SNAP Praises Whistleblower from the Diocese of Buffalo
For immediate release: October 26, 2018
This Sunday, 60 Minutes will feature the story of one brave woman who helped uncover and put an end to attempts to conceal the number of priests accused of sexual abuse in the Diocese of Buffalo.
Every person who lives in Buffalo should do two things: watch the show and then send a warm thank-you card to Siobhan O’Connor, the courageous whistleblower.
We are grateful to Siobhan for her bravery and willingness to speak truth to power in revealing the depth of the secret diocesan archives in Buffalo. Thanks to her, we now have a clearer picture of the extent of the clergy abuse scandal as it relates to Buffalo, a picture that we hope is made even clearer by the ongoing Department of Justice investigation into the diocese. Siobhan has done an immeasurable service to parents, parishioners, police, prosecutors and the public by exposing horrific wrongdoing. Everyone in the Buffalo area should be grateful to her and should express their gratitude. (We suspect that notes of support to her, via WKBW TV, would be forwarded to her.)
All too often, whistleblowers who alert the public or authorities to corruption feel very nervous and dread criticism, so it is morally right and practically helpful when the rest of us praise and thank such brave individuals.
Again, we encourage every Buffalo-area citizen and parishioner to watch Siobhan’s interview this Sunday, and then follow-up by sending her a warm thank-you note. It is the right thing to do for exposing wrong-doing and creating an opportunity for the prevention of similar crimes and cover-ups in the future.
CONTACT: Tim Lennon, SNAP President ([email protected], 415-312-5820) 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