Information on the Diocese filing for Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code
- The Roman Catholic Bishop of Oakland announced May 8, 2023, that it has filed for Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code to manage legal expenses and facilitate settlements with abuse survivors.
- Our diocese is set up as a corporate sole, which means all parishes are under the corporate umbrella of the Diocese. While all the parishes in the Diocese are included in the filing, it is important to understand our daily operations, the celebration of sacraments and other aspects of regular parish life will be unaffected by the action taken.
- The Diocese will continue to administer health and welfare benefits, along with various retiree programs, without interruption. The funds for these programs are held in trusts and can only be used for their specified purpose.
- Programs and ministries of the diocese, such as marriage preparation, Hispanic ministry, CYO sports and others will continue uninterrupted.
- Monies given by parishioners will continue to be used as operating funds for our parish. Our parish relies on our parishioners’ donations to continue our work and ministries both within our parish and our community.
- The Bishop’s Ministries Appeal donations are solicited to fund designated projects and programs and are held in restricted accounts designated for certain purposes only.
- The Catholic schools, while affiliated with the Diocese, are incorporated as part of separate legal entities, and therefore are not included in the bankruptcy filing.
- All schools continue to provide education based on our Catholic faith and tradition. The Chapter 11 filing, and the related legal proceedings, will not have a direct impact on the day-to-day operations of our schools.
- The employment, salaries, and benefits of RCBO employees will not be impacted by this filing.
- Tuition, philanthropic support, parish support of schools will, as always, be fully dedicated to funding the operations of the schools and is not impacted by the Chapter 11 filing.
- The bankruptcy process should bring closure to the Diocese and all parishes from any and all abuse claims. We are still quantifying the lawsuits filed against the Diocese under the recent California Assembly Bill 218, which allowed decades-old claims that were otherwise time barred and expired. As we move through the settlement process, additional information will be available.
- We are taking responsibility for the damage done so that we can all move beyond this moment and provide survivors with some measure of peace and compassion.
For more information, visit www.oakdiocese.org. RCBO has also set up a toll-free information line for inquiries at 888-733-1425 (U.S./Canada) or 310-751-2631 (International). For access to certain court documents and other information about our Chapter 11 case, please visit https://www.kccllc.net/RCBO.