA victims
For immediate release: February 26, 2024
The Catholic Diocese of Oakland is closing two of its elementary schools, St.Anthony School in Oakland and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Fremont. The Diocese filed for bankruptcy protection last year in the wake of close to 400 lawsuits for child sexual abuse from the 2019-2021 civil window. SNAP believes that the school properties should be sold to help finance settlements with those who were abused in the Diocese as children and who are now seeking restitution and justice.
The reason for both closures was said to be declining enrollment and operating deficits. In St. Anthony’s case, the Diocese also blamed rising homelessness, unemployment and human trafficking in the surrounding neighborhood for the school’s enrollment dwindling to just 65 students. We cannot help but add that both campuses harbored multiple perpetrators accused of child sexual abuse.
St. Anthony, located in a largely Spanish-speaking community, had 11 accused abusers from 1951 until 2001. In fact, during that 50-year span of time there were only 11 years when there were no accused perpetrators on campus. It seems clear to us that hundreds of children who attended St. Anthony were endangered for decades, while their parents paid to send them to the campus.
Our Lady of Guadalupe was created from a merger between St. Leonard and Santa Paula. From 1967 until 2016, 49 years, the school's combined campuses were home to 10 accused abusers, many of whom overlapped. There were some years when as many as three accused perpetrators were harbored.
Among the notorious, prolific, powerful, or infamous accused associated with these two schools and parishes were Fr. Stephen M. Kiesle, Fr. Donald Eugene Broderson, Fr. Robert E. Freitas, Fr. John G. Garcia, Fr. Antonio Valdivia, Fr. Alex Castillo, and Fr. Ray Breton.
Fr. Castillo fled the country in 2019 while being investigated for crimes committed at Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Frs. Valdivia and Garcia are accused in the same lawsuit. (Case # 22CV024008) They worked together at St. Anthony. In addition, they shared the job of Vicar for the Spanish-speaking, likely giving them access to every Spanish-speaking child in the Diocese. Both have multiple victims in multiple decades.
Frs. Broderson, Kiesle, and Freitas have over 100 victims among them, most from their years in Fremont.
Fr. Breton was the Diocesan chancellor while at St. Anthony. He then became Oakland's top canon lawyer. We cannot help but suspect that Fr. Breton, an accused perpetrator, used his powerful positions to cover-up child sexual abuse.
These two school locations, in all, employed at least nineteen priests accused of abusing children. The school sites should be sold, with the proceeds earmarked for the 377 Oakland Diocese victims currently seeking justice and restitution. Bishop Michael Barber should also open his secret files to tell the public about any other abuser at either location who has not yet been revealed.
CONTACT: Dan McNevin, Treasurer, SNAP Board of Directors ([email protected], 415-341-6417), Joey Piscitelli, SNAP Northwest Leader ([email protected], 925-262-3699), Melanie Sakoda, SNAP Survivor Support Coordinator ([email protected], 925-708-6175), Mike McDonnell, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, President, SNAP Board of Directors ([email protected], 814- 341-8386)
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings for more than 35 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org.)
SNAP stands with BishopAccountability: Pope must launch a probe of Fr. Marko Rupnik's protectors
For immediate release: February 21, 2024
At a press conference on the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis’ abuse summit, Anne Barrett Doyle of BishopAccountability and an attorney for two women who were victimized by Fr. Marko Rupnik, Laura Sgrò, JCD, call on Pope Francis to begin an investigation of who protected the cleric. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, stands in solidarity with this request.
Texas Catholic priest arrested on multiple child sex charges; SNAP urges Church outreach
Texas Catholic priest arrested on multiple child sex charges; SNAP urges Church outreach
For Immediate Release, February 15, 2024
A Catholic priest in Brownsville, Texas, has been arrested for multiple sex crimes against a child. The accusations include continuous sexual abuse of a child, continuous trafficking of persons, sexual assault of a child, and sexual performance of a child. SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, wants the local bishop to reach out to and encourage any other victims and witnesses, as well as those may have suspected criminal behavior, to come forward to law enforcement.
Fr. Fernando Gonzalez Ortega was removed from active ministry by Bishop Daniel E. Flores on February 3rd, 2024, just one day after the accusations were reported to the Diocese. While we are grateful for the Bishop’s prompt action, we believe he should and could have done more. Specifically, he should have shared the priest’s most recent assignment, as well as his complete history in the Diocese, in his statement. The Bishop also should and could go to each and every location within his Diocese where Fr. Ortega worked and beg the people there who might know something about the charges to contact the Cameron County District Attorney’s Office, which is prosecuting the crimes.
The District Attorney’s Offices identified Fr. Ortega’s most recent parish as St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Brownsville. Given what we know about child sex crimes, and considering that the victim in this case is now an adult, we cannot help but wonder if there are others out there sitting alone in pain and in silence. At age 52, it seems likely that Fr. Ortega has had a long career in the Brownville Diocese. We have seen time and time again that abusers seek opportunities to perpetrate their crimes in trusting faith communities. We cannot help but wonder if Fr. Ortega joined the priesthood to gain access to children. Only 1 in 9 cases of child sexual abuse is reported while the abuse is ongoing, so there is a clear need for Bishop Flores to initiate outreach. People who may be reluctant to come forward may do so if encouraged by a high-ranking Church official.
By our count, this is the 4thth arrest of a Catholic cleric or employee this year, which makes two things absolutely plain. First, the clergy abuse scandal is neither over nor a thing of the past, as Catholic officials are wont to say frequently. Second, internal controls and policies do not do enough to prevent dangerous men from becoming clerics, and cannot stop those men from abusing others with their newfound power. Clearly there is a need for a complete overhaul of how the Church handles the problem of sexual abuse.
We believe this starts with complete transparency being forced on these institutions by outside, secular investigations, and by allowing time-barred victims to have their day in court. Parishes, Catholic schools, and even society will become safer with these actions.
CONTACT: Eduardo Lopez de Casa, SNAP Board of Directors, SNAP Houston ([email protected], 832-641-6319); Patti Koo, SNAP San Antonio ([email protected] 956-648-7385); Zac Zepeda, SNAP San Antonio ([email protected] 210-317-7511); Paul Petersen, SNAP Board of Directors, SNAP Dallas ([email protected], 972-569-0995); Mike McDonnell, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 267-261-0578), Shaun Dougherty, SNAP Board of Directors President ([email protected], 814- 341-8386)
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Media Statements
We are SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. We are the largest, oldest and most active support group for women and men wounded by religious authority figures (priests, ministers, bishops, deacons, nuns and others).
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