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  Sex Abuse Victims to Hold 56 Vigils on Anniversary of Catholic Sex Scandal

Yahoo! [United States]
January 6, 2007

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070106/nysa003.html?.v=79

They Will Ask Bishops to Disclose Predators' Names & Stop 'Hardball Legal Tactics' Self-Help Group Highlights Two 'Egregious' Multiple Murder & Suicide Cases SNAP Wants Church Officials and Members to Display Photos of Two Wounded Families Rhode Island Event Is Sunday Night outside Peter & Paul Cathedral at 6:15 p.m.

Providence, R.I., Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- In over 50 cities this weekend -- with candles, signs and childhood photos -- supporters and victims of sexually abusive clergy will stand outside churches and hold vigils to mark the five year anniversary of the Catholic molestation and cover up crisis.

(On January 6, 2002, the Boston Globe ran the first of what would ultimately become 850 stories about pedophile priests, sparking the exposure and suspension of some 900 proven, admitted and credibly accused child-molesting clerics across the US.)

Members of a self-help group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, are organizing the events, designed to emphasize that "innocent kids and vulnerable adults are still at risk and church officials are still reckless and secretive," according to Barbara Blaine of Chicago, the group's president and founder.

"Bishops are working harder than ever at public relations," Blaine said, "but fundamentally, they still protect their secrets more than they protect their flocks."

At the vigils, victims will briefly highlight what they call two 'particularly egregious' cases:

 - a Wisconsin priest, Fr. Ryan Erickson, who murdered two men in 2002,
 after one of them confronted him with allegations that he was molesting
 children,


    - a Kansas priest, Fr. Robert Larsen, whose sex crimes against kids led
 five of his victims to commit suicide.


    SNAP members will ask that


    -- church employees and lay Catholics download photos of families hurt by
  Erickson and Larsen and display them in local churches, and


    -- bishops to disclose the names of accused predator priests, stop using
  "hardball legal tactics" and display photos of several victims in
  churches across the country.
Details of this weekend's events, which start Saturday morning January 6th, will be prominently displayed on the home page of SNAP's website: SNAPnetwork.org)

The 28 states include: CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IO, MA, MN, MI, MO, MT, NE, NH, NV, NJ, NY, OH, OK, RI, SD, TN, TX, VA, WI, WA and WY.

The 56 cities include: Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Boston, Carmel, Charlottesville (VA), Cheyenne, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Dayton, Denver, Des Moines, District of Columbia, Duluth, Great Falls (MT), Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lafayette (IN), Lansing, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Madison, Manchester NH, Madiereville (IN), Milwaukee, Miami, Monterey, Nashville Newark, New Orleans, New York City, Newark, Orange County (CA), Peoria, Phoenix, Portland (OR), Providence, Rapid City (SD), San Antonio, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, St. Paul, St. Louis, Seattle, Toledo, Tucson, Tulsa, and West Palm Beach, Wichita.

Additional sites are expected to be finalized on Saturday. These will be added to the list on the SNAP website, SNAPnetwork.org.

At some of the vigils, victims will


    -- hand out fliers to parishioners entering or leaving mass, and


    -- be joined by members of Voice of the Faithful, an independent Catholic
  lay reform group.
SNAP is the nation's oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. Founded in 1989, it has more than 8,000 members and 65 support groups. Most were molested by Catholic priests, nuns, bishops, and seminarians. But a growing number were abused by religious figures in other denominations.

  
 
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