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	Pastor Is Suspected of Stealing By Christopher Burbach World-Herald May 10, 2008 http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_page=2798&u_sid=10331645 The pastor of two small south Omaha Roman Catholic parishes has been placed on leave after archdiocesan officials discovered that more than $83,000 was missing from one of the churches, St. Bridget. The Omaha Archdiocese reported the matter to police on Friday as a theft. The Rev. Rodney Adams resigned as pastor of St. Bridget and St. Rose Catholic Churches and is cooperating with the investigation, said the Rev. Joseph Taphorn, chancellor of the archdiocese. Adams, 43, is known to many active Catholics throughout Omaha as the archdiocese's urban diaconate director. As such, he directed the formation and training of permanent deacons, ordained men who assist priests. The Rev. Ralph O'Donnell, archdiocesan director of vocations, will become temporary administrator for St. Bridget, 4112 S. 26th St., and St. Rose, 4102 S. 13th St. O'Donnell also will replace Adams as urban diaconate director. "St. Bridget parishioners are hard-working, dedicated people," Taphorn said in a prepared statement. "We will do everything we can to support them in this difficult time." He said archdiocesan officials had met with lay leaders of the parishes. Adams is accused of taking money from two St. Bridget checking accounts, according to a police report. Adams had not been arrested as of Friday evening. Taphorn declined to comment on what the missing money might have been spent on. The police report indicated that the money allegedly was stolen between July 2003 and March 2008. An archdiocesan review of St. Bridget finances discovered that the funds were missing. The discovery came while St. Bridget was under transition to a computerized accounting system that's connected to archdiocesan headquarters, Taphorn said. The archdiocese has been placing all its 150 parishes on the same system over the past 1 years as part of increased financial oversight measures. St. Bridget was one of the last parishes to be put on the system. Tim Leininger, a permanent deacon who assisted Adams at St. Rose and is treasurer of the archdiocesan permanent diaconate council, said he was very surprised at the allegations. He described Adams as a good and caring man, a priest of the people who is accessible, even-handed and even-tempered. "I believe in the archbishop and the integrity of the system he has put in place," Leininger said. "We need to let that run through." Recent church financial scandals April 2007: The Rev. Stephen Gutgsell, then 49, received five years' probation and was ordered to pay $40,000 of the $125,000 he embezzled from St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1412 Castelar St. He had been pastor there from 2001 until February 2007. November 2006: Cindy Mann, then 51, of Council Bluffs, was given three years' probation after pleading no contest to theft by deception for stealing from Christ the King Catholic Church. She also was ordered to meet her "financial obligations" to the church. Leaders alleged that she had stolen $166,683. September 2006: Mark A. Mehner, then 46, church president of Zion Lutheran Church in northwest Omaha, was ordered to repay the church $367,899.84, which includes the $291,515.74 taken from the church as well as interest and legal fees. June 2006: Cory Pelnar, then 42, former business manager at St. Bernadette Catholic Church, was sentenced to five years' probation after paying back $180,000 she stole. She pleaded no contest to felony theft. As a condition of probation, she was ordered to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings once a week for 18 months. January 2006: Sister Barbara Markey, a Notre Dame nun and clinical psychologist, was the director of the archdiocese's Family Life Office until her firing on Jan. 10, 2006. She was 71 at the time of her firing. She was accused of using $300,000 in funds from the Omaha Archdiocese at casinos and for gifts, clothing and travel. In April 2008, she pleaded guilty to theft by deception and is awaiting sentencing in July.
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