In front of SF Archbishop, church abuse survivors get first chance to share stories in bankruptcy case

For the first time in the San Francisco Archdiocese’s year-long bankruptcy proceedings, the court heard directly from a small group of survivors who were allegedly abused as children by Catholic clergy or while in the church’s care. 

For about two hours, standing just feet away from San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, the visibly shaken speakers recounted being sexually molested or raped by Catholic priests or other employees of the church. In many cases, it was the first time they’d publicly shared their stories.

“I’m 80 years old,” one survivor said as he addressed U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Dennis Montali. “I’m a retired fire chief, a former high school teacher, and I’ve been silent for over 60 years. Partially because I was ashamed, partially because I was embarrassed.”

Others took an opportunity to speak directly to the archdiocese and its leader.

One speaker reminded Archbishop Cordileone that the San Francisco Archdiocese was the only Catholic diocese in California that hasn’t voluntarily released a list of suspected child abusers within its ranks, adding that the decision to file for bankruptcy robbed survivors who filed lawsuits of their day in court. 

“It’s my understanding that not one case against the archdiocese has been tried in front of a jury,” one speaker said. “Not one church official has been put on the stand.”

The hearing was held in response to a July request from the creditors committee in the archdiocese’s bankruptcy case, which asked the court to give survivors a chance to directly participate in the ongoing proceedings.

“Only if survivors are engaged and trust the bankruptcy process will the archdiocese be able to gain the survivor support needed for a successful reorganization,” the creditors’ attorneys argued. 

The Archdiocese of San Francisco joined a handful of other Catholic dioceses across California that have filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in response to a flood of recent sexual abuse lawsuits hitting the church. The lawsuits were enabled by a 2019 state law that opened a three-year window for survivors to sue their alleged abusers in civil court, no matter how far back their accusations go. 

The Archdiocese of San Francisco is currently facing more than 500 claims in state court, which are now on hold as the Bankruptcy case plays out.

“There hasn’t been a day in my life when the vile, disgusting, painful things that happened don’t haunt me,” said another survivor, who told the court he delved into drugs and alcohol after being repeatedly sexually assaulted over a period of years by a coach and janitor at his San Francisco Catholic school. “What happened to me changed who I was. From the lively, active, little boy with good grades, to a withdrawn one with a broken spirit.”

The purpose of the hearing, according to Judge Montali, was simply for the court to hear directly from survivors. Montali said he would be making no actual decisions in response to the statements. 

“This can’t be easy for any of you,” Montali said, addressing the eight people who spoke at the hearing. “This is not supposed to be a hostile forum.”

The speakers also pleaded for a speedy resolution to the court process, saying that survivors are dying or giving up hope since filing lawsuits between 2020 and 2022. 

One speaker named Jan, who requested her last name remain private, said she filed a lawsuit on behalf of her brother Rob, an alleged victim of deceased San Jose priest Joseph Pritchard, after he took his own life in 2022 while exploring legal action against the church. 

“I was finally able to give him a voice today,” Jan told NBC Bay Area after the hearing. “Families are aging out. Survivors are finding it more and more difficult to face each and every day. Depression is rampant among survivors. 

Inside the courtroom, Jan told Judge Montali her surviving brother was molested by the same priest who abused her brother Rob.

“[He] could not be here today as he still deals with the embarrassment and the trauma,” Jan said. “We call on you, your honor, to recognize that every day is a painful one.”

While Archbishop Cordileone was present during the hearing, the court only heard from survivors, and in Jan’s case, a family member. 

NBC Bay Area attempted to speak with the archbishop following the hearing, but he declined through a spokesperson to be interviewed. The spokesperson, however, promised the archbishop would give a statement Friday, after the court hears from a second round of survivors. 

In an open letter last year announcing the archdiocese was considering bankruptcy, Cordileone said he was “deeply saddened” by the abuse of children, adding that “the vast majority of alleged abuse occurred” decades ago.

Following the hearing, plaintiff’s attorney Rick Simons said he’s not expecting to hear anything new from the archdiocese.

“Nothing’s had an impact on the church,” Simons said. “They are in bankruptcy because they are trying to hide and protect their assets the same way they spent all those decades hiding and protecting child molester priests.”

NBC Bay Area’s Investigative Unit has been following the new wave of sex abuse lawsuits hitting the church for the past five years. Click here to see more of our coverage, including the half-hour news documentary “Reckoning.”