SAINT PAUL (MN)
The Catholic Spirit [Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis MN]
June 14, 2024
By Josh McGovern
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is responding as SNAP — or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests — seeks to add the names of five priests to the archdiocese’s disclosures regarding clergy sexual abuse of minors.
June 12, members of SNAP gathered for a news conference on the sidewalk outside the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul to address the organization’s concern that five priests have not been added to the list. SNAP had listed six priests but retracted one after learning that priest is currently listed as credibly accused on the archdiocese’s website.
SNAP activist David Clohessy said that adding names to the list “is not our job.”
“Our job is to heal ourselves and to reach out to others who are suffering in silence and shame and self-blame,” he said.
Two priests out of the five listed are alive, and the whereabouts of those two are unknown by SNAP, the organization said. According to Clohessy, four out of the five priests were listed as credibly accused abusers by dioceses outside of Minnesota. One was listed by the religious order he was involved with. It was not immediately known how long and for what reason each priest was present in the archdiocese.
The archdiocese is diligently looking into the matter, Archbishop Bernard Hebda said, releasing a statement on the archdiocesan website the same day as the news conference, addressing the SNAP disclosure allegations.- Advertisement –
“Per our policy and protocol, we have already begun the process of investigating the names of the individuals brought forward today,” the archbishop said.
Archbishop Hebda noted his request to archdiocesan investigators “to review the clergy records here at the Archdiocese, along with other available information, to determine whether the well-established criteria for adding the men to our clergy disclosure list have been met. If the criteria are satisfied, we will add the names, as we have done on previous occasions.”
As an example, the archbishop said, “when we were notified about the actions taken by the Diocese of Green Bay in 2022 concerning Rev. Dennis Lally, a priest who had served here before 1982 and listed today by SNAP, our team promptly investigated the situation and determined that for that individual, there was a substantiated claim of abuse. For that reason, his name was added to our list two years ago.”
After the news conference, members of SNAP used chalk to write the names of the five priests on the sidewalk outside the Cathedral. Clohessy said sexual abuse is hard to recover from, and not acknowledging that pain can make it more difficult for victims.
“My message to the people is, stay active. Stay interested,” said Frank Meuers, SNAP’s Minnesota chapter director.
In his statement, Archbishop Hebda said the archdiocese has been blessed to have had a positive working relationship with the Minnesota chapter of SNAP.
“I have been grateful that their leaders have been in regular communication with Archdiocesan staff and with me over recent years and have collaborated with us to continue to create and maintain safe environments in our churches and schools. At times, they have been helpful bringing to our attention information concerning actions that have been taken by other dioceses or religious communities regarding clerics who have served in this Archdiocese,” the archbishop said.
“Victims-survivors and their loved ones have expressed to me how important it is for them to have complete and accurate disclosure lists,” the archbishop said. “With that in mind, the Archdiocese is committed to adding names when appropriate.
“I thank victims-survivors and their loved ones for their advocacy on behalf of those who have been hurt by abuse and ask that all people of goodwill continue to join me in prayer for them.”
Archbishop Hebda’s full statement regarding the SNAP disclosure allegations can be found on the archdiocese’s website.