New lawsuit filed against Great Falls-Billing Catholic diocese

HELENA — Ten people have filed a lawsuit against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings, claiming they were sexually abused by priests when they were children.

The sex-abuse lawsuit is the third filed against the Catholic church in Montana since last year and the first against the diocese that covers the central and eastern parts of the state.

The lawyers who filed the lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the unnamed plaintiffs also represent about 200 others in one of the claims against the Catholic Diocese of Helena, which covers the western part of the state.

The 10 plaintiffs are now adults and say the abuse took place at schools, missions and churches in St. Xavier, Livingston, Absarokee, Great Falls, Hays, Wolf Point and Hardin.