Msgr. Henry B. O' Donnell, Steubenville Chancellor & Vicar General Sexually Abused Mother and Daughter.
Survivor urges victims to come forward.

Mrs. Anna Marie Hanes Martinez will be testifying before the Ohio State Legislature, House Judiciary Committee, on December 8, 2005.  She will be traveling from Germantown, Maryland, where she resides to tell her story of sexual abuse by a priest known as Henry B. O'Donnell.  Msgr. O'Donnell was ordained in 1949 and was appointed by then Bishop Mussio as Secretary to the Bishop, Chancellor to the Steubenville diocese and later became the Vicar General. 

Mrs. Hanes-Martinez's abuse took place in 1950.  She was only 13 years old.  It has taken her almost 55 years to come to terms with this abuse and to tell her story.  She is doing this to let the citizens of Ohio know what happened to her by a priest who was obviously put in charge of many programs, including that of overseeing the poor little children at St. John's Villa in Carrollton, Ohio. 
 
Mrs. Hanes-Martinez has her story to tell, but she also has her mother's story to tell.   Fr. O'Donnell conducted a romantic/sexual relationship with her mother before he was ordained, and after.    This sexual abuse has destroyed two lives - that of her mother and Mrs. Hanes-Martinez herself.    She wants to let the people of Ohio know that there are many victims of sexual abuse ...and they need to come forward to let their own healing begin.   She wants to send a loving message to anyone who has suffered this kind of abuse, especially by the clergy in Ohio, that they need not be afraid.  They will be protected and if the Ohio House of Delegates finds it to be a good thing for all of the citizens of Ohio, they will pass this bill, to give the survivors of Ohio time to heal and find the courage to come forward.

" Anne Marie is essentially coming all this way to Columbus, Ohio as a voice for the "lost" generations", SB17 won't help her generation -- the cut off as written, would be 1970 --her courage only further illustrates that the older survivors simply suffered longer," said Claudia Vercellotti, Toledo SNAP leader.

Stuebenville SNAP leader, Judy Jones said in agreement, "that Mrs. Hanes-Martinez's willingness to travel all the way from Maryland, is one more clear example of how this just doesn't go away as the Bishops would rather have people believe."

Mrs. Hanes-Martinez loving invites all victims to come forward.  If you are a victim of sex abuse by this priest or by any clergy, please contact SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests), or contact your local law enforcement or local child protection agency. 

Judy Jones, SNAP Steubenville.. 636-433-2511  judyann@fidnet.com

Claudia Vercellotti , SNAP Toledo....419-810-5375 snaptoledo@aol.com

David Clohessy, SNAP...NationalDirector...  314-566-9790 snapclohessy@aol.com

Barbara Blaine, SNAP President.... 312-399-4747  snapblaine@hotmail.com