NY--Group blasts Albany bishop over hunger strike
For immediate release: Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, [email protected])
We are sad but not surprised that Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger refuses to meet with two women who say they were abused by Catholic employees. More and more, bishops are acting like they acted before the church’s abuse and cover up crisis erupted in 2002 – as untouchable potentates, rather than as caring shepherds.
For crying out loud, how hard would it be for Scharfenberger to just sit down with these women? Why must he act like some high and mighty lord callously rebuffing a couple of serfs?
Or at least why won’t he explain how he’s become convinced that they’re somehow not credible?
We admire these brave, persistent women for exposing a bishop who apparently values his own comfort above the comfort of those who say they’ve been wounded.
No matter what church officials do or don’t do, we urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in churches or institutions to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.
(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]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])
Women who claim to have been victims of sex abuse by Catholic priests begin hunger strike
BY HUBERT WIGGINS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH 2016
CAPITAL REGION -- Two women who claim they were once abused by employees of the Catholic Diocese of Albany marched on the sidewalk outside the headquarters of the Catholic Diocese of Albany on Monday. The women, who asked that their names not be published, are requesting to meet with Albany Bishop Edward Scharfenberger.
“I was molested, I was abused as a kid at a suburban parish in Albany County. I reported that to . . .
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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