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	Bishop Blasts St. Leo Priest By Mary Wozniak The News-Press July 19, 2011 http://www.news-press.com/article/20110719/NEWS0102/107190361/1075/Florida-Ethics-panel-writes-off-191-000-fines-against-public-officials/Bishop-blasts-St-Leo-priest?odyssey=nav|head ew allegations that their pastor misused more than $1 million in church funds rocked the parishioners of St. Leo Catholic Church on Monday, and even his staunch supporters were demanding answers from both their pastor and the bishop who accuses him. About $665,000 of the money from church coffers went to pay the Rev. Stan Strycharz's personal credit card statements, alleges diocese of Venice Bishop Frank Dewane. A letter sent by the bishop to parishioners also alleges that another $171,877 went to the former church office manager for her children's education, and $149,705 to Strycharz's brother, who owns a Naples painting company. Another $43,000 was misappropriated, the bishop said. The diocese - which according to its website oversees 75 parishes in Southwest and Central Florida - did not reply Monday to a list of emailed questions regarding the financial issues, including whether law authorities have been contacted or charges filed, along with other allegations. Strycharz also did not respond to emailed questions. But Ed Fitzgerald, a Eucharistic minister at the church, says Strycharz must now stand up and defend himself. "I have supported him," Fitzgerald said. "Now the bishop has brought forth specific charges. I expect Father Stan to respond to each and every one of them and I hope he can." Previously, Strycharz has said he is under a gag order from the bishop, Fitzgerald said. But now he believes the priest must come forward. "He's under the gun, to be honest with you," Fitzgerald said. "He's under the gun to explain to the parishioners what happened." Marilyn Chouinard, a good friend of Strycharz, said the allegations have no foundation. "They're crucifying him," said Chouinard, who has known the priest from the first day he came to St. Leo five years ago. "He did not take 5 cents," she said. "He doesn't need a penny and he hasn't taken a penny." On the opposite end of the opinion spectrum is church member Beverly Gentile. "I don't support him. I didn't support him before," she said. "I cannot believe talk of that money that went all of those different places, and that he doesn't want to do anything about proving otherwise." A native of Poland, Strycharz has been a priest since May 1991. He played a key role in increasing St. Leo's congregation to 2,200 families. Strycharz oversaw an expansion of the church from 900 to 1,500 seats in 2009 and construction of an $11 million activities center in 2010. The allegations arose from a review of five years of church finances, conducted over almost a year by the accounting firm of Larson Allen LLP. "The extent of his violations could not be fully known until the auditors investigated the finances of the parish," Dewane wrote. "Father Strycharz has offered neither justification nor satisfactory explanations to the independent auditors" for the questionable or unsupported expenses, the letter states. The allegations come on top of the bishop's revelation almost a year ago that Strycharz fathered a child before coming to St. Leo. The child, a daughter, lives out of state. Dewane put Strycharz on administrative leave in July 2010 with pay pending a review of parishioner complaints about Strycharz breaking his vows of celibacy, questioning his obedience to the bishop, and church financial problems. In the interim, many supporters organized themselves into a group called Save the Southwest Florida Diocese. They compiled petitions with hundreds of names and launched a massive letter campaign to clear Strycharz's name and bring him back to St. Leo. An open letter to parishioners from the group, dated Jan. 3 and posted on the organization's website, has a litany of allegations they say the bishop made against Strycharz, then refutes them. They include: - Inappropriate relationships with adult females, including an affair with an employee. - When Dewane told the congregation that Strycharz had a child, he said that he learned of the child only recently. Strycharz says he told the bishop about the child almost three years ago, and received the church's forgiveness. - Dewane said he had evidence that Father Stan visited a gay bar several years ago. Strycharz denied all allegations, the letter said. He has consulted an expert in canon law and has had helpful communication with the pope's ambassador in Washington. Strycharz also asked the bishop to hold formal proceedings so that he could defend himself. Otis Wragg, a spokesman representing Save the Southwest Diocese, was reached by phone and told a reporter he would send a statement by email, but it was not received Monday night. Chouinard, a member of the group, said the letter's contents are accurate.
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