Buffalo Diocese

A former local man who says he was sexually abused by a Catholic priest in the 1980s is taking the Diocese of Buffalo to court.

Steven Timmel, the Buffalo Catholic Diocese’s chief financial officer, is resigning. The move becomes effective at the end of this upcoming January. It’s another one of Bishop Richard Malone’s staff members to step down over the past year as the diocese continues to handle the clergy abuse scandal.

The woman who formerly worked as the executive assistant to Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone stood on a sidewalk across the street from her former workplace Tuesday morning, explaining her decision to secretly share private diocesan documents regarding clergy linked to alleged sexual misconduct. It was Siobhan O'Connor's first local appearance since her story aired on national news programs including CBS's 60 Minutes.

Buffalo Bishop Richard Malone gathered local media members Sunday to read a statement in which he pledged to remain in his post despite widening calls for his resignation. He took no questions while vowing to take corrective measures in dealing with accusations of sexual abuse by clergy members.

The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has launched an ambitious $100 million capital and endowment campaign. The campaign, dubbed Upon This Rock, was kicked off at Cardinal O'Hara High School in Tonawanda Thursday morning.