NJ--Victims blast decision on accused predator priest
For immediate release: Friday, Nov. 13, 2015
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (314 566 9790, [email protected])
Three priests have ‘cleared’ a fellow priest of sexually abusing a child. What a sham.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/church_tribunal_clears_priest_of_70s-era_sex_abuse.html
Few should have faith in these secretive, biased, internal Catholic church abuse processes. We certainly do not.
We hope every single person who may have seen, suspected or suffered abuse by Msgr. Raymond L. Cole or cover ups by Metuchen Bishop Paul Bootkoski will come forward, call police, expose wrongdoers, protect kids and start healing.
It’s crucial that people report what they know or suspect about abuse or cover ups to the independent professionals in law enforcement, not the self-serving bureaucrats in church offices.
It’s also crucial that New Jersey lawmakers reform or repeal the state’s archaic, predator-friendly statutes of limitations so that cases like this can be heard in the open, fair secular justice system.
Finally, we’re especially worried that Msgr. Cole will apparently work among Hispanic Catholics, where we believe kids are even more vulnerable to child molesters. We urge parents to be careful with their children and not allow them to be alone around Msgr. Cole.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected]), Mark Crawford 732 632 7687, [email protected])
N.J. priest cleared of '70s-era sex abuse claim by church tribunal
Print Email Mark Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com By Mark Mueller | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com on November 13, 2015 at 1:45 PM, updated November 13, 2015 at 2:10 PM
A Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing a child in the 1970s has been found not guilty by a church tribunal, clearing the way for his return to ministry after a two-year suspension, Metuchen Bishop Paul Bootkoski announced Friday.
Msgr. Raymond L. Cole, 72, was removed as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Hillsborough in October 2013, when the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office alerted the diocese to the sexual abuse claim.
At the time, Bootkoski said canon law required . . .
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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