In the late 1950s and throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s, Catholics throughout the Diocese of Spokane went on a building binge. A good deal of their present infrastructure – 16 elementary schools and 83 parishes – came to fruition during that time. Schools and church buildings became the outward sign of a church growing in faith and in numbers.

Parishioners sponsored fund-raisers and pledge drives and volunteered countless hours to realize a shared vision for their schools, where the Catholic faith tradition would be passed onto their children. And a shared vision for their houses of worship. Some of the churches built then, such as St. Charles in north Spokane, and Sacred Heart in south Spokane, won recognition for their architectural innovations.

The diocese filed for bankruptcy protection Monday. Sex-abuse claims against the diocese could total $75.7 million, an amount the diocese says it does not have. The diocese is in uncharted legal territory. The biggest unknown is whether parish assets – churches and schools – belong to the diocese or to parishioners. If the courts rule that parish assets belong to the diocese, those assets are then vulnerable to claims by creditors.

The bankruptcy unknowns could affect the greater community, a community that stretches far beyond Spokane. The diocese encompasses 24,356 square miles spread out over 13 counties – Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla and Whitman. The Catholic population in the diocese totals 97,665, according to diocesan statistics.

For decades, Catholic schools have educated students. Parents pay taxes, contributing to the education of public school children, while paying tuition to educate their own children in the private schools. It is unlikely, but if the Catholic elementary schools were forced to close, almost 3,000 children would be funneled into the public school system, a burden that would be hard on any district.

Understandably, people feel anxious about the future. Much is at stake here and not just for Catholics. As the diocese continues into uncharted territory, openness and transparency should continue to be the watchwords. Voice of the Faithful, a lay Catholic group, has called upon Bishop William Skylstad to be as transparent as possible about the process as the bankruptcy proceeds. “Enable your parishioners and your staff from across the entire diocese a chance to talk with and listen to you directly on this bankruptcy matter,” the group wrote in a recent letter.

This is a valid request and one that should be heeded. Openness is essential, because the diocese is accused of promoting secrecy and silence that allowed the sex-abuse crisis to foment unchecked.

When Pope John XXIII announced the Second Vatican Council – an ecumenical meeting that changed the church dramatically in the ‘60s – he used the analogy of throwing open a window to let in fresh air. Bankruptcy is an open process by its very nature. The process, though painful now, could provide the fresh air necessary for the diocese to move past the crisis and affirm an honest and open future.