Diocese of Peoria Delays former Archbishop’s Beatification Due to Secular Clergy Abuse Investigations
We applaud the move to delay the beatification of former Rochester Archbishop Fulton Sheen. Hundreds of lawsuits are being filed in New York and at least two government offices – one in New York and another in Illinois – are investigating Catholic officials in states where Archbishop Sheen spent time.
Given the revelations that have come out through these secular investigations, it makes sense to delay this beatification instead of risking that another prematurely praised Catholic figure is later exposed to be complicit in clergy sex crimes and cover ups. As there are already questions about whether or not Archbishop Sheen reassigned a cleric accused of sexual misconduct, this decision is sensible and can help from further hurting abuse survivors.
Choosing to make this delay out of sensitivity and caution is a good step. We hope that those Catholic officials who have been campaigning for Archbishop Sheen’s beatification will now use this time to focus instead on better protecting children and supporting survivors today.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director ([email protected], 517-974-9009)
(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