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BOSTON (AP) ― The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield announced Tuesday that it paid $4.5 million to 59 clergy sex abuse victims as part of a settlement that included a personal contribution from a former bishop who resigned amid allegations that he sexually assaulted children.

Three people who said they were abused by former Springfield Bishop Thomas Dupre were included in the settlement, and the prelate gave his own money to fund a portion of payments to two victims, said Mark Dupont, a spokesman for the diocese.

Dupont and Dupre's attorney, Michael Jennings, would not say how much the bishop gave to the settlements.

Dupre abruptly resigned in 2004 shortly after he was confronted with abuse allegations and was indicted later that year on two counts of child rape. Prosecutors, however, did not pursue the charges because the statute of limitation had expired.

Asked Tuesday if the payments were an admission of wrongdoing, Jennings, said, "I have no comment."

The payments on the claims, which dated back to 1948, were part of a voluntary arbitration process, set up in June when the diocese reached a settlement with its insurance carriers.

Springfield Bishop Timothy McDonnell said the diocese had a moral responsibility to help those abused by clergy when they were children, and apologized to everyone who was hurt.

"My prayer is that a small step toward healing takes place through these settlements," McDonnell said in a statement.

Peter Herrick is among those who received a settlement after claiming that he was abused by several priests -- including being "passed around" at parties -- when he child in Greenfield, beginning in 1968. He said he was glad the ordeal was over, though he said those responsible have never accepted blame and the settlement was not nearly enough.

"You can't put a price on the loss of anyone's childhood, self-esteem, none of that stuff has a price tag," said Herrick, 51, who declined to disclose the amount of his settlement.

Herrick said he'd been worn down by years of delay tactics by the diocese and didn't want to lose any more time with his wife and two sons fighting for a bigger settlement in court. The payment, though inadequate, is still a victory, he said.

"I've been bloodied, I've been battered, but I did the right thing," Herrick said. "I didn't let them get the better of me, they did that 40 years ago. Now I'm standing up. I fought them and I won."

Dupont denied that the diocese tried to delay the cases, and blamed the insurance carriers for the lengthy court fight that preceded this summer's settlement. When the deal was reached, the diocese immediately got the arbitration process going, he said.

"There was no effort to hold these people up," he said.

As part of arbitration, victims had to complete a confidential questionnaire. They then told their stories of abuse without questioning by attorneys for the insurance carriers or the diocese.

Dupont said the payment amounts in the latest settlement were at the national average for similar claims.

"That said, ... no amount of money will do away with the harm that was done to many of these individuals," Dupont said.

The diocese has now paid out nearly $12.5 million to abuse victims, including nearly $8.5 million that was covered by insurance. Eight claims remain pending before the archdiocese, which has found six "not credible."

The diocese will continue to offer counseling and other assistance to victims covered in the recent settlement, Dupont said.

"We're ready to walk with these individuals," he said. "We're not walking away. Now that we've written these checks, we don't feel it's the end of our obligation to these victims."

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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