Albany Diocese agrees to $148 million settlement with clergy abuse survivors
The Albany Diocese has reached a $148 million settlement with survivors of child sexual abuse by clergy as part of its ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. Church officials said the agreement represents a key step toward completing a Chapter 11 plan and ultimately exiting bankruptcy.
The settlement was approved by a tort committee representing survivors, with 186 additional abuse survivors participating in the case. Attorneys for the survivors called the resolution “a public acknowledgment of the harm” suffered and emphasized that while money cannot erase the trauma, the settlement ensures the survivors’ voices are recognized and holds the diocese accountable. The agreement still requires bankruptcy court approval and a vote by all survivors. Albany becomes the fifth New York diocese to reach a settlement with abuse survivors, joining Syracuse, Buffalo, Rochester, and Rockville Centre. Bishop Mark O’Connell, appointed in October 2025, described the abuse as “a shameful chapter” and issued a formal apology, pledging stronger child protection measures in the future. The diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2023 under O’Connell’s predecessor, Edward Scharfenberger, and hundreds of cases remain under the Child Victims Act.
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