Clergy sex abuse victim's advocate Peter Isely with Nate's Mission said Showers had prior allegations of questionable sexual conduct before his arrest last August in Waupaca County, where he was caught in a police sting.

"Wisconsin law does not require religious institutions to report suspected child abuse or related misconduct in the same manner as many other organizations serving children, creating significant gaps in accountability and oversight," [Nate’s Mission} said.

"This is a massive violation of public safety, and that there are kids and young people in this part of the state and every other part of the country in which Russell has worked who were unnecessarily put at risk," Pearson said.

"What we've encouraged people to do is to make a report, so that the DOJ can go back to the archdiocese and say, 'Hey, we need the entire file on this guy. We need to see everything,'" said Sarah Pearson of Nate's Mission.

Isely said that the suspect’s history across multiple Catholic schools raises “reasonable suspicion” that there may be victims in Wisconsin. Survivors, he stressed, should seek counseling and trusted support, noting, “Those images and videos don’t go away… these are criminal acts survivors will carry for life.”

Patricia Moriarty said she wanted to share her story after hearing of Showers' arrest to hold the diocese accountable and show others they knew the priest had assaulted others before.

"I made the decision to share my story in hopes that others will feel empowered and encouraged to speak their truth as well."

Sarah Pearson of Nate’s Mission says the Archdiocese should not have an easy transition to the new archbishop. “Well, we don’t want a seamless transition, because business as usual is not okay," Pearson said.

In his first 100 days of leadership, the group wants Grob to provide abuse-related documents and evidence to the Wisconsin Department of Justice, update the Milwaukee archdiocese’s list of restricted priests, and remove anyone from leadership involved in covering up sexual abuse. 

"Business as usual is not OK," said Sarah Pearson, Nate's Mission deputy director. The group against clergy sex abuse stood outside the cathedral Monday demanding justice, and asking for a meeting with the new archbishop.

Ahead of Monday night’s special prayer vigil, members of Nate’s Mission, the largest organization of clergy sexual abuse survivors and advocates, held a press conference to express their concerns to the archbishop-designate.

Peter Isely, the program director of Nate’s Mission…said after the Milwaukee Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protections in 2011 under financial pressure over sexual abuse, accusers submitted claims in the proceedings involving more than 200 other clerics, church employees and order members. “Who benefits from (omissions to lists)? The offenders who covered it up,” [said Isely] 

Before the funeral Mass, survivors of clergy sexual abuse organized a protest outside the church. The group accused Bishop Sklba of relocating priests who had abused children from one parish to another. They distributed pamphlets to attendees outlining their accusations against the late bishop.

"You can not put the devastation, the horror and the misery that, unfortunately, this man is responsible for and bury it into a hole of forgetfulness," said Peter Isely, director of Nate's Mission. "That is not the way to move forward."

For some, he will be best remembered as Weakland's "go-to guy" for dealing with clergy sex abuse cases. Victims of abuse accused [Sklba] of collaborating with the now-disgraced Weakland in covering up numerous cases of abuse by Milwaukee priests.

In a statement, clergy abuse advocacy group Nate’s Mission called the choice of Grob “alarming,” citing abuse allegations against an Illinois priest under Grob’s supervision.

“What really re-victimizes us, survivors of clergy abuse, is when the Archdiocese continues to hide clergy records and other documents from us and the general public,” said Kevin Wester, a clergy abuse survivor and former priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

The decision "completely dismisses what survivors wanted and still want," Nate's Mission program director Peter Isely told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The prospect of Mr. McCarrick being forced to answer questions in a criminal trial “gave some hope to survivors that no matter who you are, no matter your power or station in life, you won’t be able to go into that good night without some kind of accountability,” said Peter Isely

Peter Isely, a member of Ending Clergy Abuse, said…"For a victim to see his offender before a judge – even if that appearance is by phone – it can be a day of emancipation and liberation from carrying the awful burden of shame and secrecy that are an inevitable consequence of these crimes…Inexplicably, Judge Reddy did not give the victim that day.”

Clergy sexual abuse survivors on Monday unveiled a proposed new church law calling for the permanent removal of abusive priests and superiors who covered for them, as they stepped up their outrage over Pope Francis’ choice to head the Vatican office that investigates sex crimes.