2003 - 2023: Twenty Years of Help and Hope for Survivors of Clergy Abuse

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     SafeNet (originally Survivors Alliance and Franciscan Exchange Network) was an independent, all-volunteer advocacy group
established in 2003, by Paul Fericano and John McCord, two survivors of clergy sexual abuse. During its twenty-year existence it

became the only survivor group to encourage the Catholic clergy, including bishops and cardinals, to sit at the same table with survivors and work for peace, reconciliation and justice. Its focus was on the health and well-being of all who had been victimized and to support and respect the entire healing process.

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     SafeNet worked with a select number of church leaders on pastoral outreach, restorative justice and policy reforms that ultimately benefited survivors and their families, as well as those in the clergy who were willing to work for honest change. It advanced and assisted hundreds of men and women to access health and wellness support services, including psychological and legal counseling. 

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     When first created in 2003, SafeNet's name was an acronym for Survivors Alliance and Franciscan Exchange Network,  acknowledging the Franciscan seminary where Fericano and McCord had been abused in the sixties and seventies, respectively. That same year, the Franciscan Province of St. Barbara (O.F.M.) welcomed SafeNet as a viable path to recovery and reconciliation. Over the next ten years, their cooperative efforts helped create a unique and safe environment where members of the clergy could listen and survivors could be heard.

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     In 2012, a newly elected Franciscan administration discontinued its association with SafeNet. That same year SafeNet's name was changed to Survivors Alliance and Free Exchange Network to best reflect the inclusiveness of its service. In 2023, SafeNet brought its work to a close with much love and gratitude.

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