SNAP Survivors Call for List, Transparency from Archdiocese of Louisville

WHAS
January 17, 2019

https://www.whas11.com/article/news/local/snap-survivors-call-for-list-transparency-from-archdiocese-of-louisville/417-b3598116-55db-4cd0-a680-640e0c480b21

Members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) are calling on the Archdiocese of Louisville to release a list of the names of clergy and others affiliated with the archdiocese who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.

"Their world has been shattered because their spirituality and their soul has been shattered," Jeanette Westbrook, a volunteer with SNAP, said.

"If my standing here and somebody hearing my story helps someone else come up with a memory or bring back a memory, then that makes it worthwhile for me because we can't live with this and keep it inside of us forever," Larry Anthonsen with SNAP said.

Anthonsen and other survivors have been traveling around the Midwest to cities like St. Louis and Evansville to call on the local archdioceses to be more transparent by releasing names.

"I was abused and we need to get the word out," Anthonsen said. "It doesn't matter where it happened."

Members of SNAP held a demonstration outside the Archdiocese of Louisville's pastoral building on Poplar Level Road Thursday morning, calling on Archbishop Joseph Kurtz and the archdiocese to follow in the steps of other archdioceses in cities like Indianapolis and Philadelphia.

"Archbishop Kurtz's very first moral duty is to tell parents and parishioners and police, 'Here are all the names of the dangerous men. Don't let them babysit your kids. Don't hire them to be substitute teachers,'" SNAP volunteer Daniel Clohessy said.

"The bishops need to be open and transparent," Anthonsen said. "They say they are or they say they're going to be, but they haven't done it so far."

In a statement, the Archdiocese of Louisville responded to SNAP's demonstration:

"We agree with the importance of transparency and are working on a list of credibly accused clergy, which we hope to release soon. As the report research continues, Archbishop Kurtz has met with victims and will continue to do so.

We urge anyone who has been sexually abused by a representative of the Church to contact the police and our Victim Assistance Coordinator at victimassistance@archlou.org ."