OHIO
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Thursday, Nov. 13
For more information: David Clohessy ( 314-566-9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com ), Judy Jones, 636-433-2511, SNAPJudy@gmail.com
Vatican claims to speed up sex abuse appeals
But no word yet on local priest ousted 7 years ago
He faces at least two allegations of molesting girls
Child molesting cleric now teaches in St. Clairsville or Woodsfield
SNAP: “Steubenville Bishop needs to take action and push harder”
Vatican officials claim they’ll soon be taking quicker action to defrock predator priests. And a victims’ support group wants a Steubenville priest – who now teaches at a local college – to be among them.
Leaders of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, say they hope that Fr. Gary Zalenski will soon be ousted from the priesthood. Seven years ago this month, Fr. Zalenski was suspended from active ministry in the Steubenville diocese by then-Bishop Daniel Conlon. The priest is still being paid by current Steubenville Bishop Jeffrey Monforton.
“Fr. Zalenski is living and working unsupervised among unsuspecting colleagues and vulnerable students at a college, so defrocking him will help warn others about him and hopefully keep more children away from him,” said SNAP leader Judy Jones, a Woodsfield native. “We urge anyone who may have had contact with Fr Zalenski to find the courage to speak up, get help, expose wrongdoers, prevent abuse and start healing.”
Fr. Zalenski is on the faculty at Belmont College which has branches in the Ohio towns of Cadiz, Woodsfield and St. Clairsville. The school offers classes at the Swiss Hills Career Center, which is part of the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District (740 472 5801). The district is headed by Superintendent John Hall.
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