We are men and women who were sexually abused by Catholic priests, brothers, nuns, and lay employees. We belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests We have two simple goals: to protect the vulnerable and to heal the wounded.
Toward those goals, we are working hard for Senate Bill 17, which makes it easier for victims to expose and take legal action against the predators who sexually molested them during childhood. In March, the Ohio Senate unanimously passed this beneficial measure.
But Ohio’s Catholic bishops are fighting it. They're especially fighting the one year civil “window,” which allows victims to use the open, impartial, time-tested justice system to warn others about dangerous sexual predators and shed light on those church officials who shielded and protected molesters.
Did you know that your donations are being used to finance the bishops’ campaign against these reforms? Your bishops have hired lobbyists who are fighting to keep victims out of court and keep their abuse cases and cover ups secret. Is that how you want your dollars to be spent?
Today, we ask that you please help us protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded, by:
- actively back efforts to reform Ohio’s archaic child molestation laws, and join us in pushing for the passage of SB 17,
- calling your bishop. Insist that he stop using your generous donations to fight these child sex abuse reforms,
- urging your bishop to personally visit each parish where admitted, proven or credibly accused pedophile priests worked, and urge victims to step forward and get help
(We believe Bishop Campbell should start at two parishes - Holy Rosary in Columbus and St. Nicholas in Zanesville - where a convicted abusive priest, Fr. Francis Benham, once worked. In March, Benham was found guilty of molesting a boy and a girl in Maryland. He is due to get out of prison next month.)
Thank you!
Claudia Vercellotti of Toledo, SNAP Toledo Director 419 350 9234 cell (SNAPtoledo@aol.com)
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP National Director 314 566 9790 cell (SNAPclohessy@aol.com)
Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP Founder and President 312 399 4747 cell (SNAPblaine@hotmail.com)
SNAPnetwork.org
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