October 30, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In September of 2019, the Diocese of Rochester filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Rochester. At the time of the filing, the petition noted the Diocese had $50-$100 million in assets, with liability estimates totaling $100 to $500 million. The Diocese of Rochester was the first New York diocese to choose Chapter 11 reorganization, however the Dioceses of Syracuse, Buffalo and Rockville Centre have all since filed as well. The Rochester diocese covers 12 upstate New York counties where an estimated 360,000 Catholics live.
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Fr. Gary Carr Accused of Sexual Misconduct in Missouri
January 20, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In April, the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau issued a press release stating that an allegation of physical/sexual misconduct against Father Gary Carr met the criteria for publication. In July, the diocese issued a second release finding that three more allegations against Carr also passed the threshold for publication. All four allegations were made by men who claim that Fr. Carr made inappropriate physical/sexual contact with them when they were boys.
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Diocese of Phoenix Faces Clergy Sex Abuse Lawsuits
January 13, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In 2020, child sexual abuse claims against two priests who served in the Diocese of Phoenix made headlines. Alleged claims of sexual abuse of children against Father John “Jack” Spaulding and Father John P. Doran are a bleak reminder of the scale of clergy abuse not only within the Diocese of Phoenix, but the Catholic church as a whole.
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Survivors Step Forward Alleging Sexual Abuse at St. Anthony’s Home for Boys
January 11, 2021 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Three separate lawsuits have been filed by former residents against St. Anthony’s Home for Boys alleging childhood sexual abuse. The orphanage, which housed more than 6,000 boys in its 68 years of operation, was run for many years by the Sisters of St. Francis and closed its doors in the early 1980s.
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How Long do I have to File a Clergy Abuse Lawsuit?
December 2, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Each state sets their own laws which govern how long a survivor has to file a claim, and the differences between states can be dramatic. Many clergy sexual abuse survivors are concerned about how long they have to file a lawsuit. Find general and state specific information regarding laws for filing a claim.
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Sex Trafficking Charges Filed Against Northern Ohio Catholic Priest
November 25, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The sad reality is that clergy abuse is still an issue for the Catholic Church. Several parishes in northern Ohio, including those in the Toledo, Finlay, and Van Wert areas were reminded of that reality when on August 18, 2020, Father Michael Zacharias was arrested and charged with sex trafficking.
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Judge Rules Clergy Abuse Survivors Can File Lawsuits Against Archdiocese of Santa Fe
November 23, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Bankruptcy Judge David T. Thuma is overseeing the Chapter 11 reorganization of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Thuma’s recent ruling would allow lawyers for clergy sex abuse survivors to file lawsuits against the diocese claiming it fraudulently transferred an estimated $150 million to avoid paying it to survivors. Lawyers for survivors allege the transfer of Archdiocese real estate and assets to parishes is an attempt to avoid bigger payouts to victims.
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Number of Clergy Abuse Lawsuits Filed in Pennsylvania Surge
November 20, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Over the last few years, many states have passed reform bills to help survivors of childhood sexual abuse hold their abusers, and the institutions responsible for the abuse, accountable. Several states, including New York and California, have passed laws setting up what are commonly referred to as ‘revival windows.’ These ‘revival windows’ create a time frame for previously expired claims to be brought on behalf of the survivor.
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Diocese of Covington, KY Release List of Accused Clergy
November 9, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Covington, Kentucky has released a list of priests who have served in its diocese and have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. The list comes after two former FBI agents spent almost a full year reviewing diocese records dating back to 1950. The comprehensive list contains the names of 59 priests and 31 others affiliated with the diocese dating back almost 70 years.
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Survivor Payments Suspended by Camden Diocese IVCP
November 5, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Survivors who chose to seek clergy abuse compensation from the Diocese of Camden through the Independent Victim Compensation Program (“IVCP”) will have to wait a little longer. In July, the diocese suspended making new payments through its Independent Victim Compensation Program (“IVCP”). Camden diocese officials told program administrators Kenneth R. Feinberg and Camille Biros the suspension was necessary because of a “precipitous decline in revenue resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic”.
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How Long Do I Have to File a Clergy Abuse Lawsuit in New Jersey?
November 4, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
How long you have to file a clergy abuse lawsuit in New Jersey is a common question. For some New Jersey clergy abuse survivors, it may take years, even decades to recall the abuse since traumatic events suffered as a child are often suppressed. Even those who haven’t blocked those memories often still need many years to process the pain and receive treatment or counseling before they are ready to share their stories.
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New York’s Diocese of Rochester Files for Bankruptcy
October 30, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In September of 2019, the Diocese of Rochester filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Rochester. At the time of the filing, the petition noted the Diocese had $50-$100 million in assets, with liability estimates totaling $100 to $500 million. The Diocese of Rochester was the first New York diocese to choose Chapter 11 reorganization, however the Dioceses of Syracuse, Buffalo and Rockville Centre have all since filed as well. The Rochester diocese covers 12 upstate New York counties where an estimated 360,000 Catholics live.
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Pontifical Secrecy Rule Lifted in Clergy Sexual Abuse Cases
October 26, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
In December of 2019 the Vatican issued an instruction called On the Confidentiality of Legal Proceedings which essentially removed the pontifical secrecy rule related to clergy sexual abuse or misconduct cases. The directive by the Vatican should help ease communication between church officials and civil authorities around the globe regarding abuse cases.
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New York’s Rockville Centre Diocese Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
October 22, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Rockville Centre Diocese in New York, which covers the Long Island area, and is one of the largest dioceses in the country serving 1.4 million Catholics, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. The petition was filed on October 1 at the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. The filing was done to help the diocese manage legal expenses and facilitate settlements with sexual abuse survivors.
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Lawyers Battle to Properly Value Dozens of Buffalo Diocese’s Properties
October 21, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
The Diocese of Buffalo filed for bankruptcy in February of this year in the wake of mounting clergy sexual abuse claims. The diocese opted for bankruptcy protection after seeing no other viable option to continue operating given the potential total future obligations the pending sexual abuse lawsuits could entail. The diocese continues to believe that bankruptcy doesn’t hurt abuse survivors, but only helps them by creating a compensation process that equally divides up funds among all abuse survivors, instead of favoring those who filed first.
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Defrocked Priest Ronald Paquin Sentence Upheld In Maine
October 15, 2020 / by Brett Katsma / Catholic Church Sexual Abuse
Maine’s Supreme Judicial Court upheld 10 of the 11 convictions against defrocked priest Ronald Paquin, who is currently serving out a 16-year sentence in Maine. Ronald Paquin was charged with abusing two boys during trips to Maine in the 1980s.
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