TEXAS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Victims blast Catholic officials
Child sex abuse case vs. priest settles
But church hierarchy acts “callously,” group says
SNAP: “Bishop must “reach out” to others who were hurt
Group urges Ft. Worth diocese to put 3 more predators on its website
WHAT
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will
— blast two Catholic officials for their reaction to a recent clergy sex abuse settlement,
— make public the personnel files of this offender, and
— urge them to “aggressively reach out” to others who may have been hurt by the predator priest.
They will also prod Ft. Worth’s bishop to
— post at least three more names of credibly accused child molesting clerics on his website, and
— send a letter rebuking an Arkansas church staffer who made harsh remarks that hurt a victim.
WHEN
Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 11:00 a.m.
WHERE
Outside the Ft. Worth Catholic cathedral, 1206 Throckmorton Street (corner of 11th) in Ft. Worth
WHO
Three-four victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)
WHY
A Dallas area attorney has disclosed that two Catholic institutions – the Ft. Worth diocese and an Arkansas abbey – have settled a clergy sex abuse case. The victim is a Ft. Worth woman and the crimes took place in Cooke County at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Muenster. The alleged predator is a now-deceased priest, Fr. Bede Mitchel, who taught at Corpus Christi Academy and Laneri High School in Ft. Worth, worked at six local parishes and traveled extensively leading retreats and missions.
But SNAP is begging Catholic officials – in Ft. Worth and Arkansas – to do more. Specifically, the group wants church staff to “come clean” about all child molesting clerics and post their names on church websites “for the safety of the vulnerable and healing of the wounded.” Roughly 30 US bishops have done this.
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