The Committee of Survivors is deeply engaged in all facets of the bankruptcy and working as hard and as quickly as possible to achieve the best possible financial settlement for all Survivors, and to strengthen youth protection measures in the Archdiocese to keep children safe going forward.
Charitable Immunity / Adversary Proceeding
In April 2025, the Committee filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese to address the issue of charitable immunity. In Maryland, charitable immunity can sometimes provide a defense to charitable organizations who are sued for tort claims (like slip-and-falls or sexual assault claims). Using this doctrine, the Archdiocese argued that charitable immunity provided it with a defense to all sexual assault claims in its bankruptcy. However, in December, just before trial, the Archdiocese and the Committee entered into a settlement agreement. As part of that settlement, the Archdiocese agreed that it could not use the charitable immunity defense for sexual assault claims in its bankruptcy. This was a big victory for survivors. We hope it will speed up our efforts to achieve a fair settlement for all survivors.
Mediation
As part of the settlement agreement on charitable immunity, the Archdiocese also agreed to at least four mediation (negotiation) sessions with the Committee, which will happen over the next two and a half months. Mediation is usually the longest phase of the bankruptcy process. It requires many parties, including the Committee, the Archdiocese, the Archdiocese’s parishes, and the Archdiocese’s insurers, to coordinate and negotiate the terms of a potential settlement for the bankruptcy case. The sessions are focused on the financial terms of a settlement and strengthening the Archdiocese’s child protection measures to ensure that children are safer in the Archdiocese in the future. The rules of mediation require strict confidentiality. While the Committee may not be able to share details of individual sessions, it will continue to update the baltimoresurvivors.com website with publicly-available information.
Claim Objections
Near the end of 2025, the Archdiocese filed objections to some survivors’ claims. In response, the Committee of survivors asked the Court for a standard set of procedures for dealing with the Archdiocese’s objections and the issues they raise. Among other things, the Committee requested that the Court provide survivors with more time to respond to the Archdiocese’s objections.
The Court granted the Committee’s request for procedures and to extend the response deadline. The Court’s order establishing these procedures can be found here. The new deadline for responding to the Archdiocese’s objections is January 31, 2026. If the Archdiocese objected to your claim, you should have received mail, likely from Epiq, telling you about the objection. If you are represented by an attorney you should discuss this with them. If not, and you would like instructions how to respond, just reach out to the Committee’s legal advisors Stinson LLP via baltimoresurvivorteam@stinson.com and they will send them to you.
Survivor Impact Statements
The Court has now held multiple Survivor Impact Statement sessions. These sessions provide survivors with an opportunity to tell the Court and the Archbishop about their difficult experiences and the impact that those experiences have had on their lives. The Committee anticipates requesting more of these sessions because there is continued interest in them. Let us know if you would like to participate in a future session.
Town Hall
The Committee for survivors hosted a Town Hall meeting a few months ago to inform survivor claimants about the current state of the Archdiocese’s bankruptcy case and to answer questions. The Committee intends to host another Town Hall at the end of February (more details to follow soon). The next Town Hall will have a similar format to the last one. Please keep an eye on https://www.baltimoresurvivors.com/ for more details or contact us for help if you wish to participate.
Timeline / What Comes Next
We understand how challenging these cases can be, especially given how long they last. While the attorneys work on the case behind the scenes, it can be hard for survivors to know that things are still happening and that the case is still moving forward. We want to reassure you that your personal lawyers, the Official Committee of Survivors, and the Committee’s legal team are all working to get the best deal they can and to move the case along as quickly as possible. We deeply appreciate your strength and patience. You are never far from our minds.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the legal team for the survivor Committee if you have any questions about the bankruptcy process. You can reach them at baltimoresurvivorteam@stinson.com.
