Money Missing from Brookfield Church, WISN, January 22, 2009

Money Missing from Brookfield Church

WISN
January 22, 2009

http://www.wisn.com/news/18542869/detail.html

Former Priest 's Arrest Leads To Investigation

Van Vlaenderen

BROOKFIELD, Wis. -- More than $120,000 is missing from a Brookfield church and evidence suggests a former priest may be involved.

The Rev. Lenonard Van Vlaenderen first made headlines a year ago when he was arrested on charges of possessing crack cocaine. His arrest prompted a look at the parish books.

Now, parishioners are receiving a letter telling them police are investigating the theft of more than $100,000 during the priest's tenure.

Van Vlaenderen was once the right-hand man to former Archbishop Rembert Weakland. In 2002, he went to St. John Vianney in Brookfield after Weakland retired.

Five years later, he was in police custody charged with possessing crack cocaine.

A motorist called 911 after the priest's car drove on the sidewalk. Police found Van Vlaenderen unconscious inside. In his pocket they found two rocks of crack cocaine.

After Van Vlaenderen's arrest, the parish moved forward, but this week, it learned of more fallout from the reverend's fall from grace.

"Money was missing, and cash from the collection, from the Sunday collection," the Rev. Kenneth Knippel said.

Knippel sent parishioners a letter detailing the results of a forensic audit of the parish books.

According to the letter, "...cash collections declined from $775 per week in 2001 to $318 to $346 per week by 2004-2005. There was a correlation between Fr. Van Vlaenderen's arrival at the parish in 2002 and the lower cash deposits as well as his departure in 2007 and higher cash deposits." The total money missing was more than $127,000.

"My purpose here wasn't to point fingers at anyone or anything. My role was to give information about what had happened with specific numbers, and so that's where this came from," Knippel said. "It may open some wounds again for some people. You know, Father Len was loved by a lot of people here, and he did a great job here for many years," Knippel said.

No one answered the door at Van Vlaenderen's home Thursday afternoon. He is out on probation on his drug case.

Brookfield police are now doing their own review of the theft allegations. They said they expect to take their case to Waukesha County's district attorney for review next week.

Meanwhile, the pastor there said the church's insurance policy covered most of the missing money, and it's put new put safeguards in place so this can't happen again.