By Jose Katigbak
Manila Mail [United States]
May 2, 2007
http://manilamaildc.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1918
Washington – Fr. Rodney Rodis, a retired Philippine-born priest who late last month pleaded not guilty to charges of embezzling as much as $1 million from two small rural Roman Catholic churches in Virginia, will stand trial on Oct. 1 before Louisa Circuit Judge Timothy Sanner.
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Fr. Rodis waived his right to a jury trial during a brief hearing before Judge Sanner, court officials said. If found guilty, he faces 20 years in prison.
Rodis is out on bail of $25,000.
A spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, which serves most of the state of Virginia, said Rodis was ordained a priest in the Order of St. Camillus in the Philippines in 1986.
He was assigned in 1993 as pastor of St. Jude Church and Immaculate Conception Church in Louisa County.
Rodis' alleged embezzlement came to light last year when a St. Jude parishioner who had made a $1,000 donation asked for a receipt for tax purposes. When the money could not be traced in the church's financial records, officials became suspicious.
In the course of the investigation, it was learned that Rodis, 50, lived a double life. He passed himself off as a family man with a wife, Joyce Sillador-Rodis, and three daughters and they lived in Spotsylvania about 40 miles from the two churches where he was a pastor.
The investigation uncovered court records listing them as husband and wife on a deed of trust for a mortgage on a house they shared with their children.
Rodis has denied being married to the woman, although neighbors say he has referred to her as his wife for the past decade.
Rodis' lawyer, John Maus, said the priest was not legally married to the woman who has since moved out of the house with the kids.
Rodis retired last May after 14 years as pastor, citing health reasons.
He reportedly suffered a stroke in 2005 and walks with a cane. Also, he is alleged to suffer from prostate cancer.
Among the documents seized by police from Rodis' home was a receipt dated May 24, 2006 from Lucky Money Inc., a service for wiring money to the Philippines.
A few of the nearly two dozen parishioners who attended the hearing briefly met Rodis' gaze as he shuffled into the courtroom with the help of a cane. The rest looked away.
Outside the court, Rodis just shook his head when asked if he had any comment.
Louisa County, Virginia – The initial feeling of shock at learning of Father Rodney's embezzlement of church money has turned to the feeling of betrayal.
As he prepared to retire at age 50 citing poor health, Father Rodis publicly told parishioners that he would have no money from the diocese and he asked people to be generous in a fundraiser for him.
John Barrett, director of the diocesan Office of Finance, told The Catholic Virginian that all retired priests receive a retirement pension of $18,000 a year and the diocese spends $7,000 toward the annual health care premium for a retired priest.
'He said that he was going back to the Philippines and he would have no health care and no income and requested that we have a fundraiser farewell for him,' said Ray DeCarli, chairman of the finance council at St. Jude's. "He said to me 'they're doing one for me at Immaculate Conception. Can you do one for me at St. Jude's?" and I said yes.
"Between the two churches and a special reception, we raised around $27,000 for him," Mr. DeCarli said. "This is what former parishioners told us."
Robert Weiner, a St. Jude parishioner, said he always got a tax statement at the end of the year 'which was completely correct." The statements were given only to parishioners who requested one, he said.
'I've kept all my checks and looked at the checks between 1994 and 2002 and learned they were diverted to the third bank account," Mr. Weiner said, explaining that the third account was with Virginia Heartlands or its predecessor, Caroline Bank.
'He diverted the checks before they got to the counters,' he said.
Mr. DeCarli, who came to Louisa County from Scranton, Pa., told parishioners at Mass on Jan. 21 that new safeguards had been put in place to protect contributions from embezzlement by anyone.
He explained that money from parish collections will now be placed in tamper-proof bags. The current safe will be replaced by a new one requiring two keys to open it. The number of people counting the Sunday collection will go from two to three and both cash and checks will immediately be deposited in the bank.
'Probably the best control that exists is the annual statement which reflects what you gave," Mr. DeCarli said, urging parishioners to check their statements to see if they are accurate.
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