Payouts Approved in Clergy Abuse Settlement

Five adults who alleged sexual abuse by clergy at St. John the Evangelist in Beacon and Graymoor in Garrison are among over 1,000 individuals who have approved a $800 million settlement with the Archdiocese of New York. The agreement, which is expected to be finalized next month, concludes seven years of litigation by plaintiffs who were granted one year to file previously time-barred claims under the state’s Child Victims Act, enacted in 2019.

The settlement framework, announced in May, mandates an initial payment of $615 million, followed by an additional $185 million within 15 months. Plaintiffs may accept a lump sum of at least $250,000 or seek a larger payout based on the severity of their alleged abuse. One plaintiff, identified as ARK187 Doe in court documents, alleged abuse by Father Robert Carden in 1958 when he was 15 years old. Carden, who died in 2008 and is listed as “credibly accused” by the Archdiocese, served at St. John the Evangelist from 1957 to 1961.

In a second Beacon case, a 42-year-old man who attended St. John School from first to third grade alleged abuse by Rev. Ronald Fennell in 1987. Fennell, who served as an assistant priest at the church from September 1987 to August 1989, is not on the Archdiocese’s list of accused clergy. According to court documents, Fennell allegedly approached the boy in a hallway, claimed the school nurse was unavailable, and then took him into a small room where he touched his genitals and instructed him to cough. The school closed in 2001.

Two other former priests at St. Joachim and St. John have been accused of abusing minors at other churches. Monsignor Herman Heide, who worked at Our Lady of Loretto from 1970 to 1988, is also on the Archdiocese’s list of “credibly accused” clergy. Bishop-Accountability.org reports that the church settled allegations Heide abused an altar boy and student at St. Joseph’s Church in New York City.

Archbishop Ronald Hicks stated the agreement brings “a measure of healing and reconciliation” to victim-survivors, allowing the Archdiocese to refocus on its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating children.

Source: Read the original report