Former St. Leo Catholic Church Pastor Denies Wrongdoing, The News-Press, November 29, 2011

Former St. Leo Catholic Church Pastor Denies Wrongdoing

The News-Press
November 29, 2011

http://www.news-press.com/article/20111129/NEWS0102/311290035/Former-St-Leo-Catholic-Church-pastor-denies-wrongdoing?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

Father Stan Strycharz, right, embraces, Jessica Novins , a parishioner of St. Leo's Catholic Church of Bonita Springs on Tuesday 11/29/2011 after addressing the media to clear his name. Strycharz spoke publicly for the first time since being placed on leave nearly 17 months ago for misusing more than$1 million in church funds. An independent forensic audititing group hired by Save the Southwet Florida Diocese cleared him of any wrong doing.

Disobedience led to his banishment from St. Leo Catholic Church, says the Rev. Stan Strycharz, the church’s former pastor.

Bishop Frank Dewane of the Diocese of Venice eventually removed him from his post as church administrator because he defied the bishop’s order in November 2008 to fire the church’s music director without a reason, Strycharz said Tuesday.

“I could not fire somebody with no cause,” the priest said. “I know in my heart and in the eyes of God I did the right thing.”

But his refusal was enough to start a chain of events that led to Strycharz being placed on administrative leave almost 17 months ago, he said.

The result is a church in limbo and a priest struggling to find a way to rebuild his life.

Strycharz said he did not believe the fact he’s fathered a child led to his being forced out.

“Yes, I do have a daughter,” he said, “the most beautiful gift from God.”

He told the bishop about the child in 2008 and it was agreed the news was to be kept confidential, Strycharz said. However, Dewane blurted it out to the parish at a Sunday Mass just after Strycharz was removed July 23, 2010.

The priest was near tears at times at a Tuesday news conference at which he defended himself for the first time against diocese allegations he misused almost $1 million in church funds, and questions about his commitment to vows of chastity, obedience and his fiduciary responsibility to St. Leo led to the disciplinary actions. The church has about 2,400 families.

“The public statements by the bishop have greatly damaged my reputation,” Strycharz said. “I no longer hold out hope that the bishop will seek the truth or justice in his treatment of me.”

The diocese issued a rebuttal, standing by its story and saying Strycharz’s comments were full of lies.

Strycharz’s failure to dismiss an employee as the bishop requested was not a direct cause of his being forced from his post, the statement said.

“As Father noted in his press conference, he fathered a child and it is in that vein that the concerns of the faithful and the Diocese originated,” it read.

Strycharz was not “absolved” by the bishop for fathering a child, the statement said.

“Bishop warned Father Strycharz that he had violated his priestly promises, and that all relationships must cease,” the statement read. “It was only after proof was presented to Father Strycharz that he admitted to fathering a child.”

But Strycharz painted a picture of a diocese in which the bishop’s word is law, disobedience is not tolerated and compliance was rewarded.

The priest said at a meeting in June 2010 that the bishop once again wanted him to fire the music director, and became agitated when he refused.

The priest said the diocese chancellor invited him to lunch and told him, ‘Stan, if you comply with the bishop’s instructions, you will go far in this diocese,.” Strycharz said

“I make a point of stating this because I believe this is the core of the bishop’s issue with me: I angered Bishop Dewane by not obeying him,” Strycharz said.

The Save the Southwest Florida Diocese, a group of church members and Strycharz supporters, organized the news conference at the Trianon Hotel in Bonita Springs.

They also hired a nationally known forensic auditing firm to study St. Leo finances and come to its own conclusion whether funds were misused.

Michael Crain, a principal of The Financial Valuation Group of Fort Lauderdale, told the audience he had done a detailed investigation of more than 100 hours and filed a 260-page report.

“My firm found no misappropriation of funds at St. Leo’s parish,” Crain said. The diocese’s own accounting firm, Larson Allen, said there were problems based on the opinion there was poor record keeping, but no fraud or misappropriation, he said. Moreover, the diocese was aware of poor bookkeeping practices at the church since 2003, before Strycharz came to the church, he said.

While Crain’s investigation clears Strycharz, the diocese maintains Strycharz had personal credit cards that accounted for nearly $665,000 in undocumented expenses.

Joe Castrogiovanni, a member of St. Leo, said Strycharz should be reinstated or relocated . “I am so fed up with this, what he has done to this poor man,” he said of the bishop. “How Christian is it for the bishop not to forgive him for whatever. Forgive and move on.”