ALBANY (NY)
WTEN - ABC 10 [Albany NY]
September 2, 2025
By Courtney Ward
ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Impact statements from survivors of alleged sexual abuse by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany will be given in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. The hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sept. 10.
Multiple survivors came forward in 2022 when New York’s Child Victims Act made it possible for them to file lawsuits years after the abuse occurred by temporarily lifting the statute of limitations.
The diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2023, which put many of the cases on hold. An attorney for some of the alleged victims spoke with NEWS10 one day after the filing.
At that time, attorney Cynthia LaFave told NEWS10 the diocese controls more than $600 million in assets. She believed the bankruptcy filing was meant to delay unsettled cases because legal action against the diocese could not move forward until the bankruptcy proceedings were resolved.
Any statements being made on September 10, however, will not be considered evidence in the bankruptcy case, according to court documents. They are meant to give survivors an opportunity to be heard.
The bankruptcy filing also meant litigation over the Saint Clare’s Hospital pension was paused. Hundreds of hospital workers lost their pensions in 2018 and joined a lawsuit from the New York Attorney General’s Office to try to force the diocese to re-establish the retirement fund.
A court decided in May the St. Clare’s case can head to trial.
[St. Clare’s Corp hit with judgment for legal debt]
Any survivors who wish to make a statement may do so. Statements must be made in-person at the James T. Foley United States Courthouse on Broadway in downtown Albany. If a survivor does not want to present their statement, it can be read by counsel at the hearing.
Court documents state the hearing will extend to September 11 and September 12 if necessary to give all survivors who wish to give a statement the opportunity to do so.
Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of the Albany diocese will be in attendance.