My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today marks a solemn and significant moment in the history of the Diocese of Norwich. After nearly four years of prayer, perseverance, and painstaking effort, the United States Bankruptcy Court in Hartford has approved the Diocese’s Joint Plan of Reorganization, bringing our chapter 11 case to a formal close.

It has been a long and painful road, especially for the survivors of sexual abuse. To each of you, I offer my deepest and most heartfelt apology. You were betrayed by those you and your families trusted and found harm; that should never have happened. This Joint Plan creates a settlement fund of approximately $31 million. It is a sincere effort to provide just compensation and begin the long, difficult path toward healing and restoration. While no sum can erase the past, I pray this will bring some measure of peace and support. I am profoundly grateful to the survivors who came forward. That alone took great courage. I also thank the Court, all parties, and their counsel — including Ice Miller and Robinson & Cole— who represented the Diocese, for their diligence in bringing about this global resolution. It allows us now to focus fully on the mission ahead.

To our faithful parishioners, clergy, religious, school families, and friends: thank you for standing by us through this painful and complex process. Your prayers, your steadiness, your witness to the Gospel have been a source of strength. Together, we now move forward, never forgetting the past, but resolved to work together with renewed hope to minister with fidelity to the Gospel and attentiveness to the needs of the community. This Joint Plan allows the Diocese—its parishes, schools, and ministries—to continue their essential mission of teaching the faithful, serving the poor, and ministering to souls across Eastern Connecticut. May God grant healing to all who have suffered. And may the Holy Spirit guide us, now and always, as we go forward united in faith, hope, and love.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Richard F. Reidy
Bishop of Norwich