Many questions were posed during the recent March 3, 2026 Town Hall meeting hosted by the Official Committee of Survivors.  The following are those that the Committee and its legal counsel Stinson LLP wanted to make sure received a response.  To view the complete Town Hall and see other important questions answered please click this link.

Are there signs of closure this year?

Yes. But in fairness, there are also signs that it could take longer. The reality of church bankruptcy cases is that they are extremely complicated and that many parties other than Survivors can directly influence how long it takes to find a solution. We could have had a deal done very quickly, but it would have been a very unfair deal for Survivors from the Committee’s perspective. The Committee agrees that this is taking too long, but we have learned to focus on what we can control. Our hope is to deliver a fair resolution for Survivors as soon as we possibly can and we work every day to find the best ways to do that.

How often is mediation happening and how many sessions have there been?

The Survivor Committee has been mediating frequently with the Archdiocese and its insurers and those negotiations will continue. So far, dozens of sessions have occurred in the case. This is not unusual in bankruptcies filed by the Catholic Church.

What is the status of claim objections? Would we know if our claim has been objected to?

If you are represented by an attorney then they would have been contacted. If you have any questions you should reach out to your attorney. If you are not represented then correspondence would have been sent to the contact information contained in your claim.

Why do settlements between the Church and survivors in other places not resolve things for Survivors in Maryland?

While the Catholic Church has had bankruptcies in other States, each bankruptcy is separate and one does not have any legal impact on another.

How can we get documents filed in the bankruptcy and learn when the bankruptcy court schedules status conferences?

All documents and appearances in this case can be found at this link: Roman Catholic Archbishop of Baltimore Bankruptcy Adversary Proceedings Case: 23-16969 | Epiq  You can also sign-up for “Docket Alerts” to be notified when there are additions.

Have Survivor claims already been reviewed for purposes of payment?

They have not. It is very unlikely that Survivor claims will be reviewed for this purpose until a final settlement is reached. Survivor claimants will receive details about the process once they have been developed and Survivors will have a chance to voice any concerns they may have with the Court. This is something that Survivors should work with their personal attorneys to address.

What if a survivor did not include all details in filing his/her claim and now wants to do that?

Survivor claimants may update their “Claim supplement” to add additional information to their claim and they may also amend their claim altogether. The Committee cannot provide guidance on specifics, but please discuss this with your attorney if you are represented, or e-mail baltimoresurvivorteam@stinson.com if you need a link to relevant forms or examples.

Has the Archdiocese resolved its claims against its insurance companies? In other words is the amount of available Church insurance money no longer disputed?

At this point, there are not yet settlements with insurance carriers, so the amount of insurance money available to pay Survivor claims remains subject to negotiation. The Survivor Committee will continue to pursue fair insurance settlements.

Who ultimately makes the Archdiocese pay claims?

The Archdiocese chose to file for bankruptcy and, because it did, it is now required to pay the claims of Survivors fairly and equitably. The bankruptcy Judge oversees the process and makes sure the requirements of federal bankruptcy law are satisfied. The Survivor Committee is also monitoring the case closely at every turn to make sure things are being done fairly from the point of view of Survivors.

Does the Survivor Committee represent everyone?

The Survivor Committee advocates for the interests of Survivor claimants as a group, but most Survivors also have a lawyer to advocate for them personally. The Committee does not advocate for individual Survivors. The Committee’s main focus is to achieve a settlement with the Archdiocese and its insurers that it believes is fair and equitable. If the Committee is able to do that, Survivors will then have a chance to decide for themselves if they approve of the settlement. 

Will the Committee or the bankruptcy court make the Archdiocese release confidential, abusive priest files as part of the bankruptcy?

This issue is a very important one, but the outcome is uncertain. Any proposal about this will become part of a settlement plan that Survivors will have a chance to analyze and voice their opinion on.

The following link will allow you to view the March 3 Town Hall hosted by the Official Committee of Survivors.  Thank you to all who attended online.  Many questions were asked and we will be posting them, with answers, soon.  Please note that the link below will also require the passcode listed to view the video.  As well, you may toggle the captions on and off at the bottom of the screen.

https://stinsonllp.zoom.us/rec/share/j3uPx5Zs-x8EAVfWByMbjG95IdN91RHxUhg6jrUshOXBclB0CB5D9GMsKdNwwWo.MwRjLJb_srhLJBq1?startTime=1772582343000

Passcode: I3$^2dM1

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.