Boston College buys archdiocesan property for $99.4 million

Published: 2004-04-20

BOSTON (CNS) -- The Boston Archdiocese and Jesuit-run Boston College announced April 20 that the university has agreed to purchase 43 acres of archdiocesan land, including the former archbishop's residence, for $99.4 million. The archdiocese put the Brighton property, just down the street from the Boston College campus, on the market last December to pay off $90 million in loans the archdiocese took out to pay off clergy sexual abuse settlements with more than 500 plaintiffs. "It is good we have been able to keep the property within the Catholic family," said Boston Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley. In a joint announcement that they had reached "an agreement in principle" on the sale, Archbishop O'Malley and Jesuit Father William P. Leahy, Boston College president, said they had also agreed that the university will purchase the neighboring archdiocesan tribunal property in two years for $8 million. In addition, the announcement said, the contemplated agreement would commit Boston College to purchasing the remaining chancery property for $20 million and the remaining St. John's Seminary property for $40 million or more if the archdiocese should decide to sell either of those properties within the next 10 years.

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