The Diocese of Fresno, California’s projected date to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy has been delayed until further notice, the Diocese recently told a local news outlet.
CatholicVote reported in May that the Diocese planned to file for bankruptcy in August 2024 in the wake of more than 150 allegations of clergy sex abuse. According to an open letter from Bishop Joseph V. Brennan, the Diocese was anticipating a “court-supervised reorganization” that would “[ensure] all victims are compensated fairly and funds are not depleted by the first few cases addressed.”
>>READ: Diocese of Fresno’s potential insolvency will not affect parishes, diocesan spokesman says<<
However, the Visalia Times-Delta reported Jan. 23 that the Diocese never filed for bankruptcy, and no filing date has yet been announced. According to the outlet, Chandler Marquez, the Diocese’s director of communications, said the Diocese told parishes in August that they were going to “delay the process” of the bankruptcy filing.
“We wanted to make sure that we were taking the time and the steps to make sure we could achieve those goals, and better prepare for the filing of the petition for Chapter 11 bankruptcy,” Marquez said, according to the Visalia Times-Delta. “So, that’s what the delay is due to.”
Marquez added that there is no “timetable” yet and that the Diocese is “simply just making sure that everything is organized very thoroughly for the filing.”