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	Harrison Priest Reveals Money Details By Tom Yerace Pittsburgh Tribune-Review March 4, 2008 http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_555420.html The Rev. Richard Tusky, who resigned as pastor amid unresolved questions over accounts at two Roman Catholic parishes in Harrison, has sent a letter to a parishioner explaining some of the financial problems that are being examined by auditors. The parishioner, who asked to remain unidentified, confirmed Monday that the letter was sent via fax to a number the parishioner provided to Tusky. The Rev. Ronald Lengwin, spokesman for the diocese, had no comment and said a team of pastors from the diocese met with parish representatives yesterday. Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik told parishioners over the weekend at St. Joseph Parish in Natrona and Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament Parish in Natrona Heights that an outside auditing firm will examine Tusky's handling of memorial booklets, rental property and an estate sale. The memorial booklets were used to list Mass "intentions" by parishioners for individuals such as deceased relatives, with a $5 donation for each intention. Diocesan auditors reviewed the intentions recorded during the past three years. "... Had all donors given the maximum suggestion of $5/intention, (Diocesan auditors) concluded the booklets have generated $14,000," Tusky wrote. "Of the $9,000 actually collected, $6,000 was deposited and, with the knowledge of the office staff, $3,000 was held to purchase altar linens, vestments or the like at a later date." Tusky said he had not purchased anything from the undeposited funds and produced the $3,000 balance for the auditors. He wrote that rent for the former rectory was $800 per month and it had been rented at that rate for about 18 months. He said the renters lost their jobs. "After some months of nonpayment and consultations with finance council via Internet, we temporarily lowered the rent to $400/month rather than evict them," the letter said. "Auditors could not perceive why the rent was sporadic, reduced to $400, or why the $400 was sporadic in deposits." Tusky said the rental agreement should have been contracted through the diocese's legal office, but "I did not want to be bothered with all the red tape (no business manager then) and the rent should have been paid by check, not cash." Tusky's letter said the sale of a house's contents left to the church by a parishioner totaled $2,040. "This income was given to me, but neither I nor the secretary can recall where it was deposited," Tusky's letter stated. "We suspect it may have been 'mixed in' and deposited with regular (parish share) income." Tom Yerace can be reached at Contact: tyerace@tribweb.com or 724-226-4675.
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