June 7, 2018 • Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Four new priests u Archbishop Hebda ordains four local men at May 26 Mass. u Profiles of Fathers Aric Aamodt, Colin Jones, Toulee Peter Ly and Matthew Shireman. u Fit Fathers: Woman’s ministry helps priests, seminarians prioritize health. — Pages 1B-8B
Religious freedom U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of baker in same-sex wedding cake case. — Page 7A
Legislative recap Minnesota Catholic Conference highlights session’s efforts, looks ahead to fall elections. — Page 10A
Saving St. Andrew Priest leads charge in asking public charter school to reconsider demolishing former St. Andrew church building in St. Paul’s Como Park. — Page 11A
Redefining fatherhood Columnist Laura Fanucci looks past greeting cards to Catholic tradition to honor fathers this Father’s Day. — Page 14A
Archdiocese reaches joint reorganization plan $210 million for survivors largest settlement of its kind By Maria Wiering The Catholic Spirit
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n announcing a joint plan to resolve the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’ bankruptcy had been reached with a committee representing clergy sexual abuse survivors, Archbishop Bernard Hebda expressed gratitude for the survivors who have come forward. “Without their courage and persistence, today could not be possible,” he said during an afternoon press conference announcing the agreement May 31 at the archdiocese’s central offices in St. Paul. “I’ve been humbled by their willingness to share their stories with me,” he continued. “To those of you who have done so, I thank you for that gift. I recognize that the abuse stole so much from you — your childhood, your innocence, your safety, your ability to trust, and in many cases, your faith. Relationships with family and friends, relationships in your parishes and communities were harmed. Lives were forever changed. The Church let you down, and I’m very sorry.” The joint plan offers $210 million for restitution to claimants, the largest ever reached in a bankruptcy case related to clergy sex abuse. “By means of this consensual plan, the archdiocese and its parishes bring definitive resolution to this matter in a way that avoids further litigation and expense, and that allows the local Church to carry on with its mission of spreading and living the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Hebda said. At an earlier press conference May 31, St. Paul attorney Jeff Anderson, who represented most of the abuse survivors, also announced the settlement, calling it “a story of trauma to triumph.” “This is some affirmation, as well as accountability,” he said of the plan while standing with several sexual abuse survivors, their advocates and other attorneys, many of whom wiped away tears throughout the press conference. “This all represents hope, help, healing and ... courage in the pursuit of truth.” Speaking at Anderson’s press conference, Jamie Heutmaker, a survivor who is part of the Unsecured Creditors Committee, which represents survivors in the bankruptcy process, expressed his gratitude for people who have supported him in the nearly five decades since he was abused. “Today is a great day for us and all survivors,” he said. “There’s still work to be done, but we’ve obviously done some really good work here, which I’m really proud of.” The consensual plan includes more than $50 million in increased funding from the archdiocese’s previous plan of reorganization, which offered $156 million for restitution. The additional funds came from insurers, archdiocesan funds and parish contributions. The approximately
PHOTOS BY DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT
ABOVE Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaks during a press conference May 31. Looking on, from left, is Tom Abood, Reorganization Task Force chairman; and Tim O’Malley and Janell Rasmussen of the archdiocese’s Office of Ministerial Standards and Safe Environment. LEFT Survivor Jamie Heutmaker, right, speaks May 31 alongside attorney Jeff Anderson, who represented many survivor claimants in the archdiocese’s bankruptcy, at Anderson’s St. Paul offices. “Today is a great day for us and all survivors,” Heutmaker said. $170 million contribution from insurers is the largest contribution from insurance carriers in the history of diocesan abuse settlements, according to Anderson. Pending court approval, the plan’s $210,290,724 settlement, minus administrative expenses including unpaid attorneys’ fees, will be administered for survivor restitution through an independent trustee. As part of the plan, parishes will receive a channeling injunction that ends all litigation against them arising from this matter. The funds will be available for distribution upon its approval by Judge Robert Kressel, who is overseeing the archdiocese’s bankruptcy proceedings. Archdiocesan leaders hope the bankruptcy can be completely resolved within a matter of months.
Lengthy process The consensual plan was the result of years of mediation between the archdiocese, insurers, parishes and representatives of survivors. The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in January 2015 amid mounting claims of clergy sexual abuse going back decades against priests and others associated with the Church in the archdiocese. Archdiocesan leaders said reorganization would ensure abuse survivors would be
equitably compensated while the archdiocese continued its mission. Mediation began immediately. In May 2016, the archdiocese filed a plan of reorganization, initially offering $65 million for abuse survivor remuneration. Over the following months, that amount increased to $156 million, primarily through additional insurance company settlements. As part of its bankruptcy, the archdiocese sold its three chancery buildings on Cathedral Hill in St. Paul, as well as a fourth property it owned near Northfield. It later moved its offices to a rental property in St. Paul’s Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood. In August 2016, the Unsecured Creditors’ Committee filed a separate plan for the archdiocese’s reorganization, asserting that the assets of 187 parishes in the archdiocese’s boundaries, three Catholic high schools and the Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota should be merged with the archdiocese’s assets in a plan for reorganization. Kressel later ruled that the other organizations’ assets did not legally require consolidation. The UCC appealed the ruling twice, but it was upheld by the U.S. District Court in December 2016 and the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in April 2018. PLEASE TURN TO REORGANIZATION ON PAGE 5A