Overview
- The three-week confirmation hearing opened in federal bankruptcy court, where Judge Meredith Grabill will decide whether to approve the plan.
- The court began pulling about 150 parishes, schools, and ministries into a mini-bankruptcy to secure roughly $60 million from affiliates in exchange for liability releases through a channeling injunction.
- Survivor testimony is set for December 2, with attorneys saying about 10 survivors plan to take the stand, including some who may seek to implicate Archbishop Gregory Aymond.
- Parish-specific assessments have not been disclosed, but legal fees could reach about $50,000 per parish, and some churches report donors or endowments covering shares, such as St. Dominic’s $50,000.
- Survivors voted 489–2 to approve the plan, and the archdiocese has said distributions could start around the new year if the court confirms the deal.