ROCHESTER (NY)
WHEC - NBC News10 [Rochester NY]
September 5, 2025
By Berkeley Brean
Sex abuse survivors react after judge confirms settlement against Catholic Diocese of Rochester
[For video, click here.]
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Carol Dupre’ has worn black every day for the last four years. She is one of 475 survivors in the sex abuse bankruptcy case against the Rochester Catholic Diocese. Today, after six years, the case closed and Carol wore white.
“I’m going to have some color put back in my life now,” Carol said.
Berkeley Brean, News10NBC: “Carol, what does the white symbolize for you?”
Carol Dupre’, survivor: “It’s the opposite of black. It’s a purity.”
The color drained from Carol’s life when she was abused by a priest as a 15-year-old girl. One by one, survivors walked out of the federal building. Moments before they left, Federal Judge Paul Warren had the confirmation order on his desk.
“Are you prepared for me to sign this order?” he asked the survivors in the courtroom.
“Yes!” they answered in unison.
Judge Warren sign the deal’s confirmation and the survivors applauded and cheered.
Berkeley Brean: “When the confirmation was signed and there was applause in the courtroom, what was the physical feeling you had?”
John McHugh, survivor: “The physical feeling – I wanted to get sick because I couldn’t believe this day was here.”
When survivors gave their testimonials in July, we heard stories of broken lives, broken marriages, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.
John McHugh, survivor: “I am actually for the first time excited for the future.”
Gregory Stanely, survivor: “I lost faith. I lost faith. But I’m getting it back now. I’m finally getting it back now.”
Berkeley Brean: “What did the abuse do to you?”
Mavern Ashford, survivor: “Oh it did a lot to me. I took mostly everything from my life. Put me on the path of destruction.”
The final settlement is $246 million. Judge Warren told the survivors in the courtroom “The money isn’t going to fix you. I hope it gives you a sense of validation and that what happened to you wasn’t your fault.”
Mitchell Garabedian has represented thousands of sex abuse victims
Berkeley Brean: “I need to ask a money question. So when can people like Carol expect the checks to be cut to them?”
Mitchell Garabedian, attorney: “In about four or five months.”
This is Bishop Salvatore Matano leaving the building. He was in the courtroom. He started his morning mass praying for the survivors who were – in his words – victims of terrible betrayal.
Bishop Salvatore Matano, Rochester Catholic Diocese: “I apologize to them. I deeply regret what transpired in their lives which, as the judge said, never should have happened. Never was their fault. And I admire their courage to come forward and to make their pain known so that others never suffer that pain.”
Since these cases of abuse started getting exposed about 20 years ago, the Catholic Diocese created strict rules to protect children including annual re-certification classes for anyone who works closely with children in churches or schools.
Here’s how the money breaks down: $191 million is paid by insurance and $55 million comes from the diocese and the parishes.
Every survivor will get a score out of 100. Factors include the severity of the abuse. They also include how much a survivor worked on this case. So the higher the score, the more money they will get.
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