A Message from Bonni Shippee, Diocesan Chancellor: Settlement Agreement Reached
An agreement has been reached between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and the Official Committee of Tort Claimants in our bankruptcy case. This is the first step in forming a plan that will lead the Diocese to exit from chapter 11.
Attached are the Joint Agreement Media Release that will be sent to media shortly, and a letter from Bishop Mark O’Connell. Parish leaders are encouraged to share the letter and statement with your parish. You can do so by reading Bishop’s letter at mass this weekend, you can post it and the media release on your website, you can make copies and leave them in the back of church or even email them to parishioners if you are set up to do so.
As this moves forward, you can find updates, including Frequently Asked Questions at https://www.rcda.org/reorganization.
Monetary Settlement Reached in Diocese of Albany Bankruptcy Case:
Church Entities to Pay Survivors of Abuse $148 Million
Albany, New York – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, New York and the Official Committee of Tort Claimants announce today that they have reached a settlement agreement in the chapter 11 case filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Northern District of New York on March 15, 2023. The Diocese and the Tort Committee believe that this settlement is an important first step in forming a chapter 11 plan that will lead to the Diocese's exit from chapter 11. The settlement will provide payment in the amount of $148 million dollars to survivors of sexual abuse for acts perpetrated against them by clergy, religious, lay employees, and volunteers of the Diocese. Although the settlement amount remains subject to a creditor vote and court approval, the dollar figure of the settlement has been accepted by the Tort Committee. The Committee is comprised entirely of individuals who themselves survived sexual abuse when they were children
by clergy members and employees within the Diocese of Albany. Agreement on a monetary settlement marks a very significant achievement in the case, but important issues remain. The Diocese and Tort Committee are continuing to discuss the details of child protection protocols that will enhance measures already in place to protect young parishioners, students, and other vulnerable individuals within the Diocese. The discussions on
child protection have been productive, collaborative, and extensive and Bishop O’Connell has been personally engaged throughout the process. The Diocese and Tort Committee will soon be in a position to announce an agreement on these enhanced measures that will further strengthen the safe environment program in the Diocese of Albany.
In a statement to survivors and the Catholic community, Bishop O’Connell said “As the Bishop of Albany, I want to say a clear and unnuanced statement of guilt on the part of the diocese in its handling of our predator priests and others within the diocese. It is a shameful chapter in our history and no monetary settlement such as the one reached today will erase the pain caused to survivors. On behalf of the Diocese of Albany, I apologize and promise to be exceedingly diligent in my time in Albany to prevent anything like this occurring again.” “This settlement marks a significant step towards the conclusion of this bankruptcy case and closure for all survivors who have lived with this pain throughout their lives.” said John Ciota and Rick Salamone, Co-Chairs of the Tort Committee. “The Tort Committee wants to express its gratitude to each survivor involved in this case and assure all survivors that it is working to achieve the best result for them. The Tort Committee looks forward to working further with the Diocese to enhance its child protection protocols and with the Diocese’s insurers to reach a global settlement
of survivor claims.” This settlement between the Tort Committee and the Diocese, parishes, and other entities affiliated with the Diocese does not include a contribution from several of the insurance companies that provided coverage to the Diocese. The Diocese and the Tort Committee will continue to work in earnest to negotiate with the insurance carriers who are involved in this case with the goal of achieving a global settlement. In Diocesan bankruptcy cases, it is typical for Church insurers to contribute a significant portion of the global settlement amount paid to survivors of abuse. --end--
This announcement is jointly released by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany, New York and the Official Committee of Tort Creditors.
Contact person for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors: Robert T. Kugler, Esq. at Stinson L.L.P. at (612) 335-1645.
Contact person for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany: Kathy Barrans (518) 453-6608; Email: kathryn.barrans@rcda.org
ReMade For Mission Update
3rd Listening Session
Saturday, February 28th, 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM at St. John the Baptist
On Sat., Feb. 28, 10:30 am at St. John the Baptist we will host Listening Session 3b. There will be two parts to this session. The first part will be to discuss the number of buildings in each of our parishes and their uses and condition. (This discussion will lead nicely into the next listening sessions about financing.)
The second part of Listening Session 3a will be to review the recap summary of the first two Listening Sessions. If you did not receive the recap report via email, the report is also on our website, ccnccparishes.org and a limited supply will be available at the Gathering Space table in each church.
God Bless, Fr. Steve
Remade for Mission
To keep apprised of the latest regarding this important process within the Diocese of Albany, please go to www.rcda.org/remadeformission. (See p.7 for an update from Fr. Steve.)
Para mantenerse al día sobre este importante proceso en curso en la diócesis de Albany, visite www.rcda.org/remadeformission. (En la p.7 encontrará información actualizada del P. Steve.)
A Short Update Regarding the Remade for Mission Initiative
As some may know, there was a Zoom call during August updating those leaders of parishes throughout the Diocese of what the Remade for Mission process is all about. Additionally, the priests who attend the upcoming spiritual and fraternal conference next week, will be provided with more information and “next steps.” While I am in the process of writing a longer summary of where we are at (as the CCNCC), and where the process is going, here is a quick snapshot from the Zoom call taken from others from the CCNCC and from my notes from that call.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany consists of 14 counties, with 1.4 million people in the territory, but only 485,000 are Catholic; 37,000 attend Mass regularly in 126 parishes, of which approximately 600 attend Mass in the CCNCC on a regular basis.
There are many challenges facing the Diocese and each parish/network; the primary ones include
-Parish Finances
-Number and Age of Clergy and Clergy Wellness (49 priests are less than 70 years old)
-Aging Demographic
Two Big Questions—Is Church important to People? and How does the Church offset the American culture of convenience (for Mass time and location)?
The Diocese is looking at all 126 parish finances for the last 5 years.
-What is their financial status?*
-many are healthy
-some have issues
-some are in critical condition
-20% of parishes' finances are considered critical.
*Have their budgets been balanced?
There are challenging and difficult times ahead, for the Diocese, for most parishes, the CCNCC and each of our parishes. This process will affect parishes and parishioners as well as the clergy and religious throughout the 14 counties of the RCDA and the 126 parishes.
We need to work together. We need to re-imagine our future and to reach out and to help each other. There is a great need for cooperation – not division! This is a great opportunity to draw on our faith! Ultimately, we can emerge as a stronger, more vibrant community as a result of this process. Watch this space and our website for further information as it becomes available. God Bless, Fr. Steve