BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Several parishes in Western New York are taking legal action to stop the parish payments to the proposed $150 million diocesan bankruptcy settlement.
The nine parishes are slated to close and merge with other parishes under the Road to Renewal, but received suspensions from the Vatican as their appeals are reviewed.
Several of the parishes suing the Buffalo Diocese are gathering in court for a motion on their lawsuit to stop the parish payments to the proposed $159 million bankruptcy settlement. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/HYVgbOdwUc
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) August 12, 2025
The lawsuit filed against the diocese is in protest of the 80% contribution these parishes have been asked to make toward the settlement.
Diocesan lawyers say the parishes must help settle the 900 Child Victim Act (CVA) cases against the diocese. However, parish lawyers argue that it would collapse these churches.
"Because in effect, it would destroy these parishes," said John Flaherty, attorney for parishes.
The parish attorneys both say the diocese has to honor the suspensions for the Vatican. But diocese lawyers say it would have a "profound impact" on the proposed settlement.
"There has been a suggestion throughout the papers that this is just a diocese's liability – these parishes have nothing to do with it. Your honor, that's absolutely false," said Stephn Sharkey, diocesan attorney. "These parishes themselves have been named in dozens of these cases, and they face independent exposure, legally themselves."
Diocese Attorney Charles Sullivan told the court he also represents the diocese in the case.
"And the parishes that are the subject matter of this lawsuit will be left staring down the barrel of a very big gun," said Sullivan. "They will be left to defend the CVA actions."
Mary Pruski, with Save Our Buffalo Churches, is part of this lawsuit. I asked her about concerns of parishes being held responsible, on their own, for these cases.
"It's very scary, and the channeling injunction is again something that doesn't seem as secure as they had promised in the past," she said. "Many of the victims have come forward to say they also have a say in accepting the settlement, and many have said they are not going to vote to accept it."
The judge said he will need a "little bit of time" to review all the materials and arguments before he can decide on this lawsuit.
"We do want the survivors to receive whatever payment due that they are going to be awarded, but we can't do that on the back of parishes being harmed," Pruski said.
Below are the churches involved in the lawsuit against the Buffalo Diocese:
- Blessed Sacrament in Tonawanda
- Our Lady of Peace in Clarence
- St. Aloysius Gonzaga in Cheektowaga
- St. John XXIII in West Seneca
- St. Bernadette in Orchard Park
- All Saints Parish in Lockport
- Holy Apostles Parish in Jamestown
- St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta in Depew
- Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and Diocese Shrine in Bowmansville
WATCH: 'Very scary': Hearing held for parishes suing the Buffalo Diocese
A diocesan leader declined to comment, but the diocese issued this statement:
"Despite the legal recourse that certain parishioners have pursued in State Supreme Court, we believe that the decision to bring together families of parishes—known as the Road to Renewal—is the surest path to defining the near- and longer-term future of Catholic ministry and impact across Western New York.
"We also remain committed to fulfilling the agreement which has been agreed to 'in principle' by the Creditors Committee—which consists primarily of victim-survivors—in order to support their healing and to allow the Diocese to emerge from Chapter 11 status and finally move beyond this difficult and protracted episode. This continues as our highest priority and we will not be deterred in our determination to meet this obligation."
Catholic Diocese of Buffalo
The diocese must release a finalized bankruptcy plan to the U.S. Buffalo Bankruptcy Court by September 1.
