Hartford Insurance Group has agreed to contribute $100 mn toward compensation for survivors of sexual abuse linked to the Archdiocese of Baltimore, adding fresh movement to the church’s bankruptcy case.
Lawyers for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, which represents survivors, filed the proposal Friday in US Bankruptcy Court in Maryland. The settlement depends on court approval of a broader plan.
Paul Jan Zdunek, chair of the survivors’ committee, called the agreement a meaningful step toward accountability and resolution.
He said the case now has real momentum and urged the archbishop to engage in good-faith negotiations, commit to what he described as a fair and full contribution from the church, and back the committee’s plan to bring the bankruptcy to a close.
Jonathan Schochor, a Baltimore lawyer representing survivors, also described the Hartford deal as a major step. He said the next move now rests with the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2023, right before a new Maryland law took effect. That law removed the statute of limitations for survivors filing abuse claims and made it easier to bring cases against institutions.
Since then, nearly 1,000 people have filed claims in the bankruptcy, according to court records.
Christian Kendzierski, a spokesperson for the archdiocese, said the church remains committed to the process and is working with the survivors’ committee and other parties to reach an agreed resolution in the reorganization proceedings.
Hartford did not comment in detail. Spokesperson Matthew Sturdevant said the insurer does not discuss active cases beyond what appears in court filings.
The bankruptcy case also took another turn this week. US Bankruptcy Judge Michelle M. Harner granted a preliminary injunction blocking the archdiocese from taking further steps to carry out its Seek the City to Come parish consolidation initiative without court approval.
Harner scheduled a hearing for April 15 to hear evidence and get a clearer view of each side’s position.
Even so, she allowed the archdiocese and its affiliates to proceed with transactions involving Shrine of the Little Flower in Northeast Baltimore, St. Thomas Aquinas in Hampden, and Church of the Annunciation near Rosedale, as long as any sale proceeds are held in escrow.
