BishopAccountability.org
	Survivor to Share Story of Abuse and Healing Framingham Tab [Framingham MA] May 2, 2003 Phil Saviano, founder of the New England chapter of SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) will share his personal story of abuse and healing on Thursday, May 8th at 7 p.m. in St. Ann's parish hall at 124 Cochituate Road in Wayland. The evening is presented by St. Zepherin Response and organized by the Wayland parishes of St. Ann and St. Zepherin. Saviano first spoke out about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church more than ten years ago. As a child, he was victimized by Fr. David Holley of the Worcester Archdiocese. In 1993, Saviano and three other Holley victims filed the first sexual abuse lawsuit against the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. In the course of his investigation, Saviano documented that six bishops across the country had known that Fr. Holley was a child molester. Saviano accepted a settlement of $12,500, but did not agree to any provisions of confidentiality. A few years later, he founded the New England chapter of SNAP. It was through SNAP that many victims first found a path to healing and empowerment, finally gaining the courage to tell the world about their abuse. The Boston Herald (October 2002) has said of Saviano: "Saviano...is a true survivor, a living, inspiring example of a man who's struggled to come to terms with what happened, and triumphed."
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