The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco has announced a tentative agreement with the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case that would provide a $395 million settlement, along with several non-monetary commitments focused on youth protection. If approved by a survivor vote and the bankruptcy court, the settlement would establish a trust to compensate survivors through an efficient and equitable claims process.

This is a very significant development. It reflects an agreement to provide substantial compensation to survivors of abuse by priests, church employees, and volunteers, while also including meaningful measures intended to strengthen youth protection going forward.

At the same time, it is important to remember that every diocesan bankruptcy case is different. Settlement outcomes depend on many factors, including the financial circumstances of the particular diocese and the contributions available from other parties. For that reason, survivors should not assume that the San Francisco settlement predicts the outcome of the Santa Rosa bankruptcy case or the value of individual claims here.

Even so, the Official Committee in the Santa Rosa Diocese bankruptcy case is encouraged by this development and continues to work very hard toward the best possible financial recovery for survivors in Santa Rosa, along with meaningful changes to youth protection in the Diocese of Santa Rosa moving forward.

If you are a survivor with a claim in this bankruptcy case and have questions about your individual claim, you should contact your attorney if you are represented. If you have general questions about the bankruptcy process or would like to share comments with the Official Committee, please email santarosasurvivorteam@stinson.com.  All communications are treated confidentially, and we will respond to every message.