Authorities are looking into the suspected theft of over $600,000 from a parish in Ontario, resulting in the pastor being temporarily removed from his duties during the investigation.
Father David Collins, O. F. M. Conv., has been the pastor at St. John Parish within the Archdiocese of Kingston since at least 2017.
On June 13, the archdiocese shared that “[a] financial issue has come to light regarding Friar David’s use of the accounts of St. John Parish.”
Archbishop Michael Mulhall of Kingston stated that an investigation was initiated due to “significant financial irregularities” found in the parish’s accounts.
Following questioning on this matter, Mulhall mentioned that Fr. David has returned to his Franciscan community in Toronto. In his absence, another priest, Fr. Tim Shea, will provide sacraments at the parish until a new pastor is appointed this fall.
A letter dated July 10 from the archbishop was sent to local members of the Franciscan community with updates regarding this situation.
“A review of all parish accounts extending back to 2019 has determined that over $630,000.00 has been taken from the parish accounts through the issuing of irregular cheques,” said the letter obtained by The Pillar.
“The vast majority of the 1,196 irregular cheques issued were from the General account, and 3 cheques were issued from the Mass account,” it continued.
“At this time, it is unclear where all of the funds were distributed. The police are now investigating,” stated the letter.
The Archdiocese of Kingston did not respond to The Pillar’s request for comment on this matter.
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Robert Warren, an assistant professor of accounting at Radford University and a retired IRS investigator who specializes in theft and fraud cases within religious contexts, told The Pillar that while details about this case are limited, it seems like there weren’t enough financial controls at play within the parish.
Warren has advocated for years for implementing internal controls to help prevent financial fraud in parishes and other Catholic institutions.
Some measures he recommends include involving multiple individuals in financial transactions and record-keeping to make committing fraud more difficult.
This isn’t just an isolated incident-many parishes across America have experienced embezzlement cases lately.
Parishes located in Florida, Missouri, New York, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Iowa have also faced similar financial crimes recently.
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