Bankruptcy Will Not Affect Parishes

By Donald Jaramillo
Cibola Beacon
November 15, 2013

http://www.cibolabeacon.com/news/bankruptcy-will-not-affect-parishes/article_cef390a4-4e11-11e3-ad68-001a4bcf887a.html

CIBOLA COUNTY – Earlier this week, it was officially announced that the Diocese of Gallup was filing for Chapter 11 reorganization on Tuesday, Nov. 12, in the United States Bankruptcy Court in Albuquerque.

“As noted in our previous September letter [to church members], the filing will occur in order to mercifully and equitably deal with the sexual abuse claims faced by the Diocese, while also allowing the Diocese to continue to address the needs of our parishioners and charitable outreach missions,” said Suzanne Hammons, media liaison for the Diocese via email.

Information found on the Diocese’s website clearly stated that the bankruptcy filing does not include the parishes. And, the only school affected by the filing is Gallup Catholic School, which is part of the Diocese. The filing will not affect Grants’ St. Teresa Catholic School and San Fidel’s St. Joseph Mission School, both in Cibola County.

The Diocese of Gallup covers more than 55,000 square miles in northwestern New Mexico, including Cibola County.

Pope Pius XII established the Gallup Diocese in 1939 because he felt there was a need for Native Americans in the area to be adequately served for their spiritual needs. Under the direction of its fourth bishop, the Most Rev. James S. Wall, the Diocese ministers to a large and culturally diverse group of Catholics numbering around 58,000 including Native Americans from the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi, Apache, Laguna, and Acoma Tribes and pueblos. It’s been reported that the Gallup Diocese has been ranked as the poorest Diocese in the United States.

According to reports, child sex-abuse litigations has cost the U.S. Catholic Church some $3 billion in settlements in the two decades since the ongoing scandal erupted with a series of molestation cases uncovered in Boston, Mass., in 1992.

Bishop James Wall said the Nov. 12 filing is not a way for the Church “to avoid responsibility for what happened or to hide anything.”

According to a posting by Hammons on the website, “As many of you know, unfortunately, there are priests and other workers in the Diocese who took advantage of their positions of trust and sexually abused children. As a result, a number of claims have been made against the Diocese for the harm that was caused 40 or 50 years ago. As you also know, the Diocese provides critical services to the Catholic faithful and others in need regardless of their faith and it is important that the Diocese is able to carry on its mission and ministry while at the same time dealing equitably and mercifully with those who have been harmed. The Diocese believes the best way to accomplish these goals is through the Chapter 11 filing.”

Bishop Wall said, “…The process of Chapter 11 will open our Diocese to unprecedented public scrutiny, which I believed would be a good thing. I am firmly convinced that as we embark on this journey it is to bring healing to all who have been harmed and to our Diocese.”

The Gallup Diocese bankruptcy filing marks the seventh one in the past few years. The first Diocese to file was the Archdiocese of Portland, Ore., in 2004. Since then, up to Nov. 12, there were at least six other Dioceses that have filed for reorganization.

Robert Pastor, a Phoenix attorney who represents plaintiffs in 13 sex abuse cases against the Diocese clergy, said the bankruptcy filing would delay litigation of the claims. He has reportedly said, “The Bishop has done what we see all the other bishops do – they run to bankruptcy perhaps seeking financial protection but more importantly protection from the discovery process.”

“As this process (bankruptcy filing) continues, you may find letters and information related to the filing online at our news website, voiceofthesouthwest.org,” said Hammons.