NEW YORK — A years-long legal battle between Long Island’s Catholic diocese and hundreds of alleged sex abuse victims came to an end Wednesday, with a bankruptcy judge in Manhattan approving a plan that finalizes a $323 million settlement.

As part of the settlement, the Diocese of Rockville Centre will begin making payments next year to nearly 600 victims of child sex abuse in the church.

U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Martin Glenn said he was “extremely pleased” with the deal, according to Newsday.

“The true heroes are the survivors who have persisted through decades of trauma, hardship and immeasurable resilience,” said Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the victims. “Today’s ruling provides momentum towards a resolution that is long overdue.”

Diocese leaders had originally offered a $200 million settlement, while the victims had sought $450 million. The approved plan marks the largest Catholic diocese bankruptcy settlement in the U.S.

After New York passed the Child Victims Act in 2019, numerous men sued the Diocese of Rockville Centre — which covers all Catholic churches on Long Island and is the eighth-largest diocese in the country — over sexual abuse that occurred when they were boys and young men.

By October 2020, the diocese said it was forced to file for bankruptcy. In March 2021, it sold its headquarters for $5.2 million to help cover settlement costs. Eventually, six of New York’s eight Catholic dioceses filed for bankruptcy due to the Child Victims Act.

Both sides announced the settlement on Sept. 26, but it was not official until Glenn signed off on Wednesday. It includes $234.8 million from the diocese itself and around $85 million from its insurance companies.

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