St. John's Cathedral in Fresno, California
CV NEWS FEED // Local parishes will continue normal operations despite the Catholic Diocese of Fresno’s impending bankruptcy filing and potential solvency issues, according to the California diocese’s communications director.
The number of Mass times or opportunities to receive the sacraments will not decrease, but instead “continue as they have always continued,” Director of Communications Chandler Marquez told local news outlet Visalia Times Delta in a June 21 article.
Religious education will also be unaffected, and the Diocese’s services through Catholic Charities and the Catholic non-profit Bethlehem Center will remain available, he added.
“As far as the faithful sitting in the pews, they won’t see much of a difference in their experience with their faith and with the Diocese of Fresno in the Tulare County area,” Marquez said.
On May 28, Most Reverend Joseph Brennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Fresno, announced that the Diocese will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in August amid the filing of more than 150 cases of child abuse against the Diocese. The lawsuits came after California expanded the legal window for victims to file.
Several other Catholic dioceses in California have also recently filed for bankruptcy. As CatholicVote previously reported, the Diocese of San Diego filed for bankruptcy on June 17 amid negotiation settlements with attorneys representing abuse survivors. In August 2023, the Archdiocese of San Francisco filed for bankruptcy, and in March, the Diocese of Sacramento announced that it would be doing the same.
Bishop Brennan wrote in his May 28 letter, “What we are facing gives us the opportunity to redouble our efforts in creating a safe environment for everyone in and out of the church and address real issues in atoning for the sin of clergy abuse against children.”
One of the goals in responding to this situation, Bishop Brennan wrote, is to ensure that the Diocese is “handling claims of abuse with equitable compassion and resolving those claims as fairly as possible.” The other goal is that the Diocese’s ministry is able to continue.
Filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy is the only way to achieve both goals, he wrote.
“The reality of filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy will surely raise some questions from the faithful,” he wrote, noting that there are resources on the diocesan website to address further questions. “There is still much we do not know, but I am committing to you the faithful, to provide you with more information as we move forward.”
“When I hear how many lives were affected by clergy sexual abuse, my heart truly breaks,” he concluded in the announcement: “I imagine many of you are dismayed by the news of our serious financial situation, but I ask you to let go of your distress and turn your hearts towards the victims of abuse.”
