Phil Saviano, Advocate for Survivors of Sexual Abuse by Catholic Priests, Dies at 69
Matt Schudel of The Washington Post reports that Phil Saviano, a leading advocate for victims of sexual abuse by Catholic priests, has died at the age of 69. Saviano was abused by a priest as a child and came forward to the Boston Globe decades later. He also founded the New England chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP). Saviano’s story and personal research helped the Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporting by the Boston Globe on the issue. Schudel writes, “Among people who had been victimized by priests and church leaders, Mr. Saviano was seen as a valiant, eloquent and courageous champion who refused to be silenced.”