A lawyer said on Thursday that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vt., will pay more than $20 million to end 28 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse by its priests.

The Burlington Free Press has reported that the plaintiffs' attorney, Jerome O'Neill, said the victims in 24 cases that had yet to go to trial would share $17.6 million. Million-dollar jury verdicts in two other cases under appeal will be settled separately, he said.

O'Neill said of the decision to settle rather than face a trial, "It provides closure to a chapter in their lives. They do not think for a moment that received this settlement is going to make the pain of what happened to them go away."

Twenty-three of the cases made allegations that the Rev. Edward Paquette had molested altar boys in the 1970s.

Bishop Salvatore R. Matano, in a statement on the diocese's Web site, expressed sorrow for the harm done to the victims.

He said, "I once again apologize most sincerely for the pain the victims have suffered."

With the settlements concluded the church was placing its diocesan administration building in Burlington and its former Camp Tara-Holy Cross property in Colchester up for sale. He said the diocese has obtained an interim loan to cover the cost of the settlements, the bishop further said.

The diocese is looking at alternative locations for its administrative offices.

He also begs God's forgiveness "for any insensitivity or lack of charity which I may have shown throughout this process," Matano added. (With Inputs from Agencies)