New York archdiocese reaches $800M clergy-abuse claims deal, pending sign-offs

Every claimant must sign off before the parties sign the settlement

The Archdiocese of New York and attorneys for about 1,300 parishioners who said they were sexually abused by clergy have reached an $800 million agreement over their legal claims. Attorneys for the survivors of alleged abuse announced the deal before Archbishop Ronald Hicks emailed clergy on Saturday to confirm it.

Required signatures remain part of the agreement. Hicks said it will not be final until the parties sign it, an action scheduled for the week of Nov. 6. In May, the parties agreed to a framework requiring everyone who filed a claim to sign off.

If completed, the agreement would end more than seven years of lawsuits against the archdiocese. A New York law enacted in 2019 allows survivors of child sexual abuse to file lawsuits against their abusers and the institutions that shielded them until they turn 55. People who had already turned 55 when the law was enacted also received until August 2021 to file lawsuits, regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred.

The only larger U.S. settlement over sexual abuse claims was the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ 2024 agreement to pay $880 million to 1,000 abuse victims, in addition to $740 million in claims the archdiocese had paid previously.

Other recent archdiocese settlements have been smaller. In June, the Archdiocese of San Francisco agreed to a $395 million settlement over about 500 lawsuits filed over clergy abuse. In December 2025, a federal judge approved a settlement in which the Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay at least $230 million to abuse victims.

Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing people who filed more than 1,000 of the claims against the Catholic Church in New York state, said in a statement, “The unanimous agreement of survivors who filed claims against the Archdiocese of New York marks a powerful moment in the pursuit of justice.” He added, “Through their courage, sacrifice, and determination, survivors have helped bring about a reckoning and a meaningful step toward accountability.”

Trusha Goffe, an attorney in Anderson’s firm, said, “This is an extraordinary achievement for the survivors.” She said the survivors remained resolute through years of litigation to reach the settlement.

In his email to clergy, Hicks said that if church members asked about the settlement, “please let them know that much progress has been made.” He wrote, “We are on the verge of being able to, please God, bring some measure of healing and reconciliation to all victim-survivors,” adding, “This agreement will also allow the archdiocese to turn its full attention once again to its mission of preaching the Gospel, healing the sick, caring for the poor and needy, welcoming the stranger, and educating our children.”

The Archdiocese of New York covers the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island, as well as seven counties north of New York City. It is home to about 300 churches, more than 150 parochial schools and 2.5 million Catholics.

Until the parties sign the agreement during the week of Nov. 6, Hicks said, the settlement is not final.