SNAP Applauds A Sixth Conviction For Michigan Attorney General Clergy Abuse Team
(For Immediate Release July 26, 2022)
He was a priest at St. Kiernan Catholic Church in Utica, MI., from 1982-1985 and is now convicted of sexually abusing children 13-15 years old. He was first charged in May of 2019 and arrested in Littlerock, California, where he operated "a faith-based service program for at-risk young men" in LA County.
"This conviction marks the sixth one secured by my clergy abuse team," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. "It's also a reminder of our ongoing commitment to this investigation and the survivors in these cases. We will continue to fight for justice."
We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous work of the Michigan Attorney General's Office (OAG) in its ongoing investigation into abuse by the clergy. For far too long, in far too many cases, Catholic church officials who concealed child sex crimes succeeded in "running out the clock," allowing perpetrators to escape responsibility for their violent crimes. In this case, Kalina was allowed to escape justice and relocate to California, where we suspect other victims may be.
Secular investigations, nationally and internationally, provide the best hope of justice for Catholic victims of clergy sex crimes. Just as importantly, these investigations reveal the true scope of the problem of abusive clerics. It is a tragedy that the dioceses who employed these perpetrators failed to disclose crucial information and how the Church allowed these men to continue to endanger the public in other parts of the country or other parts of the world.
We want anyone who may have come in harm's way by Neil' Fr. Neil' Kalina in California to know they still have time to seek justice. California's window legislation for those who have been time-barred from justice expires on December 31, 2022; more information can be found here.
CONTACT: Mike McDonnell, SNAP Communications Manager, (267-261-0578, [email protected]) Zach Hiner, SNAP Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]) Nadja Tirrell, SNAP Leader - Lansing (810 874-9620, [email protected]) Nancy Crabbs, SNAP Leader - Grand Rapids-West Michigan (616-514-7973,[email protected])
(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 www.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
Showing 1 comment