RNC Confirms Investigation into Member of Parish

The Telegram
March 10, 2014

http://www.thetelegram.com/News/Local/2014-03-10/article-3643691/RNC-confirms-investigation-into-member-of-parish/1

The RNC confirmed today it has received a complaint regarding a member of a parish in St. John’s.

The RNC’s criminal investigation division is conducting an investigation, however, police are unable to discuss any evidence gathered at this point.

The name of the person of interest or suspect will be withheld and will only be released if charges are laid.

While the RNC would not name a person of interest, or the parish, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. John's announced Saturday it has removed Father Wayne Dohey from his position as parish priest of St. Patrick’s Parish.

Dohey has been suspended from all ministerial duties while the archdiocese investigates an allegation of wrongdoing.

The church won't not say what the nature of the allegation is.

In a statement released Saturday, the archdiocese did clarify that the complaint made against Dohey is not related to a court case involving the alleged embezzlement of parish funds.

Archbishop Martin Currie addressed the matter during mass Sunday at St. Patrick's Church and spoke with reporters following the service.

"We received a complaint, and according to our protocol now, when we receive a complaint — because in the past we were accused of not acting on complaints and following up on them — so the minute we received a complaint, we have suspended Father (Dohey) from the ministry and removed him from the parish here, as the investigation is ongoing," Currie said.

Last month, charges of fraud, theft and forgery were laid against Dianne Coady. After hearing from the parish priest in August 2012 about suspected fraudulent activity, the archdiocese ordered a forensic audit of parish finances.

The archdiocese received the results of that audit in January of last year and then turned the matter over to the RNC.