MILWAUKEE ––On July 14, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin set a Feb. 1, 2012, bar date for abuse survivors and an Oct. 17, 2011, bar date for general creditors, according to a press release from the Milwaukee Archdiocese.

Both parties have until 4 p.m. “prevailing central time,” on their respective bar dates to file claims, it said.

An email sent to archdiocesan employees from the communications office July 15, said that the judge gave the archdiocese a timeline to publicize the claims bar date, which includes placing local and national ads in newspapers, posting the content on its website and emailing and postal mailing notification to abuse survivors, parishes and schools, priests, parish/school staff, lay leaders, parishioners, Catholic and other entities.

The archdiocese began advertising the bar date July 17 in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Chicago Tribune and USA Today, according to the release.

“The extensive advertising campaign is being undertaken to ensure that anyone with a potential claim is aware of the deadline and has adequate time to file,” the release said, noting that the general creditors, including vendors to the archdiocese, will receive notification and a claim form by mail.

For more information, a definition of abuse, an abuse survivor proof of claim form and bar date resources, visit www.archmil.org/reorg/bardate.htm – also available in Spanish, Hmong languages and sign language (video); Counsel for the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors, Pachulski, Stang, Ziehl and Jones LLP, at (888) 496-8643 or www.pszjlaw.com/milwaukee.archdiocese.html; or Counsel for the Archdiocese, Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C., at (877) 609-3995.