For Immediate Release:
July 1, 2007

For More Information:
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP President (312) 399-4747 cell
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director (314) 566-9790 cel

Clergy Sex Abuse Victims Urge Cardinal To Visit Predator's Workplaces

SNAP Wants To See More Jail Time for McCormack, Given His Long Abuse History

Pedophile Should Be Forced Into Secure, Treatment Center When Released, SNAP Says

Group Also Blasts Church Officials For Letting Priest Live Wherever He Wants

Catholic Hierarchy Continues "Inexcusable Recklessness," Organization Claims

Even Now, Despite Criminal & Civil Charges, He's Not On Church "Credibly Accused" List

WHAT

On the eve of an expected plea deal involving Chicago's most notorious recent pedophile priest, clergy molestation victims will hand out fliers to mass-goers urging Chicago's Cardinal Francis George to
-- personally visit each parish where the predator worked, and

-- aggressively seek out anyone else who may have experienced, witnessed or suspected the cleric's crimes and urge them to call the police.

They'll also publicly call for more prison time for Fr. Dan McCormack and ask that he be forced to stay in a secure treatment center whenever he's released from jail.

WHEN
Sunday, July 1, 11:30 a.m.

WHERE
Outside the Holy Name Cathedral, Corner of State and Superior (just south of Chicago Ave.)

WHO
Two or three clergy molestation victims and supporters who are members of a support group called SNAP (the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) including the organization's founder and president

WHY

On Monday, McCormack is expected to plead guilty to child molestation. According to prosecutors, he assaulted one 11 year old boy "on an almost daily basis" from Sept. 2005 until Jan. 2006. McCormack was kept in ministry for years despite several reports of child sexual abuse, including repeated written and verbal ones from a Catholic nun seven years ago to archdiocesan staff.

SNAP has repeatedly urged Chicago Catholic officials to "aggressively and immediately" reach out to parishes where McCormack worked and emphatically remind Catholics that they have a moral and civic duty to call police if they know or suspect anything about child sex crimes. They feel this is the only way to begin breaking through a decades-old pattern of church secrecy about child molestation, and the best way to help make sure more criminal charges are brought against McCormack and get his victim's help.

The group has been highly critical of what they call the archdiocese's public relations obsession with meaningless policies, procedures and panels that get "revised" each time church officials are caught being deceitful and reckless with child safety. Action, not words, SNAP says, truly safeguards kids.

For nearly two years, despite multiple credible allegations and legal action against McCormack, George has refused to order him to stay in a treatment center for pedophiles. He has also refused to add McCormack to his list of "credibly accused" pedophile priests.

Since McCormack is still a priest on the payroll, SNAP wants George to force him to live in a safe treatment facility when he's released from jail.