The Diocese of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota says it has reached a $21.5 million settlement with 145 individuals who were sexually abused by its clergy members, ABC News reported. It is the last Catholic diocese in the state to settle its abuse claims, filed in response to a 2013 law that temporarily extended the statute of limitations on abuse cases. The diocese was one of five in Minnesota that had filed for chapter 11 protection in response to abuse claims against its priests. The settlement, announced on Wednesday, allows the diocese to submit a financial reorganization plan to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for final approval. The dioceses of St. Cloud, New Ulm and Duluth and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis have emerged from bankruptcy.
