Michigan Priest Charged With Stealing $700,000 From Church

HNGN ^ | Apr 24, 2014 | Oulimata Ba

[Gamecock]

A Catholic priest in Michigan has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars from a church in Troy, including money donated by the family of a dead parishioner.

Reverend Edward Belczak and another church administrator were indicted for theft of $700,000 from the St. Thomas More Church in Troy and the Archdiocese of Detroit between 2004 and 2012, The Detroit News reported. The pair allegedly concealed the theft by forging documents to the Archdiocese that showed the parish's expenses to be a lesser amount than it really was.

Belczak, 69, and his accomplice, 67-year-old Janice Verschuren, face several charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to the indictment released Wednesday. Both face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty, the newspaper reported.

The money included donations given on Mother's and Father's Day, as well as a $350,000 donation to the church from the relatives of a parishioner who passed away.

Supporters of Belczak, described as a popular priest who has touched many lives, are not convinced of his guilt. He has been a pastor for over 30 years.

"He's presumed innocent and the conclusion is he is innocent," Jerome Sabbota, the priest's attorney, told The Detroit News. "We haven't seen any evidence. All we hear are allegations."

The priest reportedly used some of the stolen funds to pay for a $500,000 condominium in Wellington, Florida several years ago. Prosecutors placed the condo under a forfeiture suit two days before the indictment, the newspaper reported.

The Archdiocese did not offer specific details about the pending case against Belczak and Verschuren, but the two have not worked at the parish in over a year.

"The archdiocese will continue to cooperate with authorities as this matter moves through the courts," Archdiocese spokesman Joe Kohn told the newspaper in a statement. "As such, there is nothing more the archdiocese can or will say at this stage in the proceedings."

In the meantime, Belczak continues to serve other churches in the area, according to The Detroit News.

[Biggirl]

Yet ALL churches have their weekly church collections.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

Protestants take Luther’s non-biblical doctrine of “the Bible ALONE” very seriously. Yet most don’t realize that his teaching isn’t found in the Bible.

This is somewhat understandable for people raised in the faith.

But what about Protestants who know that Luther’s dogma isn’t in the Bible?

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

If there exist so many verses that support Luther’s non-biblical doctrine of “the Bible alone,” surely you can cite one.

I’m asking because I’ve read the Bible from beginning to end twice, and I’ve never found a single verse.

[Gamecock]

Please show me where Luther said that.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

So Luther didn’t promulgate the dogma of Sola Scriptura? I don’t understand your point.

His followers seemed to believe it:

Consider, for instance, the words of Jacob Andreae—words that were written as part of an attempt to unify “second generation Lutherans” in the late 1570s: “We believe, teach, and confess that the only rule and guiding principle according to which all teachings and teachers are to be evaluated and judged are the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments alone…Other writings of ancient or contemporary teachers, whatever their names may be, shall not be regarded as equal to Holy Scripture, but all of them together shall be subjected to it…”[2]

[cloudmountain]

I've always heard people and other priests say "Father." I don't often hear the titles unless they are Bishop, Monsignor, Cardinal or Pope. Even then, it's easier for some just to say "Father" as that includes all priests at all times.

It's especially helpful when one forgets the name of the priest. "Father" covers it all.

[Gamecock]

I don’t understand your point.

Let me refresh your memory.

You posted Has anyone ever found Luther's dogma of "the Bible ALONE" in the Bible?

I simply asked for a source for your statement.

So I suppose my point is this: Do you have a source for Luther, not Jacob Andreae, saying this?

[Alex Murphy]

Reverend Edward Belczak and another church administrator were indicted for theft of $700,000 from the St. Thomas More Church in Troy and the Archdiocese of Detroit between 2004 and 2012, The Detroit News reported. The pair allegedly concealed the theft by forging documents to the Archdiocese that showed the parish's expenses to be a lesser amount than it really was. Belczak, 69, and his accomplice, 67-year-old Janice Verschuren, face several charges including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, according to the indictment released Wednesday. Both face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty, the newspaper reported.

Catholics could learn a thing or two from Evangelicals.

Connecticut priest convicted of embezzling $1 million dies of cancer (Catholic Caucus)
Vatican hit by economic downturn: official figures
The pitfalls of shrouded finances [Charlie Feliciano, former lawyer for the Cleveland diocese]
SHOCK: $100K Gone, $1M Owed, Nudist Priest
Priest with secret marriage pleads guilty to half-million-dollar embezzlement
Priest facing 12 more counts
Bishops look at fleecings of flocks
Pilfering Priests
Spotsy 'family' had neighbors fooled
Priest accused of theft ($600,000 from two small churches in Virginia)
Priest says ill-gotten money went to school
AP: Priest May Have Misspent $1.4 Million (So He Could Live Lavish Lifestyle With His "Partner")
Spending at parish soars with new priest
Diocese hid $400,000 embezzlement from public

"If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.... He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft....if a man delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods..."

-- Exodus 22:1-7 (excerpted)

[Gamecock]

SHOCK: $100K Gone, $1M Owed, Nudist Priest

So is this another naked priest? Not the jogging naked one?

[Biggirl]

Code of Canon Law REQUIRES each parish to have a parish financial council:

http://www.worcesterdiocese.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=s3-ydXt4hBM%3D&tabid=645

[Biggirl]

http://www.catholictranscript.org/about/210-just-where-does-all-that-church-money-go.html

[Biggirl]

Please see posts 50 and 51. Thank-you.

[prairiebreeze]

Thank you for the clarifications.

[NoKoolAidforMe]

Your statement is spot on.