WY--SNAP responds: Bishop Hart found credibly accused in Cheyenne diocese
For immediate release: July 2, 2018
Statement by: Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Regional Leader: 636-433-2511, [email protected]
We commend the victims who reported their accusations of sex abuse naming Bishop Joseph Hart. Plus we are encouraged that Cheyenne Bishop Steven Biegler declared the allegations are credible.
https://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/cheyenne-diocese-says-former-bishop-sexually-abused-two-wyoming-boys/article_3be9f162-2c0e-5832-8d26-48acf8b7224f.html
This action also helps to validate those victims who have credible allegations against Hart while he was located in the Kansas City-St Joseph diocese in Kansas City. Mo.
http://bishop-accountability.org/member/psearch.jsp
No matter how long ago the abuse happened, the courage of survivors telling their story provides hope for healing and protecting children today.
We ask anyone who has been abused to report to the police. Or if you have a reasonable suspicion of abuse, please report to law enforcement.
We also urge Cheyenne Bishop Biegler and Kansas City-St Joseph Bishop James V. Johnston to visit all the parishes where Hart was located and reach out to anyone who may have knowledge or may have been harmed by Hart, and encourage them to contact law enforcement. The police are the proper officials to be investigating child sex crimes.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network, is the world's oldest and largest support group for victims of sexual abuse in institutional settings. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 25,000 supporters. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org )
Contact - Judy Jones, (636-433-2511, [email protected]), Tim Lennon (415-312-5820, [email protected]), Becky Ianni (703-801-6044, [email protected])
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director