PA--SNAP responds, Altoona-Johnstown priest removed for abuse
For immediate release, July 6, 2017
Statement by Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Leader, 636-433-2511, [email protected]
Another accused Altoona-Johnstown priest has been “outed” by Bishop Mark Bartchak. He's Fr. Anthony Petracca .
We applaud the brave person who was strong enough to step forward, expose Fr. Petracca and warn the public about him. We hope this disclosure will help that individual in his or her healing. And we are confident that this move will make children safer.
We urge victims, and whistleblowers to contact secular authorities, not church officials if they have knowledge or have been harmed by Petracca. And we beg anyone who may have seen, suspected, or suffered clergy crimes - by this cleric or others - to come forward, call police, expose wrongdoing, protect kids and start healing.
Bartchak should personally visit every parish where Fr. Petracca worked and beg anyone with information or suspicions about him to call law enforcement immediately. And he should put Fr. Petracca in a remote, secure, independent treatment center so that kids are safer. Until this happens, Bartchak should disclose where Fr. Petracca is now so that kids will be safer.
History of Altoona-Johnstown Diocese: A document from the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese Grand Jury. There the bishop rated a survivors abuse and assigned certain rewards for level of abuse. http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/03/altoona_diocese_catholic_clerg_1.html
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 25 years and have more than 25,000 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)
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