The Franciscan Friars of California and its affiliated ministries, which includes Old Mission Santa Barbara, agreed this week to pay a $20 million settlement to 94 survivors of sexual abuse. The eight-figure agreement comes two years after the religious order filed for bankruptcy and amid ongoing litigation that could result in many more millions for the victims.
“This was an important piece of the puzzle,” said Santa Barbara attorney Tim Hale, who represents nine of the local survivors in their ongoing cases. “It was a really positive step in the right direction. But it ain’t over.” The Franciscans did not respond to questions by press time.
An estimated half of the 94 victims had some connection to Santa Barbara, either through the mission or the now-closed St. Anthony’s Seminary and its boys’ choir. The incidents of abuse date all the way back to the 1940s, with the most recent taking place in the late 1990s…