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Image credit: The interior of St. Columban Retreat Center in Derby, NY, part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo; via Wikipedia.
WIVB News’ Sarah Minkewicz reported yesterday via Yahoo! News that parishioners across Western New York are expressing heartbreak and disbelief after learning their local churches must contribute millions toward a $150 million sexual abuse settlement agreed to by the Diocese of Buffalo. The settlement covers more than 800 claims and is one of the largest in New York state.
Ascension Parish in Batavia has been asked to pay over $1 million. Parishioners Bill and Nancy Brach told WIVB that the decision feels like a betrayal. “These were every spaghetti dinner, and the chicken BBQ and special donations that we’ve had over the years and it was all donated to maintain this parish,” Bill said.
The Brachs are part of Save Our Buffalo Churches, an advocacy group working to prevent parish closures announced by the Diocese as part of its ongoing financial restructuring. “It’s a mess,” Bill added. “When they’re closing churches and merging churches and chasing people away and then taking all the money. Wow.” Nancy echoed the concern: “We’re wondering if they’re going to have anyone left to go to church.”
Churches are being asked to contribute between 10% and 80% of their self-reported, unrestricted assets as of August 2024. Queen of Heaven Church in West Seneca, for example, is expected to pay $3.4 million.
“I was shocked,” said parishioner Sally Tanner, who has donated to the church for years. Though heartbroken, she says she can’t walk away. “I can’t not support my church. I’m not going to leave the Catholic faith. I’m not going to leave my church.”
Others may not feel the same. “There are people who switched to other denominations in town and worst of all, there are people who just stopped going all together,” Bill Brach said. “It’s sad, the money is one thing, but when you lose trust in the church leadership, that’s the hard thing for a lot of people.”
The $150 million agreement, reached after years of legal proceedings and mediation, was largely driven by the 2019 passage of New York’s Child Victims Act. The legislation opened a one-year window for survivors to file civil claims regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. In response to the deluge of lawsuits, the Diocese of Buffalo filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
While parishioners continue to show faith in their individual churches, many feel betrayed by the Diocese’s leadership. “I’ve already paid,” said Tanner. “I’ve paid for sins I didn’t commit.”
The Diocese has not commented on the individual assessments, but a hearing to finalize the settlement is scheduled in federal court this week. Attorneys representing survivors have indicated negotiations on unresolved matters are still ongoing.
To better understand your legal rights, the history of Catholic Church abuse settlements, and how survivors are seeking justice nationwide, visit our in-depth Catholic Church Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Guide.
