SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Parishioners of Catholic churches in Spokane are being asked to contribute another $1.5 million toward a broad legal settlement to help resolve clergy sex abuse claims that have dogged the diocese for a decade.
The Spokesman-Review reported Wednesday it was the second settlement in five years that has been billed as ending the bankruptcy of the Catholic Diocese of Spokane.
A letter written by Spokane Bishop Blase Cupich and distributed to parishioners on Sunday sought to assure churchgoers that the threat of foreclosure had passed.
The $1.5 million was far less than initially feared to clear up lingering bankruptcy issues, including more than two dozen unresolved claims filed by former Morning Star Boys’ Ranch residents who said they were abused at the home for troubled boys.
