A parish business manager fired last summer after raising concerns to the Erie County District Attorney's Office about finances at a Catholic church in South Buffalo is now suing the parish.Marc J. Pasquale filed a complaint in State Supreme Court arguing that St. Teresa parish on Seneca Street breached its contract with him.The contract runs through 2013, and the complaint said that Pasquale is owed $105,626 in wages and benefits over the remainder of the agreement.When the parish administrator, the Rev. Fred R. Voorhes, declined to fire Pasquale in August 2009, officials with the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo stepped in and removed both Voorhes and Pasquale.Both men had raised concerns to the diocese regarding financial irregularities in the parish under a previous pastor and bookkeeper, including shredded documents and missing computer records and weekly collection sheets.Pasquale, hired in 2008 as business manager and religious education director at St. Teresa, ultimately took his concerns to the DA's office. Shortly after that, he was fired.Diocesan officials have maintained in past statements that there was no malfeasance in the parish and the timing of Pasquale's firing was unrelated to his contacting the district attorney. They have declined to elaborate on the reason for the dismissals.So far, the DA's office -- which has pursued several embezzlement cases in other Catholic parishes and schools -- hasn't lodged any charges in connection with St. Teresa Church.According to the lawsuit, Pasquale was due to earn about $22,500 in base pay, plus health benefits, in his first year on the job and was to get an annual 4 percent raise in subsequent years of the contract.
The suit for breach of contract claims Pasquale was wrongfully terminated without cause or explanation and seeks $105,626 in compensation, as well as court fees.Pasquale said in an interview that he does not wish to punish the parish and wasn't seeking punitive damages. He initially sought to sue the Diocese of Buffalo, but according to nonprofit corporate laws, the parish is considered the defendant party in the case."It wasn't my intention to hurt them in any way. I only want what I was entitled to," said Pasquale, who called his salary and benefits package "very modest.""The irony of the situation is that this was all instigated at a diocesan level and the parishioners end up being the folks left holding the bag," he added.Pasquale remains employed as director of religious education at St. Aloysius Church in Springville. He is being represented by the law firm of Mattar, D'Agostino & Gottlieb.The current pastor of St. Teresa, the Rev. James B. Cunningham, referred a call about the lawsuit to the diocese, which issued a prepared statement."Mr. Pasquale's employment was terminated, it was terminated lawfully, and he is not entitled to any further compensation," the diocese said.
A diocesan spokesman said there was no further comment.
Showing posts with label CHURCH EMBEZZLEMENT BUFFALO. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CHURCH EMBEZZLEMENT BUFFALO. Show all posts
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Guilty plea entered in theft from St. Vincent dePaul Society in Buffalo, New York
Raymond Smyth, a former top official of the Society of St. Vincent dePaul, a charity affiliate of the Buffalo Diocese, pleaded guilty this afternoon to stealing $324,388 of its funds before he resigned from the organization last September. Erie County Judge Sheila A. DiTullio did not give Smyth, 44, a sentencing commitment but allowed him to remain free without bail with the agreement of prosecutors pending his June 14 sentencing.
Smyth, who was chief financial officer of the Main Street charity for 19 years prior to his resignation, pleaded guilty to a single count of second-degree grand larceny and signed a confession of judgment for the full amount of his embezzlement.
Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III and John C. Doscher, chief of the DA's Special Investigations Bureau, said Smyth admitted illegally using society credit cards from July 1, 2002 through last Aug. 31.
The prosecutors said Smyth, of Delaware Avenue, pleaded guilty before indictment to the highest charge a grand jury could have lodged against him for the thefts. Smyth, who faces a possible prison term of up to 15 years, declined comment following his plea proceeding.
Smyth, who was chief financial officer of the Main Street charity for 19 years prior to his resignation, pleaded guilty to a single count of second-degree grand larceny and signed a confession of judgment for the full amount of his embezzlement.
Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III and John C. Doscher, chief of the DA's Special Investigations Bureau, said Smyth admitted illegally using society credit cards from July 1, 2002 through last Aug. 31.
The prosecutors said Smyth, of Delaware Avenue, pleaded guilty before indictment to the highest charge a grand jury could have lodged against him for the thefts. Smyth, who faces a possible prison term of up to 15 years, declined comment following his plea proceeding.
