WA - Diocese of Yakima discloses abuse by priest, SNAP responds
While we’re glad Yakima Catholic officials admit that Fr. Hilario Ramirez is a credibly accused child molester, we’re sad that they’ve delayed this disclosure for months and are apparently refusing to give many details.
The statement implies that Fr. Ramirez was in Yakima because of one family’s invitation. It also suggests that he didn’t work in any Yakima Catholic churches. We suspect that’s not the full story.
It only takes seconds for a child predator to shove his hands down a boy's pants or his tongue down a girl's throat. So it's possible that he only molested four kids and did so within a few days. It’s possible he didn’t spend weeks working at Yakima churches.
But we suspect that he was, in fact, in Washington for weeks or months, sent there by his Texas bishop with the knowledge and approval of the Yakima bishop. And we suspect he worked in one or more parishes.
Yakima Catholic officials could make these facts known. But instead, they are choosing to be vague.
Regardless, we do hope that every Yakima area Catholic will ask friends and family about Fr. Ramirez If they discover another one of his victims, we urge that individual to step forward, get help, expose wrongdoing, and start healing.
The Yakima diocese statement urges victims to contact church officials. We respectfully disagree. We urge anyone who may have knowledge or suspicions about Fr. R to call secular authorities, not church authorities.
(Church officials say they’ve heard that Fr. Ramirez is deceased. That may or may not be true. Even if it is true, it’s possible that other current or former church employees or volunteers might be criminally prosecuted for ignoring or concealing Fr. Ramirez’s crimes. That’s why we encourage anyone with knowledge or suspicions to come forward today.)
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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