NEW MEXICO
Cibola Beacon
by Donald Jaramillo
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.
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