Monday, December 14, 2009
ANOTHER BUFFALO, NEW YORK CHURCH WHISTLEBLOWER LOSES JOB
On November 8, 2009, another whistle-blowing employee who complained to the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo about financial irregularities at St. Teresa of Avila Church in South Buffalo is being removed from her post. Karen M. Krajewski, pastoral assistant at St. Teresa, confirmed that she was asked to leave by the current pastor, the Rev. James B. Cunningham.
Her dismissal follows the removals in August of the temporary administrator, Monsignor Fred R. Voorhes, and the business manager, Marc J. Pasquale.
Voorhes and Pasquale had urged the diocese to examine financial irregularities and questionable bookkeeping practices at the parish, and after Pasquale took his concerns to the Erie County District Attorney's Office in August, both men were removed.
District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III has since launched an investigation into parish finances but has declined to comment on the probe.
Krajewski, who concurred with Voorhes and Pasquale, initially was retained on staff as the parish operated under a temporary priest administrator, Monsignor W. Jerome Sullivan. In September, though, she sent a letter critical of the diocese's actions to Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the pope's representative in the United States, and to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York.
"I knew it was coming. It's a new pastor, and he has a new way of doing things and it doesn't include me," Krajewski said.
Cunningham, appointed by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec last weekend, told Krajewski he planned to hire a deacon instead. Krajewski was not critical of the new pastor.
"You've got to give Father Cunningham some time and some space to figure out what he's doing," she said. "He's an extremely fine man. He's going to be easy to work with. Many of the people at St. Teresa's know him. I think he's going to be good for the parish."
But when asked if the diocese had a role in her dismissal, Krajewski responded that she didn't know if the move was Cunningham's "choice and only his choice."
Cunningham did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
A diocesan spokesman said he didn't think there was any connection between Krajewski's dismissal and the earlier moves by the diocese.
Officials from the chancery weren't involved in the most recent personnel change, said the spokesman, Kevin A. Keenan.
"We weren't aware of the decision by the pastor," Keenan said. "Pastors come in and they oftentimes evaluate their personnel needs and they act accordingly."
Krajewski, a retired school teacher, is scheduled to work at St. Teresa parish through Wednesday.
In her letter dated Sept. 21, she criticized Kmiec's decision to dismiss Voorhes and Pasquale, saying the pair had worked tirelessly to turn a difficult merger between St. Teresa and St. John the Evangelist into a success.
"Parishioners ask daily for Msgr. Voorhes (sic) return — they are hurt, stunned and disgusted with this situation," Krajewski wrote.
Diocesan officials have maintained that the removals of Voorhes and Pasquale had nothing to do with the complaint to the diocese or the district attorney, although they've declined to elaborate, citing personnel issues.
Voorhes also has declined to comment, while Pasquale contends that he was fired for sticking up for parishioners and their pocketbooks.
Voorhes was appointed temporary administrator in the fall of 2008, after the previous pastor, the Rev. James T. Bartnik, suffered a stroke during a meeting in Kmiec's office.
Bartnik also had asked diocesan officials to examine whether there had been financial irregularities at the Seneca Street parish when it was overseen by a different priest and bookkeeper, the Rev. Robert M. Mock and Dawn M. Lustan.
The questionable practices included missing invoices, shredded documents, missing computer records and unexplained charges on a parish credit card, according to Pasquale and other sources. Mock, who now is an associate dean at Trocaire College, and Lustan, who works for the diocese, referred questions to Keenan.
"Something is amiss," said Krajewski, who was hired by Voorhes. "I said that when I came in last October. Within a week, I said something's wrong."
Krajewski said she notified the diocese's director of internal audit, Bruce Evert.
"Records just don't go missing," she said.
Cunningham informed Krajewski of her dismissal on the same day she completed a two-hour interview with forensic accountant Timothy McPoland, who was hired by the DA's office to determine if any embezzlement occurred at St. Teresa.
McPoland also interviewed Evert at the parish, Krajewski said.
The appointment of Cunningham has eased tensions at St. Teresa, said Kathy Frawley, a member of the parish council.
On Nov. 1, Cunningham and Voorhes concelebrated at a Mass, which was followed by a reception for Voorhes.
Nonetheless, some parishioners remain concerned about the issues raised by Voorhes, Pasquale and others — and the diocese's reaction.
