Philadelphia Archbishop to celebrate the funeral mass of sexually abusive priest sparks outrage
In a notice obtained by watchdog group Catholic4Change (C4C), Philadelphia Archbishop Nelson Perez is scheduled to celebrate the funeral mass of Msgr. Phillip Dowling on Friday, February 4th at Holy Innocents Church in Philadelphia. Dowling, 92, ordained for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1956, died January 27, 2022, in his 17th year of serving a life of ‘prayer and penance’ for admittedly sexually abusing children. Dowling was named in the 2005 Philadelphia grand jury report and openly admitted to sexually abusing minors to an Inquirer reporter.
We echo the concern of Catholics4Change and believe that having the archbishop of a diocese, plagued with thousands of abuse cases, as the principal celebrant at this funeral mass sends a poor message, even a slap in the face, to victims of Dowling, all victims abuse within the diocese and to the faith community hurt by the endless scandal. We offer good riddance to a known abuser who escaped justice.
In a letter dated May 5, 2020, the Archbishop wrote, ‘Some of those most in need of our care and compassion are survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Archdiocesan clergy. I deeply regret the pain and suffering of survivors and any decisions that failed to protect them. The pain and damage are profound.’
We hope that Archbishop Perez will heed his own message and decline to celebrate Dowling’s life.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager ([email protected], 267-261-0578), 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
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