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	Priest Resigns Following Criticism of Spending By Bruce Nolan Times-Picayune May 15, 2008 http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/05/priest_resigns_following_criti.html A Catholic priest whose spending angered his parishioners has resigned his West Bank assignment, the Archdiocese of New Orleans said Thursday. The Rev. Victor Cohea resigned as pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Marrero, effective immediately, spokeswoman Sarah Comiskey said. A replacement has not be named, she said. The archdiocese would not say if it had asked for Cohea's resignation and didn't reveal his next assignment. Cohea was unavailable for comment Thursday. Cohea arrived at the Marrero parish last summer and shortly thereafter asked for a new rectory; his spending became a matter of open dismay before the end of the year. Parishioners angry with Cohea's fiscal management went so far as to picket their own church last month, adding to a campaign that had already included letters, petitions and phone calls to Archbishop Alfred Hughes about Cohea's spending. Parishioners had learned that a financial review of parish books ordered by the archdiocese found that the parish's once-vibrant outreach to the poor was dwindling and weekly collections income was collapsing at the parish. Meanwhile, the review found that Cohea used a parish fund to make a $14,000 contribution to an organization he heads that supports African clergy. He also gave himself an unauthorized $1,500 Christmas bonus, and paid unidentified people in his former parish $3,500 to cover half the cost of moving him to Marrero. He also paid another individual $2,200 for the move, according to the review. Hughes asked St. Joseph's lay leaders to meet with Cohea in a structured mediation process aimed at resolving their differences. But several parishioners said Thursday the effort died because parishioners concluded Cohea had fatally breached their trust. "It wasn't a matter of forgiveness," said one, Lois Thibodaux. "There might have been forgiveness. But they just didn't feel that he could be trusted any longer. That's unfortunate, but true." Several parishioners said they believed they and others would not consider Cohea's transfer an end to the episode. "Something has to be done in terms of restitution," said Michelle Goins. "It's just too much money. It's put the parish in a difficult position in terms of carrying out our ministries." Comiskey said Hughes has not yet made any decision about restitution.
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