Angela Nguyen

Downtown and Central Bakersfield Neighborhood Reporter

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield residents are reacting strongly to concerns that large donations raised by parishioners are at risk of being lost.

During Sunday services, Monsignor Perry Kavookjian of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church shared with the congregation that locally raised funds to expand the church could potentially be used to help pay settlements — specifically, sexual abuse claims against the Diocese of Fresno.

According to church leaders, the money had been held by the Diocese, which is facing financial obligations as part of its bankruptcy proceedings connected to the claims.

The situation affects not just St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church, but multiple Catholic churches within Bakersfield that made donations.

Following Tuesday's report, comments flooded in reacting to the story, with some citing concerns about accountability.

"This is incredibly disturbing. I want to know if the clergy responsible for these crimes are arrested and stripped of their authority," one commenter said.

Others pushed back on the claims.

"Phony accusations came quickly. Money does not solve abuse issues!" another commenter said.

Other comments touched on the child abuse allegations and the treatment of those who supported victims.

"Many of us who had supported the victims of clergy sex abuse in the past and currently were cancelled by other Catholics, priests, deacon and members of the community because we believed in the victims and we defended the victims when many in the church would never believe in any of them," a commenter said.

Many residents are waiting to get answers about funding, while others say this emergence of news is opening just one example of multiple questions that need to be answered.

23ABC reached out to the Fresno Diocese for comment, but they declined.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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