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Minnesota Diocese Agrees to $30 Million Settlement Over Abuse Claims
Confirmed
In Short: The Winona-Rochester Diocese has agreed to a $30 million settlement for abuse claims, with contributions from two diocesan insurers but no payout from U.S. Fire.
The Winona-Rochester Diocese has agreed to a $30 million settlement for abuse claims, with contributions from two diocesan insurers but no payout from U.S. Fire, according to reports.
The settlement, announced on September 3 by the law firm Jeff Anderson & Associates, will apply to more than 145 survivors, the firm said.
Attorney Jeff Anderson described the settlement as 'a triumphant turn toward justice,' noting that insurers have at times argued they should not be liable for abuse settlements.
In 2025, an advocacy group called the Coalition for Just and Compassionate Compensation launched an ad campaign urging New York's Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul to force insurance companies to pay millions in abuse claims.
Father Thompson, a spokesperson for the diocese, said the diocese remains committed to its reorganization plan, which has been incorporated into its safe environment program.
Reilly, a professor emerita of Penn State Dickinson Law, clarified that the settlement is specifically between the diocese’s bankruptcy settlement trust and U.S. Fire, with the trust taking over the diocese’s rights and responsibilities under the insurance policies.
What's confirmed
- The Minnesota diocese paid out another multimillion-dollar settlement several years ago.
- The Winona-Rochester Diocese did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
What's still developing
- “All are invited to pray for the healing of those impacted by sexual abuse and to work toward that healing to the best of their ability,” he said.
- Instead, that liability was “‘channeled’ to the settlement trust” in exchange for the cash and assets — including the right to coverage under the U.S. Fire Insurance policies — that the diocese contributed to the settlement trust, said Reilly.