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SURVIVOR Community News
Bob Schwiderski is a survivor and an active member of both
VOTF and SNAP. He is also committed to outreach on behalf
of victims of clergy sexual abuse who
have been unable or unwilling to come forward. Recently, Bob went to Fr. Michael
Van Sloan at St. Stephen’s Church (Anoka, MN) to let Fr. Van Sloan know
that he would be handing out leaflets about a credibly accused priest who had
once served in that parish. Bob's hope was that anyone “living an abuse
secret” will know that he or she doesn’t have to live that way any
more. Bob and Fr. Van Sloan had never met, so there was no particular expectation
on Bob's part; it was to his surprise that Fr. Van Sloan took the leaflet, read
it aloud at all the Masses, and directed parishioners to speak with Bob after
Mass. After Mass, the priest joined Bob and members of the press who had gathered
outside the church. Bob’s feeling is that this one priest did what the
archbishop (Archbishop Flynn) refuses to do – go that extra mile to find “the
lost sheep.” Click
here for the leaflet.The print story
and video coverage are available
here.
[Bob pointed out three mistakes in the print/video coverage: 1) the spelling
of his name – correctly spelled above; 2) the church is St. Stephen’s
(not St. Michael’s); and 3) the dates of the accused priest’s tenure
are 1971-92 (not ’71-2).]
We are grateful for Bob’s ministry and the story he provided for In
the Vineyard readers.
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