"Really nothing has been resolved. It's all being investigated and people still have questions," Frawley said. "(For) a lot of people there's still that cloud. They feel bad about what happened to Father Voorhes and Marc."
Her dismissal follows the removals in August of the temporary administrator, Monsignor Fred R. Voorhes, and the business manager, Marc J. Pasquale.
Voorhes and Pasquale had urged the diocese to examine financial irregularities and questionable bookkeeping practices at the parish, and after Pasquale took his concerns to the Erie County District Attorney's Office in August, both men were removed.
District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III has since launched an investigation into parish finances but has declined to comment on the probe.
Krajewski, who concurred with Voorhes and Pasquale, initially was retained on staff as the parish operated under a temporary priest administrator, Monsignor W. Jerome Sullivan. In September, though, she sent a letter critical of the diocese's actions to Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the pope's representative in the United States, and to Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York.
"I knew it was coming. It's a new pastor, and he has a new way of doing things and it doesn't include me," Krajewski said.
Cunningham, appointed by Bishop Edward U. Kmiec last weekend, told Krajewski he planned to hire a deacon instead. Krajewski was not critical of the new pastor.
"You've got to give Father Cunningham some time and some space to figure out what he's doing," she said. "He's an extremely fine man. He's going to be easy to work with. Many of the people at St. Teresa's know him. I think he's going to be good for the parish."
But when asked if the diocese had a role in her dismissal, Krajewski responded that she didn't know if the move was Cunningham's "choice and only his choice."
Cunningham did not return telephone calls seeking comment.
A diocesan spokesman said he didn't think there was any connection between Krajewski's dismissal and the earlier moves by the diocese.
Officials from the chancery weren't involved in the most recent personnel change, said the spokesman, Kevin A. Keenan.
"We weren't aware of the decision by the pastor," Keenan said. "Pastors come in and they oftentimes evaluate their personnel needs and they act accordingly."
Krajewski, a retired school teacher, is scheduled to work at St. Teresa parish through Wednesday.
In her letter dated Sept. 21, she criticized Kmiec's decision to dismiss Voorhes and Pasquale, saying the pair had worked tirelessly to turn a difficult merger between St. Teresa and St. John the Evangelist into a success.
"Parishioners ask daily for Msgr. Voorhes (sic) return — they are hurt, stunned and disgusted with this situation," Krajewski wrote.
Diocesan officials have maintained that the removals of Voorhes and Pasquale had nothing to do with the complaint to the diocese or the district attorney, although they've declined to elaborate, citing personnel issues.
Voorhes also has declined to comment, while Pasquale contends that he was fired for sticking up for parishioners and their pocketbooks.
Voorhes was appointed temporary administrator in the fall of 2008, after the previous pastor, the Rev. James T. Bartnik, suffered a stroke during a meeting in Kmiec's office.
Bartnik also had asked diocesan officials to examine whether there had been financial irregularities at the Seneca Street parish when it was overseen by a different priest and bookkeeper, the Rev. Robert M. Mock and Dawn M. Lustan.
The questionable practices included missing invoices, shredded documents, missing computer records and unexplained charges on a parish credit card, according to Pasquale and other sources. Mock, who now is an associate dean at Trocaire College, and Lustan, who works for the diocese, referred questions to Keenan.
"Something is amiss," said Krajewski, who was hired by Voorhes. "I said that when I came in last October. Within a week, I said something's wrong."
Krajewski said she notified the diocese's director of internal audit, Bruce Evert.
"Records just don't go missing," she said.
Cunningham informed Krajewski of her dismissal on the same day she completed a two-hour interview with forensic accountant Timothy McPoland, who was hired by the DA's office to determine if any embezzlement occurred at St. Teresa.
McPoland also interviewed Evert at the parish, Krajewski said.
The appointment of Cunningham has eased tensions at St. Teresa, said Kathy Frawley, a member of the parish council.
On Nov. 1, Cunningham and Voorhes concelebrated at a Mass, which was followed by a reception for Voorhes.
Nonetheless, some parishioners remain concerned about the issues raised by Voorhes, Pasquale and others — and the diocese's reaction.
"Really nothing has been resolved. It's all being investigated and people still have questions," Frawley said. "(For) a lot of people there's still that cloud. They feel bad about what happened to Father Voorhes and Marc."
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