Newman Centers, Retirement Homes and Headquarters: A Bankrupt Diocese Lists 22 Properties

• The bankrupt Diocese of Buffalo listed 22 properties that could be sold
• They include its Catholic Center headquarters and three college Newman Centers
• The diocese faces nearly 900 child sexual abuse claims
• It has said it needs at least $100 million to settle

The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has identified 22 properties that could be put up for sale as it works through bankruptcy, WKBW reported on 28 February 2024. The list includes the diocese’s headquarters, the Catholic Center, as well as three college Newman Centers and retirement homes for priests.

The diocese is facing nearly 900 claims of child sexual abuse and has said it will need at least $100 million to settle the lawsuits. It has retained Hanna Commercial Real Estate as its broker. The former Christ the King seminary had already been listed in November for $5.3 million. St Andrew’s Church, St Andrew’s Day School and All Saints Parish were also expected to come to market, though they were not on the initial list.

WKBW later added a note that the 22 properties were listed for the purposes of the bankruptcy court and that the diocese may not sell every one; some, including properties owned by Our Lady of Victory organisations, had no current plans for sale.

Bishop Michael Fisher framed the process as painful but necessary. “These moments of reorientation can result in changes that are painful in the short term, but are meant to help us bear fruit in the long term,” he said.

Buffalo’s list shows how property becomes the main source of money when a church faces large legal claims: buildings acquired over generations, including homes for retired clergy and ministries to students, are turned into cash for settlements. For Jamaican churches and diaspora congregations, the lesson is about risk as well as stewardship. Insurance, sound safeguarding and good governance protect people first, and they also protect the property that members have built up over decades. Churches should know exactly which assets they own, how they are titled and what could be exposed if the worst happens.

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