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Abuse Inquiries and Response Policies

Diocese of Rochester Chapter 11 Settlement

Chapter 11 Settlement

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 12 September 2019 in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York, a month after New York's Child Victims Act opened a lookback window exposing the diocese to hundreds of historical abuse claims. After six years of litigation, much of it against insurers who initially denied coverage, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul R. Warren signed an order on 5 September 2025 confirming the Eighth Amended Joint Plan of Reorganization, resolving roughly 470 abuse claims. The core claims fund is reported at 246 million dollars, built from 55 million from the diocese and its parishes and 120 million from Continental Insurance Company after mediation, with several smaller insurers making up the remainder; wider reporting on the same order states the total settlement fund at approximately 256.35 million dollars once additional contributions are counted. Bishop Salvatore R. Matano apologized publicly to survivors at confirmation.

Facts
Documented Findings
Allegations Documented
470 2
Victim Estimate
470 2
Reported as approximately 470 abuse claims resolved by the confirmed plan; the figure comes from contemporaneous reporting on the plan's confirmation rather than the diocese's own claim count.
Key Finding
Rochester's case was one of the longest of the wave of New York diocesan bankruptcies triggered by the Child Victims Act, taking six years to resolve almost entirely because of prolonged insurance coverage litigation rather than disputes with survivors themselves; the eventual fund size turned on Continental Insurance's 120 million dollar contribution after years of denying coverage. 2
Inquiry Profile
Kind of Record
Settlement 1
Jurisdiction
Western District of New York, United States (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Judge Paul R. Warren) 1
Publication Year
2025 2
Period Covered, From
from 2019 3
Period Covered, To
to 2025 4
Connections

Associated With

Source Judge Confirms Bankruptcy Plan for Rochester Diocese
Rochester, Cities
Source Judge Confirms Bankruptcy Plan for Rochester Diocese
Source Judge Confirms Bankruptcy Plan for Rochester Diocese

Belongs to Tradition

Source Judge Confirms Bankruptcy Plan for Rochester Diocese
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Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Judge Confirms Bankruptcy Plan for Rochester Diocese
Catholic Courier, 2025View the Source
2. Judge Approves Chapter 11 Plan for Rochester Diocese With $246M Claims Fund
Insurance Journal, 2025Insurance Journal, 8 September 2025, claims-fund paragraph
Quote, Insurance Journal, 8 September 2025, claims-fund paragraph
Payments to the fund will go to resolve an estimated 470 sex abuse claims filed against the diocese.
View the Source
3. Catholic Diocese of Rochester Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection (Spectrum News, 2019)
Spectrum NewsView the Source
4. Catholic Review: Bankruptcy Plan Confirmed for Rochester Diocese Sets Up Nearly $257 Million Settlement Fund
Karen M. Franz, Catholic Courier, Catholic Courier (OSV News)View the Source
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