ARIZONA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
At least 17 predator priests worked in AZ; SNAP responds
For immediate release: Tuesday, Dec. 16
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests ( 314 566 9790, SNAPclohessy@aol.com , davidgclohessy@gmail.com )
According to disclosures today by a Catholic bishop, at least 17 credibly accused predator priests worked and lived in at least 26 Arizona towns (Chinle, Winslow, Holbrook, Page, Prescott, St. Johns, Concho, Kingman, Clarksdale, Ash Fork, Flagstaff, Seligman, Yarnell, Springerville, Lukachukai, Ft. Defiance, Tuba City, St. Michaels, Cottonwood, Camp Verde, Humboldt, Mayer, Leupp, Show Low, Cibecue and McNary).
[KVOA]
Bishop James S. Wall of the Gallup Catholic Diocese revealed a list of 31 alleged child molesting clerics this morning. About half of them also spent time Arizona. Their names and Arizona assignments are below.
Now, we call on Arizona’s __ bishops to do more to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded and expose the truth.
By disclosing names of 31 credibly accused predator priests, Wall has done the bare minimum. He and his Arizona colleagues must now:
— reveal the predator priests’ photos, current whereabouts and detailed work histories
— put all this information in every parish bulletin, along with an emphatic plea for anyone who saw, suspected or suffered clergy sex crimes or cover ups in Arizona or New Mexico to call police.
— personally visit the parishes where these priests worked (starting with the predator who faces the most recent allegations) and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to contact law enforcement.
— write – and publicly disclose – letters to their brother bishops in whose dioceses some of these potentially dangerous men now live or work.
— post their own lists of proven, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics on their own diocesan websites.
Many of these 31 child molesting clerics now live or work around unsuspecting neighbors. Having been suspended from active parish ministry does not “cure” them of their frightening sexual attraction to children.
If an Arizona manufacturer knew of dozens of potentially dangerous sites where its toxic waste was hidden, but kept most of this information concealed for decades, there would justifiably be a huge public outcry. And if, belatedly and grudgingly, the CEO had finally disclosed those sites, there would justifiably be pressure for him or her to do more.
So we beg Tucson Bishop Gerald Kicanas and Phoenix Bishop Thomas Olmstead to take these simple, proven, and inexpensive steps to warn parents, parishioners and the public about predator priests.
NOTE – According to BishopAccountability.org, there are 34 publicly accused predator priests in the Tucson diocese and 27 in the Phoenix diocese.
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