Three More Accused SC Priests Uncovered
A support group for clergy sex abuse victims has found three priests who have been publicly accused of molesting kids but are not on the Charleston Catholic diocese’s just-released list of abusers.
For “the safety of kids and the healing of victims,” SNAP wants the Charleston diocese to “include ALL proven, admitted and credibly accused clerics – priests, nuns, bishops, brothers, deacons, seminarians and lay employees – and provide their photos, whereabouts and full work histories.”
The three names missing from the list are:
--Fr. Cletus Altermatt, who was ordained in Great Falls Montana but was at Mepkin Abbey in Moncks Corner South Carolina in the 1950s. In 2016 and again in 2018, church officials in three states put him on their lists of credibly accused abusers.
Fr. Altermatt also worked in Kentucky (Louisville), Minnesota (Ivanhoe and Lucan) and Ohio (Steubenville, Bloomingdale and Buchtel). He died in 1978.
http://bishop-accountability.org/priestdb/PriestDBbylastName-A.html
--Bishop Anthony J. O’Connell, who in 2002 became the first US bishop to admit to molesting kids. Last year, he appeared on the Jefferson City diocese’s list of "credibly accused" clerics.
He headed dioceses in Knoxville TN and Palm Beach FL. O’Connell resigned when allegations that he abused seminary students in Missouri publicly surfaced and previously secret settlements were disclosed. A reporter for The Palm Beach Post found him living among the 27 monks of Mepkin Abbey, a Trappist monastery in South Carolina.
https://diojeffcity.org/wp-content/uploads/Clergy_Religious_removed_12.16.2018_v2.pdf
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2004_01_06/2004_05_14_Coday_FormerSeminarians.htm
http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/OConnell_Anthony_J.htm
--Fr. Herman Francis Flynn, who was at St. Peter’s parish in Charleston from 1934-1938. He was included in the San Diego diocese’s list of credibly accused priests.
Fr. Flynn was ordained as a member of the Congregation of the Holy Ghost in 1929 and worked in multiple parishes throughout the United States.
https://www.andersonadvocates.com/Documents/posts/Diocese%20of_San_Bernardino_Report.pdf
https://www.sdcatholic.org/portals/0/Images/includes/List-of-Priests-published-091418.pdf
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/docs/san_diego/Flynn_Rev_Herman_CSSP/Flynn_File.pdf
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2007/03_04/2007_03_30_LompocRecord_NamesOf.htm
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