EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) —  A federal bankruptcy judge has established an absolute deadline of Sept. 11 for survivors of alleged clergy abuse to file claims for compensation against the Catholic Diocese of El Paso.

The ruling, finalized during a bankruptcy hearing this past Tuesday, marks a critical milestone in the church’s Chapter 11 reorganization. The Diocese filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after facing dozens of lawsuits alleging clergy abuse in parishes across southern New Mexico between the 1950s and 1980s.

Judge sets deadline for El Paso Diocese abuse claims, rejects insurers’ push for extra paperwork

For survivors seeking justice and financial restitution, the timeline is now strictly defined.

“It’s set in stone now,” said Levi Monagle, an attorney representing abused survivors. “The clock is ticking in a meaningful way now. And the window for survivors to bring their claims and tell their stories is closed.”

What Happens Next

Monagle said that from now until September, the bankruptcy process shifts its focus heavily toward paperwork and claim processing. Anyone asserting that the church owes them money —especially abuse survivors — must submit their official proof of claim by the Sept. 11 deadline, or risk losing their right to compensation entirely.

Monagle said this deadline will finally reveal the full scope of the allegations and exactly how many claims the parties are dealing with. Once the deadline passes, legal teams for both the survivors and the church will sift through the filings to determine which claims are valid.

Those deliberations will ultimately guide how much total compensation the church will owe and help establish a formal payment plan that the survivors must vote to approve.

“The most important thing that happens between now and September is the claims come in and are reviewed,” Monagle said. “The committee, the Diocese, and the parties to the bankruptcy start to get a sense of how many survivor claims we are dealing with. Who are the priests involved? How many of them are serial offenders? Which parishes were they at? What did the dioceses know? When did it know it?”

Privacy Protections for Survivors

Recognizing the highly sensitive nature of these claims, the court has implemented a strict “Confidentiality Protocol Order.”

This ensures that survivors who have never come forward, or who fear public exposure, can file their claims under a pseudonym or unique identification number. Their true identities, medical history, and detailed accounts of the abuse will be filed securely and restricted from public view.

While Monagle noted that he generally prefers survivors get their day in court to tell their stories publicly on their own terms, he emphasized that the ultimate goal of seeking justice for victims remains unchanged by the bankruptcy process.

“This body that represents the interests of all survivors, is for transparency and accountability. The receipt of information about what the Diocese knew and when, and just compensation for victims for what they’ve lost. So the goals don’t change in the bankruptcy,” Monagle said

The Church’s Response

Through recent statements and court filings, the Diocese of El Paso has expressed a commitment to uncovering the truth and assisting claimants through the Chapter 11 process.

Bishop Mark Seitz has previously stated that entering bankruptcy was the only viable way for the church to equitably respond to the growing number of abuse claims while simultaneously navigating significant financial shortfalls.

In Seitz’s statement to the bankruptcy court when filing for bankruptcy, he noted the Diocese has been operating under a growing deficit that grew to over a million dollars in 2025.

“In the past few years, the Diocese’s operating expenses have often exceeded its gross revenue. Preliminary figures for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, reflect revenue of approximately $14,962,522, and expenses of approximately $15,364,240, for a net loss of approximately $1,642,716 in FY 2023-2024. Finally, the Diocese had net losses of approximately $386,621 in FY 2022-2023,” the statement read.

Following the judge setting the claims deadline on Tuesday, the Diocese offered KTSM the following statement:

“Since 1993, the Diocese of El Paso has worked very hard to implement a victim’s assistance program that offers support to all victims that come forward with a claim. As a result of the June 2002 Charter for the Protection of Young People, safe-environment policies and protocols were put in place in the Diocese of El Paso that amongst other things trains all clergy, employees, and volunteers on best practices for the protection and safety of minors and vulnerable adults, as defined by canon law.  As a result, in every audit that has been conducted in the last 20 years, the Diocese of El Paso has met or exceeded expectations.  Bishop Seitz has worked diligently with diocesan staff and counseling professionals to ensure that these protocols are implemented diligently.

As to the Diocese of El Paso, there have been historic claims for alleged sexual abuse of minors that occurred in the period of 1950-1980s.  This resulted in many lawsuits filed against the Diocese of El Paso in New Mexico, which until 1982 was in the geographical jurisdiction of the Diocese Of El Paso. The number of claims and the amounts being sought exceeded the Diocese of El Paso’s financial means. As a result, on April 6, 2026, at the authorization of Bishop Seitz, the Diocese of El Paso filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In a Chapter 11 filing, the bankruptcy court supervises the process in which available funds are distributed according to an approved reorganization plan.  This will allow for the orderly administration of claims against the Diocese of El Paso, including all putative sex abuse claims.  The bankruptcy process will provide an equitable and final adjudication of all claims against that Diocese of El Paso that are based on acts or omissions of the Diocese of El Paso, or its clergy, employees or agents, that occurred prior to the filing of the bankruptcy.

To assist unsecured creditors, the bankruptcy court has established an “Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors’ Committee” which will represent the interests of the unsecured creditors, which includes the putative abuse survivors.  The Unsecured Creditors Committee has dedicated bankruptcy counsel assisting it in the bankruptcy process.

Also, the bankruptcy court has ordered that all non-governmental entity creditors, including putative abuse survivors, must submit a proof of claim and such claim must be received by the bankruptcy noticing agent, Stretto, by Sept. 11 (the “Proof of Claim Bar Date”).  The procedures for submitting a  proof of claim by the Proof of Claim Bar Date are contained in the “Order Establishing Deadline for Filing Proofs of Claim And Manner of Notice” [Dkt. 159].  A copy of this can be found on Stretto’s website at http://case.stretto.com/dioceseofelpaso.

Seitz said he wishes to communicate to all persons that the Diocese of El Paso has turned its tragic past into a continued commitment to keep its policies and protocols in place and that they have proved very successful since their implementation in 1993, in preventing abuses from ever happening again in any ministry of the Diocese of El Paso. Sietz also prays that the Diocese of El Paso has the opportunity to make amends for its past acts and omissions and that it remains for most, and become again for those separated from the church because of past harm, a place where survivors can find welcome and healing.

Seitz also wants to express to all persons in the Diocese of El Paso and those persons in New Mexico his sorrow and deep regret for the past harm done to children by clergy practicing ministry in the Diocese of El Paso. Finally, he promises that he and the Diocese of El Paso will continue their work to ensure that everyone can walk together towards “the loving presence of our redeemer Jesus Christ who through His Gospel message, calls on all of us to be a light to the world.”

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