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	Accused Priest Denies He Is Married Rodis Says Woman Knew He Led Louisa County Parishes before Embezzlement Charge By Kiran Krishnamurthy Richmond Times-Dispatch January 14, 2007 http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_Basic Article&c=MGArticle&cid=1149192647918 Fredericksburg -- The Rev. Rodney L. Rodis yesterday denied that he is married. But he said the woman he lives with knew he was a Catholic priest before he was accused of embezzling funds from two churches. Rodis, who answered the front door of his Spotsylvania County home last night, declined to comment on whether any of the three girls who have lived in the home are his daughters. Rodis, 50, confirmed that Joyce Sillador lives at the home, but he said, "No," when asked if they are married. Asked if she knew he was a priest before an investigation into more than $600,000 missing from two Louisa County parishes, he replied, "Yes, she did." Documents in Louisa Circuit Court indicate that Rodis was living with a woman referred to as a "wife" and with three children, without tying the children to Rodis. Neighbors say he referred to a woman named Joyce as being his wife, but they say they did not know he was a priest. The Roman Catholic Church has a long tradition of celibacy for its priests. No priests are allowed to be married in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond. He was indicted last week on a single count of felony embezzlement in the theft of donations to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Bumpass and St. Jude Catholic Church in Mineral, both of which are part of the Diocese of Richmond. Diocese lawyer William Etherington estimates the amount stolen at more than $600,000 since September 2001. Rodis allegedly funneled some donation money to a bank account that he set up in a church's name. In a brief interview with a Times-Dispatch reporter at his door last night, Rodis, a Philippine citizen, declined to comment when asked whether he spent any of the missing money or whether any of the missing money was in the Philippines. He was released from the Central Virginia Regional Jail in Orange County on a $10,000 bond. A judge reduced his original $100,000 bond after Rodis agreed to surrender his passport. His neighbors in Spotsylvania's Sheraton Hills East subdivision say Rodis told them he was in the import-export business and that he frequently traveled to the Philippines. Diocesan officials say he retired from active ministry in May after suffering a stroke, and parishioners say he used a cane to walk. Last night, Rodis could be seen through the glass door of his split-level home walking up from the downstairs without any assistance. He wore shorts, a white T-shirt and glasses as he spoke through the glass storm door of the home on Watson Lane. He left Virginia on June 14 to return to the Philippines, where he was to live at the home of his parents, according to the latest issue of The Catholic Virginian, which arrived in the mailboxes of many Catholics in the diocese yesterday. He later returned to the United States to seek treatment for prostate cancer and was living in the Fredericksburg area at the time of his arrest, the newsletter reported. A neighbor also said last week that Rodis mentioned suffering from prostate cancer. Neighbors said they had never seen him walking with a cane. Rodis told the newsletter that he had suffered a stroke in October 2005 that impaired his memory. He had not been able to preach since the stroke but continued to celebrate Mass, according to the newsletter, which also reported he was later in a car accident. Diocesan officials say they were surprised to hear of Rodis' living arrangements. Neighbors say his lifestyle showed no evidence of opulence. They say Rodis, the woman they know as Joyce and the children took trips and remodeled the home, including putting in new hardwood floors. The three vehicles parked in the driveway include two Toyota sport-utility vehicles and an older-model Ford Escort station wagon. Two neighbors say Rodis told them the oldest girl, in her early 20s, was attending medical school in the Philippines. The family invited neighbors over for Christmas and birthday celebrations and also held a party when the youngest girl, then several months old, was baptized at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Fredericksburg, which is part of the Diocese of Arlington. A man answering the phone at the St. Mary's parish office yesterday said neither Sillador nor Rodis is listed in the church directory. Rodis has been living in the United States since 1991 and has been leader of the combined Louisa County parishes since 1993. He was ordained a priest in the Order of St. Camillus in the Philippines on March 25, 1986. After coming to the Diocese of Richmond, Rodis was parochial vicar at St. Mark Catholic Church in Virginia Beach for one year and then chaplain at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Newport News for one year before going to St. Jude and Immaculate Conception. Etherington has said the diocese became aware of financial irregularities in the fall when a donor to Immaculate Conception requested verification of a $1,000 contribution for tax purposes. The parish was unable to find a record of the donation. Father Michael Duffy, current pastor at the Bumpass and Mineral parishes, told The Catholic Virginian that the finance council at Immaculate Conception then asked the donor to make a copy of the front and back of the canceled check he had from his bank statement. "The check went into another account they never heard of," he told the newsletter, explaining that their search uncovered an unknown account at a bank in Fredericksburg in the name of the parish on which Father Rodis was the only signatory. Diocesan representatives are in discussion with civil authorities and insurance carriers to determine what money might be recovered from the theft and what is covered by insurance, the newsletter reported. Rodis, who said last night he could not recall the name of his attorney, is scheduled to appear in Louisa Circuit Court on Thursday. Contact staff writer Kiran Krishnamurthy at kkrishnamurthy@timesdispatch.com or (540) 371-4792.
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