Second Priest Removed from Archdiocese of Omaha in One Week
For the second time in a week, an Omaha priest has been accused of sexual misdeeds. Now, Nebraska Catholic officials should go further and actively seek out anyone who may have additional information concerning the allegations against these two clerics.
Yesterday, Archbishop George Lucas "permanently removed Fr. Donald Cleary from public ministry after the retired priest refused to contest an allegation that he sexually abused a minor in the mid-1980s."
Last week, the Archdiocese of Omaha removed Father Francis Nigli after he had been accused of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old man in May. This was the second allegation against the priest.
Suspension or removal of suspected wrongdoers is only the first step. Now, Archbishop Lucas and his staff must work hard to determine if there are additional victims, witnesses and whistleblowers, and urge those they find to contact law enforcement. The Archbishop should use parish bulletins, pulpit announcements and church websites to beg anyone with information to come forward.
We urge anyone with knowledge of or suspicions about these clerics to call independent, unbiased professionals for help, like therapists, police, or prosecutors, and reach out to groups like ours for peer support.
CONTACT: Zach Hiner, 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