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Sr. Cathy Cesnik Fund for Survivors

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The Sister Cathy Cesnik Fund
for Survivors of Sexual Abuse

Purpose:
To provide financial assistance for survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Archdiocese of Baltimore pedophile priests Joseph Maskell and Neil Magnus.

Description:
Survivors complete an application which will be assessed by a monitoring team. Funds can be requested for individual and family therapy, wellness programs, and treatment for stress-related illnesses. Recipients of funds may also request financial assistance with other resources designed to aid in their recovery and healing.
Michele Stanton is responsible for the management of the “funding” account which has been opened by her to provide distributions by the Team. Funds will remain in this account until requests are made for disbursements.

Rationale:
The 2017 docuseries The Keepers brought to the attention of the world the brutal murder of two women, Sister Cathy Cesnik and Joyce Malecki. The series also focused on the related sexual abuse of young students at the hands of two priests assigned to Archbishop Keough High School in the 1960s and 1970s.The murders remain unsolved and the sexual rape, torture, and abuse of the innocent has been unresolved.

Although the Archdiocese of Baltimore has, through mediation, awarded some financial settlements that include 5 to 10 thousand dollars in therapy reimbursement, not all survivors chose mediation. For those who did, the money was not sufficient to complete their treatment. The funds were also not retroactive. Treatment for sexual abuse is very expensive, costing up to $350 per session. The work, is difficult and lengthy. Precipitous and abrupt cessation of treatment is harmful and unethical.

Recovering survivors face challenges that include anxiety, panic and PTSD. Their lives can be complicated by a history of dysfunctional relationships, addiction and premature health maladies. Their children sometimes exhibit the same symptomatology. Survivors have been unsuccessful in obtaining additional funds from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, unless they are willing to accept free pastoral counseling. This option has not been acceptable to clients.

The Sister Cathy Fund will provide financial support for those survivors who still require treatment, but for various reasons cannot afford it as their providers are out of their insurance networks or they have formidable co-pays or co-insurance/deductibles that have yet to be exhausted.

Application Process:

Survivors of sexual abuse by priests Joseph Maskell or Neil Magnus can apply for financial assistance by accessing our Welcome Letter, and then completing a Request for Funds form.

Completed forms can be saved as a word document and emailed as an attachment to one of the following:

Gemma Hoskins [email redacted]

Michele Stanton [email redacted]

Jon Stanton [email redacted].

Applicants’ names will be removed from the application and assessed by our monitoring team. Identity is protected by our HIPAA agreement.

When an application is approved, recipient will be notified by email. We will send a form to give to the provider.





Provider will submit the form to the address on the form for reimbursement for care.

PLEASE NOTE: Unless other arrangements have been made, the provider will be reimbursed for the amount charged for treatment.

This fund is initiated by Michele G. Stanton, LCSW-C (Michele G. Spango, Archbishop Keough class of ‘73).

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $10 
    • 2 yrs
  • Ann M Zelenka
    • $10 
    • 3 yrs
  • Ann M Zelenka
    • $12 
    • 3 yrs
  • Ann Zelenka
    • $10 
    • 3 yrs
  • Ann Zelenka
    • $20 
    • 3 yrs

Organizer

Michele Stanton
Organizer
Annapolis, MD

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