Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the state of Washington in the United States. It is led by a prelate bishop which serves as pastor to the motherchurch in the Spokane Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes.
Canonically erected on December 17, 1913, the territories of the diocese were taken from the former Diocese of Seattle.
Approximately 90,000 Catholics in Washington state are served by the Diocese.<ref name=”bbc”>US Church offers abuse settlement, 2007-1-5, BBC News, Retrieved 2007-6-30</ref> There are 82 parishes in the diocese. <ref> http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695216117,00.html </ref>
The current bishop of the Diocese of Spokane is William S. Skylstad. Bishop Skylstad was elected to a three-year term as president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on 15 November 2004.
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Sex abuse settlement and bankruptcy
Under Bishop Skylstad the diocese declared bankruptcy to protect it from claims of people molested by priests.
The Diocese of Spokane as part of its bankruptcy has agreed to pay at least US$48 million as compensation to people abused by priests. This payout has to be agreed with by the victims and a Judge before it will be made.<ref name=”bbc”/>
According to Federal Bankruptcy Judge Gregg W. Zive, money for the settlement would come from insurance companies, the sale of church property, contributions from Catholic groups and from the diocese’s parishes.<ref name=”bbc”/>
High schools
- Desales Catholic High School, Walla Walla
- Gonzaga Preparatory School, Spokane
- Tri-Cities Prep, Pasco
Colleges
- Gonzaga University, Spokane
- Bishop White Semminary, Spokane
See also
- Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
- Cases of child sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church
External links
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Spokane
- Catholic Hierarchy Profile of the Diocese of Spokane
References
- Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy - Bureau du Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy Canada/Bureau du surintendant des Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy - Bureau du surintendant des
- United States Bankruptcy Court - Western District of Tennessee :: TNWB Provides administrative court information as well as access to local rules.
- Insolvency and Trustee Service - FAQ - Bankruptcy Overview Bankruptcy is a way of dealing with debts you cannot pay. Becoming bankrupt is a very difficult decision and it should only be viewed as a last resort.