NEW YORK (NY)
WABC [New York City NY]
October 26, 2026
By CeFaan Kim
A survivor is speaking out after the Catholic Archdiocese of New York agreed to pay more than $800 million to settle clergy sexual abuse claims brought by more than 1,000 survivors.
For Joseph Caramanno, the agreement brings a sense of validation he said he feared might never come, along with protections for future victims he was not sure would ever be implemented.
Caramanno accused a priest at his former high school, St. Joseph by the Sea on Staten Island, of sexually abusing him in 2001 when he was 16 years old.
“It still doesn’t seem real,” Caramanno said.
He also criticized how his allegations were handled under Cardinal Timothy Dolan.
“Cardinal Dolan went on the record in one interview basically saying that I was honest and we’re not going to look into it based on a press conference, you know one press conference,” Caramanno said.
Settlement negotiations that began under Dolan and continued under his successor, Archbishop Ronald Hicks, have resulted in one of the largest clergy abuse settlements in U.S. history.
The Catholic Archdiocese of New York and attorneys for plaintiffs reached an agreement for the church to pay more than $800 million to settle claims from 1,300 survivors who allege they were sexually abused by clergy members and lay leaders.
Under the terms of the settlement, each plaintiff may choose a lump-sum payment of at least $250,000 or potentially receive a larger award. Claims will be individually evaluated by a judge hired by the victims’ attorneys to determine allocations.
The settlement also requires the church to release documents regarding offenders and maintain a public list of accused clergy.
Attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents nearly 300 abuse victims, said the agreement reflects the efforts of survivors who pursued their claims.
“This is a testament to the courage and the persistence of so many survivors who were given voice because of the Child Act,” Anderson said.
The agreement is not final until all parties sign the settlement documents, which are scheduled to be executed in early November.
In an email sent to priests over the weekend, Hicks wrote:
“We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors. This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children.”
Caramanno said he believes Hicks has approached the issue differently.
“It has been refreshing knowing that Archbishop Hicks has taken a different approach,” Caramanno said. “With Cardinal Dolan it was, well this is the way it was, and there’s nothing you can do about it. And now it’s this is the way it was, and we want to continue to do something about it.”
Caramanno said he left the church for a period of time but later returned. He said that return began near the end of the pandemic as he sought something familiar.
“When I came forward there were many people even within the church, you know priests alike, that said that, this is not right. That was not right. You know we support you,” he said.
Plaintiffs’ attorneys said the public list of offenders is expected to be released soon, though a timeline has not been finalized. They said no offender included in the settlement is part of active ministry, a requirement that was established early in the negotiations.