| Background information: Letter sent to Bishop Boland in Savannah Letter in Word format |
Local neighborhood has been devastated by abuser, states Director
Group urges release of names and info on all molesting Catholic priests known to the diocese
SNAP leader to discuss intrastate and interstate trafficking of pedophile priests; urges parish and neighborhood to come forward with information
Tennessee exported his abuser to Georgia, states survivor of clergy abuse from Tennessee
WHAT:
At
a sidewalk press conference, clergy sex abuse victims will publicly urge
Savannah church officials to
-
post on their website the names of all proven, admitted and credibly accused
abusive church employees,
-
alert the public that abusive priest was exported by the diocese of Nashville,
Tennessee to warn Georgia.
-
prod anyone who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes by clerics to come
forward, call police and get help
WHEN: Thursday, October 25, 10:30 a.m.
WHERE:Corner of East Montgomery Cross Road and Whitfield Avenue (Near St. James Church) (It is important to us not to disrupt school at St. James so we will have this press conference at this intersection farthest from the school.)
a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=St.+James+Catholic+Church+Savannah+GA&ie=UTF8&ll=31.992445,-81.100248&spn=0.004304,0.008154&t=h&z=17&om=1">http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=St.+James+Catholic+Church+Savannah+GA&ie=UTF8&ll=31.992445,-81.100248&spn=0.004304,0.008154&t=h&z=17&om=1
WHO:The SNAP Southeast Director, along with Savannah-+area clergy sex abuse
victims who are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network
of those Abused by Priests (SNAP network.org)
WHY:
In the neighborhood surrounding the Church of St. James in Savannah, a child molesting priest Wayland Brown, devastated countless children who were both members of the parish or residents of the nearby streets. Now victims are asking St. James parishioners who knew about the abuse to join the voices of SNAP members in telling the truth and reaching out to victims who are still silent.SNAP is asking the bishop to tell the names of all abusive priests and where they have been assigned.
 |
| Wayland Brown, convicted pedophile |
 |
| Joseph Reilly assigned to Warner Robbins, GA, from Nashville, Tennessee. Do you remember this man? |
The interstate and intrastate
trafficking of pedophile priests is a common occurrence where priests can
continue to be unmonitored and unidentified.
Roughly fifteen Catholic bishops in the US have voluntarily disclosed the identities of proven, admitted, and credibly accused predator priests on their websites or in their diocesan newspapers. They include Baltimore, (the first) Toledo, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Delaware and Maine (the most recent). To protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded, SNAP wants Savannah church officials to do likewise.
SNAP of Georgia wants any victim of clergy abuse to contact them for information about the availability of support group meetings.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s largest and oldest support group for men and women who were molested by religious figures of any denomination. (SNAPnetwork.org)
CONTACT:
Ann Brentwood, SNAP Southeast regional director, 865-607-6119 wochangi@aol.comWebsite: www.snapnetwork.org www.rememberthesurvivors.com www.freewebs.com/snapga
| Background documentation: |
|
Southeast Director of SNAP applauds growth of local
Atlanta chapter
Clergy abuse survivors challenge Atlanta church
officials and tell of their abuse
SNAP discusses shocking revelations by Earle Paulk's "nephew" following investigation
Group urges release of names and info on all molesting
Catholic priests known to the diocese
Clergy sexual abuse survivor of Catholic priest tells of Tennessee exporting
his abuser to Georgia
WHAT:
At a sidewalk press conference, clergy sex abuse victims
will publicly urge Atlanta church officials to
- post on their website the names of all proven, admitted
and credibly accused abusive church employees,
- alert the public that abusive priest was exported by the
diocese of Nashville, Tennessee to Georgia.
- prod anyone who saw, suspected or suffered child sex
crimes by clerics to come forward, call police and get help
WHEN: Tuesday, October 23, 11:00 a.m.
WHERE: Corner of East Trinity Place and North McDonough Street near Dekalb County Courthouse (new courthouse) in Decatur. (Red X marks the spot. The arrow is to the Dekalb County Courthouse.)
WHO: The SNAP Southeast Director, along with Atlanta-area clergy sex abuse victims who are members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP network.org)
WHY:
SNAP members will speak about abuse issues Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and its founder, Earle Paulk, Jr. Members will discuss recent revelations in the Earle Paulk situation. SNAP of Atlanta has drawn attention to the re-naming of Earle Paulk Parkway in the Atlanta area.
A Tennessee man will explain how his abuser was reassigned to Warner Robbins, GA. The interstate and intrastate movement of pedophile priests is a common occurrence where priests can continue to be unmonitored and unidentified.
According to BishopAccountability.org, (http://bishop-accountability.org/member/psearch.jsp) the diocese of Atlanta has had 4 credibly accused priests. SNAP wants total transparency about all abusive clergy and church employees.
Roughly fifteen Catholic bishops in the US have voluntarily disclosed the identities of proven, admitted, and credibly accused predator priests on their websites or in their diocesan newspapers. They include Baltimore, (the first) Toledo, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Delaware and Maine (the most recent). To protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded, SNAP wants Atlanta church officials to do likewise.
SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s largest and oldest support group for men and women who were molested by religious figures of any denomination. (SNAPnetwork.org)
CONTACT:
Ann Brentwood, SNAP Southeast regional director,
865-607-6119 wochangi@aol.com
Denise Weaver, SNAP of Atlanta director, 678-665-763, dweaver@stop-csa.com
Mike Coode, Middle Tennessee SNAP director, 615-364-2334,
mikeintn@bellsouth.net
David Clohessy, National Director of SNAP, 314-566-9790,
snapclohessy@aol.com
Website:
www.snapnetwork.org
www.rememberthesurvivors.com
www.freewebs.com/snapga
| Do you know of anyone else who was abused by this priest? | Wayland Brown |
Self help organization starting for clergy sex abuse
victims
Support group asks Savannah’s bishop to release names
of predators
Fifteen other Catholic dioceses have taken this
“simple step to protect kids”
“Victims & witnesses should come forward, get help
and call police” SNAP urges
Others who were wounded are still “suffering in shame, silence, and self blame,” group believes
At a sidewalk news conference, a clergy sex abuse victim and advocate will publicly prod Savannah’s Catholic officials to:
-- disclose the names of all proven, admitted and credibly accused church employees and their whereabouts,
-- publish this information on the diocesan website, weekly newspaper and in parish bulletins, and
-- personally visit each parish where offending clerics have worked and prod victims to come forward.
They will also announce the formation of a local self-help group, focused on healing, for anyone molested by clergy of any denomination.
SNAP leader will also issue a plea from a named victim, Allan C. Ranta, II, for other victims of clergy abuse to come forward.
WHEN
Tomorrow, Saturday, August 11, 2:00 p.m.
Outside the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist; 222 East Harris Street, Savannah, GA
A Tennessee woman who is the southeast regional director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, the nation’s largest and oldest support group for men and women who were molested by religious figures of any denomination. (SNAPnetwork.org)
Roughly 15 Catholic bishops have, under intense public pressure, voluntarily identified abusive clerics (proven, admitted and credibly accused). Some have posted the names on church websites, in church newspapers and parish bulletins. This move, SNAP feels, is the quickest, cheapest and most effective way any bishop can prevent future sex crimes by clergy. They’re asking Savannah’s bishop to do likewise.
The first diocese to disclose the names was Baltimore (in November 2002) and the most recent were Delaware and Portland Maine. Delaware's bishop acted after a suspended pedophile priest, Fr. Delucca, was arrested last fall after molesting another boy very recently. Others that have disclosed include Milwaukee, Los Angeles, and Toledo. (Usually, dioceses leave the names on their websites for only a few weeks.)
SNAP is also urging anyone who witnessed, experienced or suspects abuse to call police.
“Every person’s story of clergy sexual abuse is vital to the community,” says Brentwood.
SNAP is an independent, confidential, Chicago-based self help group with 8,000 members across the country. Its goals are to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded, and it often urges other survivors of clergy abuse to come forward.
_________________________________________
Letter to J. Kevin Boland, bishop of Savannah, GA
*********************************
3142 Harrington Court
Maryville, 37803
August 11. 2007
Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland
Catholic Pastoral Center
601 East Liberty St.
Savannah, GA 31401-5196
Dear Bishop Boland:
Today marks a monumental day in the lives of clergy abuse survivors across the Diocese of Savannah.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has initiated its first official chapter in Savannah. We will be providing hope and encouragement to the many victims of clergy sexual abuse across the state of GA.
Since power over information rests largely on your shoulders, we are asking the following information for the well-being of victims and for the protection of children, teens, and vulnerable adults in the Diocese of Savannah.
* Release of the names of all the offending clergy who have been assigned in the diocese of Savannah. These would include priests from other dioceses who have been given safe haven in your diocese, hidden from the law, and given freedom to abuse again.
* Release of the names of the clergy who have been reassigned to other dioceses when suspicions of abuse arose against them where they have been given freedom to continue to abuse.
* Release of the status of these molesting clergy: Accused? Convicted? Imprisoned? Laicized? Still in ministry? Moved to other dioceses? Moved out of the country? Living in our neighborhoods unidentified?
* Release of the names of all of the parishes and hospitals where they have been assigned.
* Release of the names of all of the schools where they have taught.
* Publication of this information in all church bulletins across GA.
* Publication of this information on the diocesan website.
* Publication of this information in local media, both print and electronic.
* Visitation by you to all parishes where molesting priests have been assigned to issue apologies for crimes committed by the church in the person of molesting priests.
We sincerely hope that you will agree with us that this is the minimum the church should do to make amends for abuse of the innocent children, teens, and vulnerable adults in its care.
We look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Ann Brentwood, Southeastern SNAP coordinator, 865-607-6119
David Clohessy, Executive Director of SNAP, 314-566-9790
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