INDIANA
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, April 11, 2016
For more information: David Clohessy 314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, davidgclohessy@gmail.com, Barbara Dorris 314 503 0003 cell, bdorris@SNAPnetwork.org
Notre Dame prof publicly discounts abuse allegations
Survivors urge his superior to denounce “this hurtful move”
University head should discipline the cleric, support group says
SNAP: “President should also use this opportunity to educate the rest of his staff”
A Notre Dame professor who is also a priest recently defended a fellow faculty member and a cleric who has been accused of child sexual abuse in Texas. A victims’ group wants the university’s president to discipline the professor for his “hurtful” public remarks.
Father Daniel Groody (574-631-3233, dgroody@nd.edu) is an Associate Professor of Theology at Notre Dame, as well as the Director of Immigration Initiatives at the Institute for Latino Studies. The priest spoke at the funeral of Father Virgilio Elizondo.
In a pending San Antonio lawsuit, Fr. Elizondo is of groping an orphan who confined in the priest that he had suffered long term abuse at the hands of another clergyman. However, Fr. Elizondo took his own life before he could give testimony in the case.
During a service last week, Fr. Groody claimed that Fr. Elizondo was accused of abuse “not because he was a serial abuser, but because he was a highly visible, accomplished, respected cleric. …” However, although Elizondo denied the allegations when he was alive, members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, believe that the suicide note Elizondo left suggested that he was indeed guilty.
Two SNAP leaders are writing to Father John I. Jenkins, the President of Notre Dame (574-631-3903 president@nd.edu), urging him to discipline Groody for his remarks, saying that they were not only extremely hurtful but could also deter other survivors from coming forward. The text of the letter, sent earlier today by email, is below.
“Many abusers tell their victims that no one will believe them over a respected man of the cloth,” said David Clohessy, SNAP’s director. “When clergy members dismiss out of hand allegations against other priests, it sends a very chilling message to those who have been abused and are considering coming forward.”
“While we understand that Fr. Groody and Fr. Elizondo were colleagues and may even have been friends, it is not appropriate for a clergyman to express public support for a credibly accused molester,” said Barbara Dorris of SNAP. “Not only does this discourage other victims from coming forward, it also rubs salt into the wounds of already damaged survivors. Ultimately, by discouraging other victims, witnesses and whistleblowers, it makes the church and schools less safe.”
Clohessy also said “Universities pride themselves on open-mindedness, yet here we have a university official trying to pass on his personal opinion as fact, in the absence of any evidence.”
Following Fr. Elizondo’s death SNAP had urged his supporters to show restraint and sensitivity, saying, “It will be tempting to publicly profess his innocence. … We as adults face a simple choice. We can either make it easier for child sex abuse victims to come forward, or harder. Publicly rallying around Fr. Elizondo makes it harder. It makes the church more dangerous.”
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