MONTANA
Independent Record
By CHARLES S. JOHNSON IR State Bureau
The liabilities of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena total $33.6 million, or more than twice its assets of slightly more than $16 million, a bankruptcy filing said.
However, the diocese did not assign a monetary value under “liabilities” to a series of claims filed by a law firm representing hundreds of people who said certain diocese clergy members had sexually abused them over decades.
On Jan. 31, the Diocese of Helena filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as part of a $15 million settlement intended to go to these victims. It covers Catholic churches in all or part of counties in western Montana.
The separate Great Falls-Billings Diocese covers the rest of the state.
In a filing late Friday, the Diocese of Helena filed documents with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court listing its assets and liabilities.
As assets, the diocese listed real estate worth $7.4 million. That includes Legendary Lodge, a camp on Salmon Lake, worth $3.5 million, and the International Paper site on First Street West in Missoula, worth $2.2 million.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.