UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Wednesday, Sept. 16
SNAP backs proposed investigation of Cardinals
Group especially urges Vatican action vs. Burke
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790)
We applaud and support Catholic Whistleblowers in their push for Vatican action against two prelates who have protected predator priests. We especially urge top Catholic officials to investigate and discipline Cardinal Raymond Burke.
While in St. Louis, Burke was often reckless, deceptive and callous regarding predator priests, vulnerable kids and wounded victims. He expanded the troubling practice of importing sexually troubled priests from across the US, letting some of them work in local parishes and letting others stay in church facilities that are secretive and careless about public safety.
To Catholics and victims hoping for a more compassionate, responsive and responsible church hierarchy, this move is distressing.
St. Louis Archdiocese Importing Predatory Priests
Under Archbishop Raymond Burke, dozens of proven, admitted, and credibly accused predator priests have been sent to St. Louis. Some live in church facilities, others don’t. At least three worked recently in city parishes and one works now at a local Catholic college. None of them, SNAP feels, are adequately supervised and in virtually no case did church officials notify parishioners or the public about these potentially dangerous clerics.
(The following information is far from complete or comprehensive. It is almost strictly based on public documents: police records, litigation, news accounts, etc.)
1) Proven, admitted or credibly accused priests sent here to work or disclosed as working here in recent years.
— Bryce
Even now, Fr. Vincent W. Bryce works and lives on the campus of (or directly across the street from) St. Louis University, despite the fact that he admitted molesting a child.
In December 2007, a Chicago area newspaper disclosed that he works in the library at the Aquinas Institute. (SNAP has and has shared with local news media copies of a 2002 letter from his supervisor confirming that Bryce admitted the abuse.)
In 2002, Bryce resigned from two parishes in the Grand Rapids Michigan Diocese.
This took place after Bryce was confronted about his crimes by church authorities who had learned of it through St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson. A settlement was paid to the victim.
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