Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests hold protest in response to new St. Louis archbishop
ST. LOUIS — The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) held a protest Wednesday morning in response to the new St. Louis archbishop-elect.
On Wednesday it was announced that Pope Francis had named Reverend Mitchell T. Rozanski as the 11th bishop and 10th archbishop of St. Louis.
SNAP has criticized Rozanski for refusing to name three priests who had been suspended after allegations of sexual abuse in Massachusetts.
“This is a dramatic step backwards in terms of public safety. Rozanski is a terrible choice. Just last week, he suspended three accused predator priests but refused to reveal their names, a terribly irresponsible move that leaves children at risk," said David Clohessy, SNAP executive director.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis held a press conference Wednesday morning to welcome Rozanski. He addressed the accusations.
"There needs to be established a credible accusation and at this point against those three priests it has not been established that there are credible accusations…." Rozanski said. “One of the three has already been cleared. The other two, we are still working with the district attorney and their investigation to find out if that’s a credible report.”
SNAP held the protest at 11:30 a.m. outside Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on Lindell Boulevard near Taylor Avenue in the Central We...
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