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SNAP Concludes Convention with Protest

SNAP Protest on Sunday at the Cathedral Bascilica
(KWMU Photo)
SNAP Protest on Sunday at the Cathedral Bascilica

By Matt Sepic, KWMU

St. Louis, MO – Members of SNAP, the Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests, concluded their first national convention in St. Louis Sunday with a protest outside the Cathedral Basilica.

The group says the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which concluded its own convention in St. Louis this weekend, has done very little since creating a charter to protect young people a year ago.

Kay Montgomery, who heads the Lexington, Ky. chapter of SNAP, says healing and public awareness are still the group's main objectives.

"It's very hard for us to talk about," Montgomery said. "But as hard as it is for us to talk about, we have to say it, we have to tell our stories, and we know it's hard for people to hear our stories, but they have to listen."

SNAP members distributed leaflets to churchgoers after Mass, and urged church leaders to cooperate with civil authorities.

David Cerulli, who came to the convention from New York, says the survivors' workshops helped many attendees, but there's still a lot of frustration.

"We had hoped by this point we'd see some movement by more of the bishops," he said "Very few have really done anything that's meaningful. What also is disappointing is we still seem to be viewed as the enemy, and not as a part of the solution."

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