The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gallup, N.M., which stretches across 55,000 square miles of northern Arizona and New Mexico, is seeking to sell 55 parcels of mostly vacant desert land to help fund a settlement with about 60 alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse, the Wall Street Journal reported today. The diocese in a court filing last week asked Bankruptcy Judge David Thuma for permission to hire two real-estate brokers and to move forward with an auction process for the properties. The auction will be held 50 to 60 days after the judge signs off on the request, according to court papers.
