Walnut Creek man wins in pedophile priest case
Walnut Creek man who was sexually assaulted as a child by a former Bay Area priest won a legal victory last week in his struggle for justice. An Illinois judge ruled that the victim can seek punitive damages against the Jesuits for abuse perpetrated by Fr. Donald McGuire, who was once Mother Teresa’s spiritual advisor.
We are grateful for this decision. Catholic officials are still ignoring and concealing child sex crimes. They refuse to reform. Perhaps monetary damages will deter the church’s decision-makers from acting recklessly and callously in the future.
We hope that every single person who saw, suspected or suffered McGuire’s crimes will come forward, get help, call police, protect others, and start healing.
http://www.sfweekly.com/related/to/Donald+McGuire/
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Statement by Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach CA, western regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (949 322 7434, [email protected])
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