SYRACUSE (NY)
WSYR - ABC 9 [Syracuse NY]
August 27, 2025
By Alexandra Deryn
Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge for the Northern District of New York, Wendy Kinsella, plans to approve a settlement, after a hearing on Aug. 27, between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse and sexual abuse survivors.
The plan will mean millions of dollars for the survivors.
It is the first step in a long journey towards finding closure, after years of legal proceedings between the Syracuse Diocese and the survivors. Kinsella approved a plan for the church to exit bankruptcy and begin the process of distributing over $170 million.
“It has always been my intention…the best way that we could give reparations to all involved, rather than, as Kinsella called it, a race to the courtroom,” Bishop Douglas Lucia, pastor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse, said.
Five years ago, the church filed for bankruptcy protections as sex abuse lawsuits came flooding in, 411 to be exact. Over the years, survivors have shared their stories of being sexually abused during their childhood years by clergy and church members.
“I’m grateful for Judge Kinsella’s ruling, especially…I’m grateful for those who are the survivors, the victims, of the abuse,” Lucia said. “It’s been a long time coming because my big goal has always been to make reparations for the sins of the past…for the hurt that people have felt.”
In the courtroom, Kinsella praised the survivors for their bravery and courage after approving the agreement. At the end of the proceedings, she turned to the Diocese members and reminded them to strongly uphold their child protection protocols.
“My responsibility, as Bishop, is to make sure, though, that we continue to move forward and to ensure always the safety,” Lucia said. “We’ve done that for many years already, but you can’t let your guard down. That’s really the important thing.”
Kinsella will formally issue the order in the coming days.
Heartfelt, tearful embraces were shared between survivors and their lawyers after they heard the sound of the gavel.