BishopAccountability.org
	Financial Scandal Hits US Parish Independent Catholic News September 27, 2007 http://www.indcatholicnews.com/usparishfinance794.html A parish priest of has resigned from his parish after the Archdiocese of Detroit discovered theft of parish funds and unpaid taxes. In a letter read out to parishioners of St. Dustan's, Garden City, Michigan, Bishop Francis Reiss, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit, said that its pastor Father Demmer had resigned. Bishop Reiss said, "The results of this summer's financial audit present some distressing news for the parish and have prompted legal action against a former office employee. On Friday, September 21st, information was turned over to the Garden City Police Department regarding what appears to be a prolonged pattern of embezzlement from parish funds. The amount is substantial— in the tens of thousands— but investigators have asked us to not publicize the precise figure at this time. "Also discovered during the archdiocesan audit were a series of unpaid federal tax bills going back some five-years. These were payroll taxes for parish employees and the amount owed, which includes projected interest and penalties, is approximately $1.4 million dollars. These back taxes were a parish responsibility, and, regrettably, will be going forward. "Because of his unique role in the administration and access to parish funds, the pastor also shares some responsibility and accountability in such situations. In the case of St. Dunstan's, the audit has shown Father Demmer did not follow archdiocesan policy." Bishop Reiss assured parishioners that there were no plans to close the parish. A meeting would be held in the near future to discuss its future. Source: Archdiocese of Detroit
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.