Sexual Abuse Survivor Launches Support Group in Windsor

By By Luke Simcoe
The Metro
December 11, 2012

http://metronews.ca/news/windsor/473603/sexual-abuse-survivor-launches-support-group-in-windsor/

A survivor of sexual abuse in the Catholic church, Brenda Burnelle has started a Windsor branch of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).

When Brenda Brunelle was 13 years old, she claims she was sexually abused by a priest in her Catholic parish. The experience has haunted her for more than three decades.

“Your mind becomes formulated around guilt and self-blame,” she said. “I was entirely convinced that I had done something to deserve this and that I was going to hell.”

Brunelle alleges she was molested by Rev. Michael Fallona in the late 1970s. After years of seeking closure through church channels, she sued the diocese for $3 million in 2009, and finally settled out of court this July.

Now, she’s dedicated herself to helping others find support and healing.

Brunelle has launched a Windsor chapter of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. Known as SNAP, the organization was founded in Chicago in 1988 and has 60 branches worldwide, mostly in the U.S. Brunelle met with SNAP founder Barbara Blaine in October, and was compelled to bring the group’s peer-based support model to her hometown.

“It’s something that I recognized the need for, but I wasn’t sure if it was something that I was willing to take on,” she said. “But the more that I saw stories being exposed and people coming forward, the more I wanted to give back.”

Similar to organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous, SNAP offers survivors of sexual abuse the chance to meet and talk with others who share their tragic stories.

“I found the support from SNAP to be extremely helpful,” Brunelle said. “When you walk in, you know you’re not being judged.”

Sharing her story with her peers helped Brunelle to move from being a “victim” of abuse — someone who feels responsible for what happened to them — to a “survivor” of abuse.

“Recognizing that this was not my fault has opened up a new way of thinking that I deserve to be happy and feel good about myself,” she said. “It brought me an inner peace that had been missing for so many years.”

The inaugural SNAP meeting in Windsor takes place this Sunday. In order to protect the anonymity of participants, the time and location are not disclosed to the public. Those interested in attending can register by calling Brunelle at 519-800-3492 or emailing her at windsor@snapnetwork.org.

Brunelle says she’s already received a number of calls, and has committed to hosting meetings on the second Sunday of every month through 2013.

“The demand is there,” she said. “It just needed somebody to start it.”