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The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

SNAP Press Releases
Giving Voice to Victims

 

SNAP announces two public events in the New Orleans area.

1) Sunday, February 15 at 5:00 p.m.:
A Candlelight Vigil in memory of those victims of sex abuse by priests who have committed suicide.

Janet Patterson, of Wichita, KS, SNAP member whose son took his own life after abuse by a priest will call the names of the victims. Sunday February 15, 2004 at 5:00 in the Meadow beside The New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park. The public is invited, especially Catholic laity, priests, and religious who want to show support for victims and their families, to support priests of integrity, and to work for change in the church that will put the crime of priest child abuse in the hands of the law and be handled morally by church officials, guided by the laity. It is asked that clerics not wear clerical garb in order to symbolize the equality of all members of the People of God and show respect for the fragility of some victims present.

Note: SNAP and Voice of The Faithful are sponsors of this event.

2) Monday February 16, at 7:00 p.m.
A Lecture and Panel Discussion at Nunemaker Hall at Loyola University

"Clericalism and the Abuse of Power in the Sexual Abuse Crisis in The Catholic Church."

Lecture by Thomas Doyle, OP

Fr. Doyle, who sacrificed a diplomatic career with the Vatican to seek justice for the victims of sex abuse by priests, is the recipient of the 2003 Issac Hecker Award for Achievements in Social justice. CV available on request.

Introduction and Panel Discussion composed of the following:

Jason Berry

Author (with Gerald Renner) of newly released Vows of Silence which compares the lives, priestly careers and ultimate spiritual choices of Fr. Tom Doyle and of Fr. Marcial Maciel, an accused pedophile and founder of the religious order, Legion of Christ. Mr. Berry has published five books, including the highly praised Lead us Not Into Temptation, chronicling the country’s first priest abuse scandal, which was in Lafayette, La. He is a graduate of Jesuit High and Georgetown University.

Barbara Blaine

Founder of SNAP, The Survivors’ Network of Those Abused by Priests.

Robert Scamardo

Former seminarian and later attorney for the Archdiocese of Houston-Galveston who was a child victim of sex abuse by a priest. Mr. Scamardo was the subject of a front page story in the New York Times in December 2003. His focus today is on the healing of victims and their families.

Susan Troy M.Div. and Peggy Thorp

Both founding members of Voice of the Faithful , Susan Troy is the National leader of Prayeful Voice and Peggy Thorp is the editor of In the Vineyard, the online newsletter of Voice of The Faithful.

The Panel will be followed by open Q & A.

Note: SNAP is the sole sponsor of this lecture event.

For Information Contact:
Lyn Hill Hayward 985-893-9241; cell 985-630-6638; [email protected]


Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
www.snapnetwork.org