MINNESOTA
NPR
[Letter from Archbishop John Nienstedt – Source: St. Paul and Minneapolis archdiocese]
[Court documents – Source: Jeff Anderson & Associates
Application by Debtor to Employ Chapter 11 Counsel
Archdiocese Chapter 11 Petition
Archdiocese Signature Declaration
Debtor’s Verified Application for Order
Notice of Intention to Seek Expedited Hearing ]
JANUARY 16, 2015
SCOTT NEUMAN
The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has become the 12th U.S. diocese forced into bankruptcy by claims from alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse.
In a letter posted Friday on the archdiocese’s website, Archbishop John Nienstedt acknowledged the devastating impact of the stories of abuse by priests and the aim of “continuing to work with those representing victims/survivors to make sure we are doing all we can to prevent sexual abuse of minors, as well as to be instruments of healing for those who have been abused.
“To that end, I have directed that a petition for a Chapter 11 Reorganization of the Archdiocese Corporation be filed in the United States Bankruptcy Court of the District of Minnesota. Please note: this filing does not include parishes and schools,” Nienstedt wrote.
The filing does not come as a surprise. As Minnesota Public Radio notes: “In November, archdiocese chief financial officer Thomas Mertens called bankruptcy protection “a way to respond to all victims/survivors by allowing the available funds to be equitably distributed to all who have made claims. …”
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.