Spotlight

On Monday's Channel 13 News at 4 in Iowa, Paul Koeniguer and Bill LaHay, two members of SNAP shared stories of their abuse and becoming familiar with SNAP. 

"It's been 20 years now and this is still a news story" - Bill LaHay

Attorney Mitchell Garabedian, who handled a lot of the sexual abuse cases in the United States and was played by Stanley Tucci in the movie "Spotlight", recently talked with radio program Here and Now about how since the movie Spotlight came out the phones at his law firm have been ringing non-stop. 

The movie which covers the Boston Globe's early 2000s investigation of clergy sexual abuse, has gotten a lot of publicity after winning two Oscars on Sunday, one for Best Original Screenplay and another for Best Picture. 

Listen to Garabedian's interview below for a first hand account of what was happening during the period depicted in "Spotlight" and hear him address ongoing abuse today. 

Spotlight took home two Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Picture, SNAP would like to acknowledge and congratulate them for the wonderful job they did in telling the story of survivors. We also recognize that the mission to end this abuse and to help survivors heal is an ongoing one. One of the survivors from the film, Phil Saviano, speaks about this fight in the following video, and he acknowledges there are still people that are keeping their abuse a secret, afraid to speak out.

The movie Spotlight is nominated for six Academy Awards!

Come out to celebrate the achievements of the film and cheer on the cast and crew at an Oscar Party this Sunday. 

All SNAP Members and supporters are invited. Just RSVP and say you are with SNAP.

Great radio interview by a dynamic community radio station in New York, New York.

Last week actress Rachel McAdams and Sacha Pfeiffer, the journalist who she portrays in the movie Spotlight, made an appearance on TODAY. Watch below as they talk about the film and how it's important to stay vigilant on the issue of child sexual abuse by clergy today. 

In today's SNAP Spotlight Time Capsule we go to December 2004 in an article written by the Spotlight team member Sacha Pfeiffer. This article covers the re-assignment of priests to different parishes by the churches officials.

SNAP National Director, David Clohessy spoke on Cardinal Law's involvement in letting this type of harm and abuse continue in the Boston Archdiocese. See the full article below to read his comments:

There’s a group of editors and reporters who I really hope will see the film Spotlight. They’re journalists in St. Louis and four Illinois towns: Alton, Godfrey, Peoria, and Belleville.

Earlier this month, a jury awarded $8.1 million to a victim of a predator priest, Fr. J. Vincent Fitzgerald, who once worked in each of these places. But as best we can tell, despite our best efforts, only one news outlet in these areas has covered this verdict

http://peoriapublicradio.org/post/jury-awards-8-million-victim-abuse-priest-ties-peoria

That’s a shame because it’s of course possible – maybe even probable – that Fr. Fitzgerald may have hurt a child in one of these communities. (For example, he had plenty of chances to assault a kid in Belleville where he lived for 16 years until his death in 2009. His full work history is here: http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/assign/Fitzgerald_J_Vincent_OMI.htm)

http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2015/11/04/jury-returns-81-m-verdict-in-duluth-priest-sex-abuse-case/75172426/

At first glance, Spotlight is about clergy sex crimes and cover ups in Boston. But a troubling and accurate sub-text throughout the film is that any number of journalists were alerted to the crisis but chose, for various reasons, not to pursue it.

So I hope reporters in Missouri and Illinois see this highly acclaimed movie, take its lessons to heart, and at least mention to their readers and viewers, however briefly, that this predator was in their midst.

(By the way, there are three other reasons the Fr. Fitzgerald case is noteworthy.

One SNAP Network follower's great idea has sparked a movement that looks to keep the Spotlight on the problem of sexual abuse in the Catholic church. Read more to find out how you can keep a #SpotlightontheTruth. 

The movie Spotlight was a success this weekend at the box office. The film means a great deal to survivors, and while still only in limited release (being shown in 5 theaters), many SNAP members and their loved ones have had the opportunity to see it. 

Click read more to find out how well the movie did this weekend and don't forget to check out the release information to find out when Spotlight will be showing near you.