BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — Parishes across Western New York continue to learn how much they're being asked to pay towards the diocese's $150 million settlement with more than 800 survivors of sexual abuse.
On Monday, the diocese announced parishes would be responsible for paying $80 million of the proposed settlement.
The first vicariate meeting was held on Monday at Immaculate Conception Church in Ransomville for the Niagara-Orleans Vicariate. The second was held on Tuesday at St. Leo the Great Church in Amherst for the Northern Erie Vicariate.
The latest meeting was held at the diocesan offices at the Catholic Center in Downtown Buffalo on Wednesday for the Buffalo Vicariate.
Clergy, parish trustees, financial chairs, business managers and parish council members from 30 city churches filed into the Catholic Center for the meeting.
“It's basically a war on parishes,” said Craig Speers, a parishioner at St. Michael’s Church.
He is now bracing for what's next at his parish.
"It's illegal under Vatican law. It’s illegal under state law. It's also senseless and vicious,” said Speers. "We're going to continue to fight this unjust and really absurd assessment process."
Churches that appealed to the Vatican to stay open, like St. Michael’s, are assessed to pay 80% of their unrestricted cash.
WATCH: 'It’s a very outrageous number': Parish reaction to Diocese of Buffalo's plan to help pay off settlement
“Many of these parishes will not be able to pay this assessment and will be forced into bankruptcy,” Speers said.
At Tuesday's Northern Erie Vicariate meeting, St. Benedict parishioners in Eggertsville learned they must pay more than $1.9 million.
“It’s a very outrageous number,” said Nandor Forgach, a parishioner at St. Benedict.
Some church members have told me the amount is appalling.
“To have to pay out that large sum of money, it's too much," Forgach said. "They’re asking a lot, and it's just not fair the way that it is broken down.”
Within the Catholic Family of parishes in Amherst and Cheektowaga, Christ the King would pay more than $900,000, Saints Peter & Paul more than $800,000, Infant of Prague more than $599,000 and St. Aloysius more than $200,000.
We might now be seeing some potential fallout. 7 News received a copy of this letter sent to St. Amelia and St. Christopher School faculty and staff from the Tonawanda family of parishes, indicating that the large payouts from parishes would mean no pay raises for the next school year. It also states the topic can be revisited. A spokesman for the diocese told me it is not a “definitive decision” for those schools. He also noted school decisions are made at the “local level."
Watch comments from Buffalo Bishop Michael Fisher, who says the diocese is offering transparency:
Vicariate meetings will continue on Thursday for Genesee and Wyoming counties and parishes in the Southern Tier Vicariate, then Friday, the Southern Erie Vicariate will meet.
