Parishes in the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, are “not separate legal entities” from the diocese itself and may be included in bankruptcy proceedings related to Church abuse cases, a federal court ruled this week. The Burlington Diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2024 amid large numbers of abuse lawsuits. Including parishes directly in legal proceedings is relatively rare in diocesan bankruptcy cases. In most instances, dioceses pursue global settlements with abuse victims without directly involving parish assets. Yet parishes will often be required to contribute to diocesan abuse settlements internally.