Statement of Bishop Michael W. Fisher on Scheduled Witness Impact Statements as part of the Diocese of Buffalo’s Settlement with the Creditors Committee

Buffalo, NY) — Beginning today at 10:00 a.m. (EST), victim survivors will provide Witness Impact Statements ("Nontestimonial Statements") during a hearing of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of New York, at the Robert H. Jackson U.S. Courthouse, 2 Niagara Square, Buffalo, New York.  Additional sessions will take place at the same time and place on January 28, February 25, and February 26, 2026.  Bishop Michael W. Fisher will not be engaging in interviews or making further statements until the conclusion of these Witness Impact Statements.  He offers the following statement at the start of these sessions:

“This is a long-awaited moment for those who have endured the devastating trauma of sexual abuse to speak and be heard. I will be listening intently with an empathetic heart and mind to these deeply personal accounts.  It’s my hope that this opportunity provides victim-survivors a sense of justice, however painful it is for them to recount their experiences.  We remain committed to doing everything we can to support their healing.”

   —Bishop Michael W. Fisher