UNITED STATES
National Catholic Reporter
Brian Roewe | Jan. 30, 2017
It is a moment of tumult and transition for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP.
In mid-January, the advocacy and support group for survivors of sexual abuse by clergy learned of a lawsuit filed by a former employee alleging the group had abandoned its core mission of supporting survivors and had engaged in a “kickback” scheme with attorneys who sued the Catholic church on behalf of survivors.
But the new year initially began for SNAP without one of its most outspoken and ardent voices, David Clohessy, who left the organization after more than two decades, as first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
In a statement to SNAP supporters dated Jan. 24, board chairwoman Mary Ellen Kruger said Clohessy “has voluntarily resigned from SNAP effective December 31, 2016.”
In a phone interview, Clohessy told NCR he informed the board of his decision in October — months before the lawsuit was filed Jan. 17 — citing some minor health issues and a desire for a change.
“What led to the decision? Fatigue. Wanting to do something different and perhaps less stressful,” he said.
“I’ll certainly always be a member of SNAP,” Clohessy said.
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