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	Former Priest Arrested Charged with Embezzlement By Rob Seal Daily Progress [Virginia] January 11, 2007 http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP%2FMGArticle% 2FCDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192599859&path=!news A former Louisa County priest accused of stealing more than $600,000 in church donations has been arrested and charged with embezzlement, authorities said Wednesday. The Rev. Rodney Lee Rodis, 50, served at St. Jude parish in Mineral and Immaculate Conception parish in Buckner for more than 12 years. A three-month investigation culminated Monday when a Louisa grand jury indicted Rodis on the embezzlement charge. He was arrested later that day at his home in Spotsylvania County, according to state police spokesman Sgt. Kevin Barrick. Church bookkeepers caught wind of the missing money in October, when a man who had donated $1,000 to the church contacted them, said William Etherington, an attorney representing the Diocese of Richmond. "The donor called up and said, 'Hey, I didn't get an acknowledgement [of the gift]' and the church finance council said, 'Well, we can't find your donation,'" Etherington said. The bookkeepers notified church officials in Richmond, who in turn contacted Virginia State Police. The missing $1,000 had been deposited in an off-the-books bank account opened in the church's name, Etherington said. Over $600,000 had been deposited to the account since it was opened, he said. "We're not talking about petty cash here," said Etherington, who added that church officials hope to recover some of the missing funds. The indictment alleges that Rodis embezzled funds from Sept. 4, 2001, to Oct. 4, 2006, according to Louisa County Commonwealth's Attorney R. Don Short. Police still haven't determined exactly how much money was taken from church coffers. "It's still adding up," Barrick said. The Rev. Michael Duffy replaced Rodis at the Louisa churches in June when Rodis retired for health reasons. Duffy said parishioners have been saddened and bewildered by the charges. Rodis was a popular priest at both churches, which have a combined membership of about 360 families, he said. "The main reaction was one of surprise, but they are not really angry," Duffy said. "It's like they feel sorry for him." Rodis joined the churches as an administrator in 1993 and became pastor the next year, according to a June article in the Catholic Virginian. He suffered a stroke in October 2005 that impaired his memory, and was in a serious automobile accident shortly after, according to the article. Rodis retired from both Louisa churches in June and briefly returned to the Philippines, where he was born. He returned to Virginia recently to seek treatment, Etherington said. Rodis is being held at the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange County pending a bond hearing today in Louisa. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison. "It's a tragedy for the diocese, for the parishes and for this priest," he said. "This is a tragedy all the way around." Contact Rob Seal by e-mail at: rseal@dailyprogress.com or phone 978-7265.
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