Holy Apostles Parish stands to lose 80% of its unrestricted cash as part of the Buffalo Diocese’s settlement with victims of sexual abuse pending an appeal of the settlement.
The settlements, which are basically a tax on Catholic churches in the diocese, faces a higher total owed because it was chosen for extinctive merger under the Road to Renewal. Other churches that are remaining open are set to pay 65% of their unrestricted assets into the settlement fund. The 80% settlement would affect the Ss. Peter and Paul, St. John and St. James Catholic churches in the city.
“They have also confirmed that this will occur regardless of the suspension of our decree of merger,” Samantha Scalise, procurator of the group leading the appeal to overturn the closure of Ss. Peter and Paul Parish. “They claim that if our decree is overturned, they will refund the parish the difference between what we would have been assessed (which I believe to be 65% based on a table the Diocese has publish and our financial records) but there is an understandable level of skepticism as to whether or not this will even be possible at that time.”
Buffalo media are reporting parishes throughout the diocese have to contribute between 10 to 80 percent of unrestricted assets to help pay for the $150 million settlement. The church’s contributions would total $80 million.
The contribution is based upon a progressive percentage applied to the parishes’ self-reported and unrestricted assets held as of Aug. 31, 2024, the end of the Diocesan fiscal year, according to a recent news release from the Buffalo Diocese.
“As we have maintained throughout this protracted process, the participation of the entire Catholic family is necessary to bring to a close this painful chapter of our Diocese and achieve a level of restitution that is owed to the many who have had to carry the tremendous burden of physical, emotional and spiritual harm of sexual abuse throughout their lives,” said Bishop Michael W. Fisher.
Contribution percentages range from 10 percent to 80 percent of each parish’s unrestricted cash with the highest percentage being applied to parishes scheduled to be closed or merged as part of the Road to Renewal, aimed at better sharing resources and bringing together unsustainable parishes with stronger parish communities.
Representatives of the Holy Apostles parish were part of a group that attended a vicariate meeting on June 12 to discuss the settlement. The Holy Apostles Parish appeal group was not allowed to attend as an observed, and two members of the parish who attended had to sign confidentiality agreements and couldn’t share more until the diocese had received approval by the plaintiffs’ attorneys, according to Scalise.
Scalise said local Holy Apostles officials have only been told percentage of unrestricted assets the parish will have to pay – but she said other parishes in the diocese have received firm dollar amounts they will have to pay toward the settlement. While local parish officials said during weekend masses the week of June 14-15 that they expected to receive a dollar amount from the diocese this week, Scalise said an amount hadn’t been received as of Thursday.
Scalise also raised concerns about the language being used regarding the assessment. It had been said the assessment would be mandatory, but Scalise said recently the diocese has begun to imply the assessment amount is a contribution and not an assessment or tax.
“While I could probably lengthen this post further while discussing this subject, I will try to keep it short by saying this: while the bishop does have the power under Canon Law to impose such a tax, this tax must be moderate and based on the parish’s income, not 80% of its unrestricted funds” Scalise wrote. “Furthermore, while Father Paul, as the administrator for the parish, can gift/donate money to the diocese, this donation is limited (I believe to $15,000) and has to be given free-will and free of coercion. Given that the discussion has always been that the sum will be mandatory and the diocese recently claiming in their talking points that parishes will lose protection from the child sexual assault cases if they do not pay the ‘suggested contribution,’ I think it’s fair to say that there is coercion present and that it therefore cannot be a gift.”
That language, and the thought the parish would remain as is until the Vatican decides whether or not Holy Apostles Parish will close churches, is prompting the Save Holy Apostles Parish to appeal the assessment on Ss. Peter and Paul and the rest of Holy Apostles Parish.
“Because of the issues discussed above, our team has made the decision to appeal the assessment on the grounds that it is not valid under Canon Law,” Scalise said. “Furthermore, we believe it to be a violation of our suspension from the Dicastery and the bishop’s promise that parishes in recourse will remain ‘as is.’ Yesterday (June 18, 2025) I mailed a remonstratio letter to the bishop requesting that he reconsider his decision to assess our parish at 80% of it’s unrestricted funds. The process is the exact same as the process was for the merger appeal. Additionally, because the loss of this amount of money qualifies as a substantial change to the parish, the previously signed mandates from our appeal of the merger are valid for this appeal as well. I will try my best to keep you up to date with this process as it unfolds.”
There has been no further update on the group’s effort to halt the merger of churches in the Holy Apostles Parish, which would eventually close Ss. Peter and Paul. A letter received by the appeals group in April from Andres Gabriel Ferrada Moreira, titular archbishop of Tiburnia secretary, said because resale values of properties was a factor in the decision to decide which parishes would be merged, the office was granting the Save Holy Apostles Parish’s request to suspend the extinctive merger while the Vatican reviews the decision. The Vatican has contacted Michael Fisher, bishop of the Catholic Diocese in Buffalo, for a response. The post said the Vatican would look through the evidence sent to them and decide on the ordered merger at some point.
Scalise said she has sent a letter to the Dicastry for the Clergy with recent developments, with 47 additional mandates requested for review, bringing the total number of mandates to 313. Requests include not having a proper pastor appointed, not having parish trustees appointed as required under state law, not having a scheduled confession time established as other Catholic Neighbors in Faith parishes have, and the sex abuse settlement payment discussion.
“I have not had any communication from the Dicastry since we received our suspension,” Scalise wrote.
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