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Send the Bishops a Message organizes, leads Chicago coalition

Delivers 20,000 pennies to Francis Cardinal George

Urges Cardinal and U.S. bishops to establish Good Samaritan Trust

to compensate clergy abuse victims and their families

The gospel story of the Good Samaritan—the good neighbor parable—obliges all followers of Jesus to care for the needs of clergy sexual abuse victims.

On July 31 in Chicago, 15 people from 9 states representing a nationwide grassroots coalition of over 20 groups representing over 65,000 members, hand-delivered a donation of 20,000 pennies to Francis Cardinal George. The coalition donated the 20,000 pennies as a seed or starter donation for a Good Samaritan Trust to compensate clergy abuse victims and their families for their pain and suffering from the abuse. The coalition proposed that the trust be administered by an independent third-pary financial intermediary. This mutually agreed upon intermediary would determine the validity a victim’s claim and the amount of compensation to be granted to the victim and his/her family.

Each penny represents at least one victim who, since 1950, suffered childhood sexual abuse at the hands of a Catholic priest, nun, brother, or other church worker. The coalition believes 20,000 is a low estimate for the number of abuse victims; we believe a more accurate estimate is 100,000 ( see http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AtAGlance/data.htm#accused_priests )

Send the Bishops a Message organized and led the coalition.

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Principal Coalition Partners

Lead Organization: Send the Bishops a Message, Tucson, AZ; Frank Douglas, (520) 404-2489, frankdouglas62@yahoo.com
National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC), Dayton, OH; Kristine Ward, (937) 272-0308
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), Chicago, IL; David Clohessy, (314) 566-9760
Road to Recovery, West Orange, NJ; Rev. Robert Hoatson, (862) 368-2800
Call to Action (CTA), Chicago, IL; Bill Heineman, (773) 404-0004, x263
Voice of the Faithful (VOTF); Upper Newton Falls, MA; Janet Hauter, (847) 304-1331
Coalition of Concerned Catholics, Chicago, IL; Tony Jannotta, (847) 690-9970
Chicagoland Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), Chicago, IL: Sandy Stilling-Seehausen, (847) 987-8188
People of Conscience United for the Protection of Children, Medford, MA; Paul Kellen, (781) 395-3628
Companions in Hope, Geneva, IL; Kate Bochte, (630) 768-1860

List to be updated

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Flyer Distributed to Press and Passers-by

Send the Bishops a Me$$age

Image of Penny to be inserted here

To Chicago Cardinal Francis George and all U.S. Bishops

The gospel story of the Good Samaritan—the good neighbor parable—obliges all Catholics to care for the needs of clergy sexual abuse victims. Today, July 31, we are delivering to you, Cardinal George, 20,000 pennies—one for each person in the U.S. who experienced as a child sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests, deacons, and religious brothers and sisters. The 20,000 pennies are a starter donation for a fund to be set aside to care for the needs of victims who still suffer the debilitating effects of abuse.

To all U.S. Catholics

Through purposeful stewardship of their monetary donations,Catholics have the power to effect real change in their church. If you feel that the bishops and the pope have done everything humanly possible to protect children from known and credibly accused sexual predators employed by the church, fine, but, if not, we urge you to send church officials a message of disapproval by dropping a penny in the collection plate each time it is passed in front of you. Your penny will shout two messages: (1) we need accountability; (2) we need the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Every penny counts!

To all Catholics worldwide

After C

Press Coverage

Andy Grimm, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, covered the Send the Bishops a Message Chicago Coalition’s sidewalk press conference on July 31 in front of the headquarters of the Archdiocese of Chicago on N. Rush Street. Here is a summary of the Tribune's story as reported on the Chicagoist website:

Chicagoist.com

http://chicagoist.com/2010/07/31/protest_group_makes_unusual_donatio.php

Protest Group Makes Unusual Donation to Chicago Archdiocese

Frank Douglas, national director of Send the Bishops a Message, a group of "reform-minded Catholics" that want "meaningful action" taken against how the church handles sexual abuse scandals, made an unusual donation of $200 to the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago on Saturday. It wasn't the amount that was unusual as much as how it was given -- all in pennies.

Each of the pennies represented the "estimated 20,000 victims of sexual abuse by clergy in the U.S.," Douglas told the Chicago Tribune. And until the church steps up the accountability on sexual abuse, Douglas wants those pennies to keep coming, adding:

"Money is power. Just put a penny on the collection plate when it goes by. We'll use the power of the purse to send them a message."

Douglas, from Tucson, was in Chicago with about 250 others attending a Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) conference this weekend. One of the speakers at the conference is attorney Jeff Anderson, who received a favorable U.S. Supreme Court decision in June allowing a lawsuit to move forward against the Vatican, claiming that the Holy See is accountable for the sexual abuse by a former priest, who abused teens at a Catholic high school in Chicago.

Chicago Tribune