After nearly three decades of leadership, the president and founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, Barbara Blaine, has stepped down, officials said.
Her resignation was effective as of Friday.
Blaine, who describes herself as a survivor, expressed gratitude for her supporters in an emailed statement.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to have found and been your president for the past 29 years. Change however is inevitable,’’ Blaine said in the statement.
Mary Ellen Kruger, who is on the SNAP board, said in an emailed statement they are “Grateful for her 29 years of leadership.’’
“Her contribution to the survivors movement is unsurpassed. Her tenacity and fortitude helped expose abuse globally during the past three decades. We will carry on her vision of SNAP as we grow in new ways to better meet the needs of survivors coming forward today and in the future. We wish Barbara the best,’’ Kruger said in the statement.
‘“It was a horrible feeling twenty-nine years ago,” Blaine said in the statement."Church officials would not keep their promises. My perpetrator remained in ministry but more importantly, I felt such immense pain that I was not sure I could continue to live,’’ Blaine said.
“I knew there were other survivors out there and wondered if they felt the same debilitating hurt and if so, how they coped with it. I thought they might hold the wisdom I lacked. I looked for other survivors and asked if they would be willing to talk.
Somewhere in the past twenty-nine years you got involved and I want to thank you for doing so. To be honest, my heart is overflowing with gratitude to each of you. Words fail to express the extent of how grateful I feel,’’ Blaine said in the statement.
Barbara Dorris, SNAP’s Outreach Director, has become the Managing Director, according to SNAP. In this new position, Dorris will work closely with the SNAP board of directors to continue to engage our volunteer leadership nationwide to help more survivors of sexual abuse and assault, and to stop the cycle of abuse and the cover up, no matter where the abuse occurred, according to the statement.
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