Camden, New Jersey - A Catholic diocese in New Jersey has agreed to pay $180 million to settle hundreds of sexual abuse claims, the parish's bishop said this week.

The settlement from the Diocese of Camden, near Philadelphia, will cover more than 300 survivors of sexual abuse in connection to incidents committed by priests in the 1970s and 1980s.

Bishop Joseph A. Williams said in a letter on Tuesday that a committee representing the survivors agreed to the terms of a bankruptcy settlement that would establish a trust of $180 million funded by the diocese and its insurers.

The plan is pending approval in bankruptcy court.

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"For the survivors of South Jersey, this day is long overdue and represents a milestone in their journey toward restored justice and the healing and recognition they have long sought and deserve," Williams wrote to parishioners.

"To each one of those survivors, I would like to say: Thank you for your courage in coming forward. Without your bravery and persistence, this new day would not have dawned."

The US Catholic Church has been rocked by years of accusations and revelations of sexual abuse committed by priests.

Between 1950 and 2016 the US Catholic Church received 18,500 complaints against 6,700 members of the clergy, according to bishop-accountability.org.

Several senior church members in the US have been forced to resign for protecting sex offender priests.

This week's agreement would supplement a settlement from 2022 in which the Camden diocese agreed to pay $87.5 million to settle related claims.

"I am profoundly sorry for what you have suffered. It was a grave sin and a devastating betrayal of the trust you placed in the Church that you loved," Williams wrote on Tuesday.

"I cannot remove the scars you carry nor restore the innocence you lost, but on behalf of my predecessors and the faithful of Camden I can say clearly and without reservation: We believe you, we are sorry and we are committed to walking a different path going forward with you, God willing, at our side."