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	More Than 80 Letters Ask for Leniency for Delray Beach Priest in Theft Case By Dianna Cahn South Florida Sun-Sentinel March 20, 2009 http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/delraybeach/sfl-flpletters0320pnmar20,0,7149474.story Former Delray pastor, convicted of grand theft, will be sentenced today To some, the Rev. John Skehan will go down as the disgraced pastor who betrayed his flock and admitted to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Delray Beach church he led for more than 40 years. But to many others, Skehan, 81, was the longtime beloved leader of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church with generosity of pocket and spirit even as he made some criminal mistakes. By the dozens, parishioners, colleagues and friends sent letters urging Circuit Judge Jeffrey Colbath to show leniency this afternoon when he sentences the retired pastor. "He ran the parish very much like they were run long ago back in Ireland, with much autonomy and good will. That style proved to be a poor choice, but the results of loving aid and caring assistance given to so many when they were in need was not," parishioner Frank McKinney wrote. "I hope you ... realize the good he did over 40 years far outweighed the unconscious bad." Skehan pleaded guilty Jan. 21 to grand theft of more than $100,000. Investigators said he stole $370,000 that he spent on a girlfriend, personal trips and to pay for homes in Florida and his native Ireland. The crime carries a suggested sentence of 22 months to 30 years in prison. His successor in 2003, the Rev. Francis Guinan, was convicted last month of grand theft of $20,000 to $100,000. Although there had been talk of a plea deal in Skehan's case, he instead made an open plea, throwing himself on the mercy of the court. In more than 80 letters, supporters made a case for leniency. They described a priest dedicated to his congregation, who expanded the church and its property, established an achieving Catholic school in Delray Beach and always lent a helping hand. People wrote of generations that grew up under Skehan's guidance and kindness. "As a pastor, he quietly moved among the rich and poor of his parish with equal dignity and kindness to all," wrote attorney Edward McCormick. "I know of many stories involving the students of St. Vincent Ferrer whose parents were unable to pay school tuition. He would simply and quietly cover their tuition." Aisling Cadmus remembered years ago when Skehan helped pay for the funeral of her boyfriend, a young man he barely knew. "I ask on behalf of myself and on behalf of Ron's family that you not sentence Father Skehan to prison," she wrote. "It is only appropriate that he be given the kindness and generosity that he has given so unconditionally." Pam Stamey said the priest gave her family money when her son was ill. She offered to "pay it back over time." "I tried to pay it forward every time God gives me the opportunity," she wrote. Many urged no jail time. "He has suffered so much already," parishioner Francine Stenz wrote. "Knowing him as I do, his separation from all that he has worked so hard for his church, his school, the families in his parish and all of us who staffed his school has been the worst sentence he could be given," wrote Mary Ann Phinney, St. Vincent Ferrer's librarian until June 2007. Fellow priests spoke of Skehan's help establishing a Haitian church in Delray Beach and reaching out to migrant farm workers. "Father Skehan had a willingness to go to any length to help the marginalized and poor," wrote Sister Mary Clare Fennell, who remembered when he arrived at the church in 1963. The Rev. Timothy Sockol, an associate pastor with Skehan for 16 years at St. Vincent Ferrer who administered the parish during the financial audit and investigation after Guinan's resignation, described how most of the money originally thought missing had been located. Skehan's misuse of funds stemmed mostly from an old way of handling diocese financial matters, he said. "I have known priests who sought out wealthy parish assignments and used their position for their own financial advantage. Father Skehan is not such a priest," Sockol wrote. "He was generous to a fault, and some of the difficulties he is facing today are due to his inability to say no to someone asking his help." Sockol offered his own parish, Emmanuel Catholic Church in Delray Beach, as a place of community service and residence for Skehan if the judge sees fit. Dianna Cahn can be reached at dcahn@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6645.
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