BURLINGTON (VT)
VTDigger [Montpelier VT]
May 14, 2025
By Kevin O'Connor
“Today, as an adult, I am still working on the side effects,” said one former altar boy at a Wednesday hearing on past clergy misconduct in the state’s largest religious denomination.
BURLINGTON — Two decades after news broke of a nationwide Catholic priest misconduct scandal, seven Vermont child sex abuse claimants spoke in court Wednesday about the lingering impact.
“He molested me in my own house, in my own bed,” a 61-year-old man identified as Speaker 5 recalled of being an altar boy a half-century ago. “I froze and never said a word. Today, as an adult, I am still working on the side effects.”
Leaders of Vermont’s Roman Catholic Diocese have heard many such comments over the years as they’ve paid out $34.5 million to settle 67 civil lawsuits alleging clerical improprieties dating as far back as 1950.
But Wednesday saw officials in a different venue: U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Burlington, where the state’s largest religious denomination is seeking Chapter 11 protection in hopes of reorganizing its depleting finances.
“I’d like to say thank you for having our voices heard,” the first speaker, who identified himself to reporters as Kevin McLaughlin, told Judge Heather Cooper. “This sort of thing leaves scars.”
As part of the Chapter 11 process, all pending and future lawsuits have been placed on hold as 118 new accusers have submitted confidential claims to join the case as potential creditors — almost double the number of people who previously settled before the diocese filed for bankruptcy last fall.
Although the bankruptcy court has no authority to rule on any of the sealed allegations, it allowed seven of the latest accusers to offer non-evidentiary “survivor statements” as a courtesy at a special session at Burlington’s Federal Building.
“When the diocese filed for bankruptcy, it robbed those survivors of their opportunity to stand in front of a jury of their peers,” said Brittany Michael, the lawyer for a federally appointed committee representing creditors with abuse claims. “We know that the opportunity to speak in court can be an important part of the healing journey.”
For two hours, speaker after speaker talked both generally and graphically, standing up and breaking down, as they remembered being anywhere from 6 to 15 when they were abused.
“I immediately buried those memories, but I was forever changed,” said a man identified as Speaker 3. “I thought many times of committing suicide because it was so painful.”
Other men spoke of continuing shame and stress, anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks, as well as failed classes and marriages and alcohol and drug dependence.
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“It has taken me decades to understand this monster has been responsible,” a man identified as Speaker 2 said of the priest who abused him. “All this time I thought I had been the only one. My only regret is not having the courage to come forward sooner.”
The Vermont diocese is the nation’s 40th Catholic entity to seek bankruptcy protection because of clergy misconduct. Under federal law, it must present the court with a tally of its financial assets and liabilities. The judge then will decide whether to allow church leaders to develop a reorganization plan that would require approval from both the court and creditors.
Abuse claimants are seeking church records detailing not only a reported $35 million tied to the diocese’s headquarters and state-level holdings but also all the local operations it oversees, starting with 63 parishes with an estimated collective worth of $500 million. The resulting findings are expected to spark future court debate on which assets can be used to compensate creditors.
Vermont Catholic Bishop John McDermott attended Wednesday’s special session.
“It is my sincere hope and fervent prayer,” he said afterward in a statement, “that today’s hearing will be a source of continued healing for the survivors who shared their stories and for all who have filed a claim against the diocese.”
McDermott was installed as bishop last July, only to land in court just two months later.
“The diocese is not filing this bankruptcy case in an attempt to avoid any responsibility,” the bishop said at the time in an affidavit. “Due to the number of civil cases and claims filed against the diocese and limitations of the diocese’s resources, the diocese determined that reorganization under Chapter 11 is the only way to fairly and equitably fulfill the diocese’s obligations to all survivors of sexual abuse.”