DALLAS (CWN) - The Diocese of Dallas reached a $7.5 million settlement on Thursday with three former altar boys who had accused a priest of molesting them and who had been awarded part of an $120 million judgment by a jury last year.

      The diocese agreed to pay $3.1 million to the three men and two insurance companies, Lloyd's of London and Interstate, will pay the remaining $4.4 million. The decision was reached as part of a court-ordered mediation seeking to reach an agreement in a July 1997 civil verdict. The eight other plaintiffs in the lawsuit remain in mediation.

      Former priest Rudolph Kos was accused of sexually abusing altar boys, and the jury determined the diocese was negligent and failed to reveal information about Kos to parishes where he served from 1981 to 1992. Kos will go on trial later this month on charges involving four young men.

March 9, 1998 volume 9, no. 48         DAILY CATHOLIC