Victims write Chaminade alums

• Victims write Chaminade alums
• At least 20 ex-students report abuse
• SNAP also launches new local web page
• It focuses on 8 accused Marianists clerics
• And group will host two meetings this week

WHAT:

While folding, stuffing, sealing and stamping hundreds of letters and envelops to alumni of Chaminade College prep, clergy sex abuse victims will

-- disclose that they’ve heard, in one week, from nine men who report abuse at Chaminade (while church officials admit they’ve heard from 15 such victims), and

-- announce they've created a new webpage dedicated to exposing St. Louis Marianists predators (http://www.SNAPnetwork.org/marianisttruth)

They will also invite

--those who attended any of four area Marianist high schools to attend a public meeting Wednesday night, and

--those who were abused by any cleric at attend a private support group meeting Thursday night.

Finally, they will urge every person who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes or cover ups at Marianist schools to call police, expose wrongdoers and protect children

WHEN:

Tuesday February 14 at 11:15 a.m.

WHERE:

At the home of the SNAP Outreach Director, 6245 Westminster Place (west of Skinker) in St. Louis

WHO:

2-4 members of an international support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY:

In the last week, SNAP has been contacted by nine men who say they were molested at Chaminade College prep, the most from a single institution in Missouri during SNAP’s 20+ years in operation. Last week, Catholic officials admitted they’ve heard from 15 such victims. SNAP suspects there are many more who have yet to speak up.

So this week, SNAP is writing to hundreds of Chaminade alums, urging them to call police and to attend two upcoming events. On Wednesday 2/15, SNAP will hold an open, public meeting about the growing Chaminade scandal at the Creve Coeur Community Center on New Ballas Rd. On Thursday 2/16, SNAP will hold a confidential support group meeting – for victims only, and their loved ones – at the St. Louis County public library in Clayton. Both begin at 6:30 p.m. and are closed to the news media.

SNAP is also launching a new webpage dedicated to Marianist abuse and cover-up. It features some of the information SNAP has learned about Marianist clerics accused of abuse, as well as news articles and statements. The page will be hosted at SNAPnetwork.org/MarianistTruth.

At least eight local Marianists have been publicly named as credibly accused pedophiles – Fr. Charles Miller, Brother Louis Meinhardt, Brother John J. Woulfe, Fr. William Christensen, Fr. Robert R. Osborne, Brother William Mueller, Fr. Daniel A. Triulzi, & Brother Tony Pistone. Sex abuse suits against Triulzi, Osborne and Mueller have been settled. Meinhardt, who was at Chaminade for 30 years, was publicly exposed for the first time just last week.

Fr. Solma, the Marianist provincial, is at [email protected], 533-1207. Chaminade is at 425 S Lindbergh Blvd.) St. Louis lawyer Gerald Noce, 480 4160, represents the Marianists. Clayton attorney Ken Chackes (872 8420, [email protected]) represents some of the clerics’ victims.

CONTACT
Barb Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP Outreach Director (314) 503 0003, [email protected], David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP Executive Director (314) 566 9790, [email protected]