Notorious Priest Fr. James Hanley Passes Away, SNAP Responds
According to reports, Fr. James Hanley has passed away. Hanley first became infamous as a central figure in the Catholic abuse crisis in New Jersey and in 2003 admitted to abusing at least a dozen boys during his time working in New Jersey. We hope that this news will bring some measure of solace to his victims.
Hanley’s abuse has been far reaching and revelations continue to this day. The Diocese of Paterson settled with 21 accusers in 2006, and, just last month, two more lawsuits were filed naming Hanley as an abuser. Thanks to the opening of a civil window in New Jersey, these victims have been able to come forward, file lawsuits, and speak publicly about the abuse he committed.
The sad reality is, we fear it is likely that there are more of Hanley’s victims who did not survive or have been too afraid to come forward. We hope that his passing will ease the pain those survivors feel and will help them see a safer world without him in it.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected])
(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