Hope for healing

May 21, 2025 

To the Clergy, Religious, and Laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans: 

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, 

It is with great hope that I write to share with you that the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors have reached a Memorandum of Understanding to settle our bankruptcy that protects our parishes and begins to bring the proceedings to a close. I am grateful to God for all who have worked to reach this agreement and that we may look to the future towards a path to healing for survivors and for our local church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. 

I met with pastors of our area parishes this week to share this news with them and to give them more information. We will continue to share updates as they are available, for there remains much work to be done as we look ahead to confirming our plan in Federal Bankruptcy Court. 

To the survivors of abuse, please know that as a Church we hold you in our prayers and that I pray for you daily in a spirit of humility. I look forward with great humility to meeting with you and hearing your painful stories. Please know that because of your courage in coming forward and your steadfast commitment to preventing the horrors of child sexual abuse, we are a better and stronger Church. 

In closing, I want to thank you all, our faithful priests, deacons, religious and lay women and men of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, for your prayers and for your commitment to growing in faith and participation in the life of the Church. I am grateful to you for your perseverance and growth in faith and trust in Christ and ask that you continue to hold all of this in prayer as we move forward. 

Please be assured that with hope and a thankful heart I will be praying for you, for the survivors, and for our local Catholic Church. God is faithful. 

Wishing you God’s blessings, I am, 

Faithfully in Christ,  

Most Reverend Gregory M. Aymond 

Archbishop of New Orleans