Six new allegations levied against five former priests in the Diocese of Sacramento, two have criminal warrants and have fled the country; SNAP responds
The Catholic Diocese of Sacramento recently updated their list of "credibly accused" clergy by adding six new allegations against five former priests, Gerardo Beltran Rico, William Feeser, Francisco Javier Garcia, William Hold, and Uriel Ojeda. While all five men were already included on the Diocesan list, the new allegations were received through the Independent Compensation Program, which concluded its work this past summer.
While Sacramento does a very good job of providing information about their accused clerics compared to other Catholic Dioceses, we wonder if it could do more to locate both Rico and Garcia, who have criminal warrants for their arrest in the state of California and are believed to be in Mexico. If the Diocese is as sincere about seeking atonement for the horrible sins committed, perhaps they could post a substantial reward for the capture of these two wanted and dangerous men, and advertise this in both countries.
Bishop James Soto stated in the announcement that “This independent program did what we prayed it would do. First and foremost, it created avenues where victims of clergy abuse could come forward and seek justice and healing for the pain that was inflicted on them by men who betrayed their trust. Second, it provided information that we are using to ensure that our reckoning of the past is as thorough and transparent as it needs to be if we are to seek God’s mercy.”
Yet, we cannot help but note that applications to the compensation program closed shortly after California opened a "window to justice" on January 1, 2020. The civil window allows survivors of child sexual abuse to hold their abusers and those institutions that enabled that abuse accountable. This window will remain open through the end of 2022. While we support a victim’s decision to voluntarily participate in this Church compensation program, we find it hard to take seriously Bishop Soto's suggestion that the Diocese initiated the compensation program to find predatory priests. In our experience, these programs are designed to eliminate potential litigants to both save the Church money and to keep information about who in the Diocese knew what and when they knew it hidden from parishioners and the public.
We urge anyone who was abused as a child in the Diocese of Sacramento to report to law enforcement immediately. If you need help coming forward, reach out to family, friends, and groups like ours for support.
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