MINNESOTA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Five local predator priests are “outed” for first time
All worked in Duluth but bishop claims to know nothing about them
Group calls on current & ex-church staff to “come clean” about abusers
Their direct church supervisors admit each of the men is “credibly accused”
Long secret records about them were released yesterday; More are on the way
Sirba’s “continuing secrecy” puts “kids in harm’s way,” support group contends
It wants diocese to “stop spending donated dollars on lawyers to keep secrets secret”
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will discuss
–the newly-outed five predator priests who have worked in Duluth,
–the just-released and soon-to-be-released secret records about them, and
–provide their photos and work histories.
They will also
— prod anyone who was hurt by the priests to speak up and get help, and
— prod Catholic officials in Duluth and across Minnesota to “come clean” with more information about the priests and aggressively seek out their victims.
WHEN
TODAY, Wednesday, July 8 at 1:30 p.m. (rain or shine)
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the Duluth diocese headquarters (“chancery office”), 2830 E. 4th St. in Duluth
WHO
One-two individuals who belong to a support group called the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), including a Duluth man who was himself molested as a boy by a cleric
WHY
Records about seven Minnesota predator priests are being released as part of a lawsuit settlement. Five of them worked in the Duluth area: Fr. James Vincent Fitzgerald, Fr. Michael Charland, Fr. Robert J. Reitmeier, Fr. Paul Kabat and Fr. Thomas Meyer.
Duluth Catholic officials claim they know virtually nothing about these clerics and their tenure in Duluth. SNAP leaders do not believe this.
SNAP is calling on current and former church employees to “come clean” about these predators and share what they know, suspect or have heard about them with police, prosecutors and journalists.
The group also wants Duluth Bishop Paul Sirba to quit fighting to protect clergy who sexually abuse children. SNAP says the diocese “is spending tens of thousands dollars, donated by the faithful, to keep hidden their files on proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clergy.”
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