GUILTY MI - Two brothers, both priests, removed amid church finance scrutiny

[AzPistonsGirl]

wow, 27 months for stealing over half a million dollars from people who knew and trusted this guy for over 30 years. Infuriating.

He is humiliated because he was caught, not because of what he did.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

wow, 27 months for stealing over half a million dollars from people who knew and trusted this guy for over 30 years. Infuriating.

He is humiliated because he was caught, not because of what he did.

Touche! Perhaps it's better late than never to learn the virtue of humility. Pride goes before the fall.

While reading comments to the various media reports on the sentencing, I was shocked and saddened that some parishioners at STM can't seem to wrap their brains around Father Ed's guilt. The sheeple have been so duped by Belczak's "charismatic image" that they consider his crimes to be alleged indiscretions The priest pleaded guilty to fraud, admitted that he stole the money from the parish, and was sentenced to 27 months in Federal prison. There are none so blind as those who will not see.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Sentence for Father Edward Belczak

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec 1, 2015

For more information contact:
Joe Kohn, Director of Public Relations
Kohn.Joseph@aod.org
313-237-5943

Father Edward Belczak Subsequent to entering a guilty plea in September to misusing hundreds of thousands of dollars belonging to St. Thomas More Parish, Father Edward Belczak was sentenced today in federal court to 27 months in custody and ordered to pay $572,000 in restitution...

http://www.aod.org/our-archdiocese/.../december/sentence-for-father-edward-belczak/

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

EDWARD BELCZAK
Register Number: 50019-039
Age: 70
Race: White
Sex: Male
Located at: Lewisburg USP
Release Date: 12/21/2017

http://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/

https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/lew/

 

[SweetT]

Oh, it doesn't surprise me at all! There are always parishoners who, even in the face of facts, rationalize it all away when it involves the parish priest.

This is why the Catholic Church is dying out in this country. Unchecked behavior by priests, enabling parishoners and everyone above the parish level looking the other way. Who can respect that? Not me.

Yep it's true as disturbing as it may seem. I know two instances. One in which the pastor of a church went off on a missionary thing in Brazil and met a brazilian woman there, leaving his wife for her. His church accepted it...he even stayed the pastor. The wife was a good friend of mine and I told her that I felt it was wrong and the people of the church who went along with it were wrong too. Nicest woman you could have ever met. So sorry for her
The other one, a girl left her husband for his brother...Yep you read that right, and the church actually took her side against her own husband, who ended up leaving the church after they treated him so badly and pretty much pushed him away, choosing her side over his. I knew these folks and he was not a bad guy, probably stupid for letting his brother straight out of prison come around but, she was just a jezebel. SO sad for him too.

I always wonder why the church stands up for the wrong persons...disturbing to me.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Sentence In Scam Next For Ex-Manager Of Catholic Parish

February 1, 2016 9:35 AM

TROY, Mich. (AP) – The former manager of a Catholic church in suburban Detroit is returning to court for her sentence in a case that brought scandal to the prosperous parish.

Janice Verschuren kept her divorced husband on health insurance at St. Thomas More Church in Troy at a cost of $26,000. She’ll get her sentence on Monday in Detroit federal court...

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2016/02/01/sentence-in-scam-next-for-ex-manager-of-catholic-parish/

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Ex-manager of Troy church gets probation

Jennifer Chambers, The Detroit News 12:05 p.m. EST February 1, 2016

The former manager of St. Thomas More Church was sentenced to a year of probation Monday, telling the judge she was ashamed of her behavior in a case that brought scandal to the prosperous Oakland County parish.

Janice Verschuren, 68, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor insurance fraud for keeping her divorced husband on health insurance at the Troy church at a cost of about $26,000.

“I deeply regret what I did, and I accept full responsibility,” Verschuren told U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Tarnow, who sentenced her and ordered her to pay full restitution to both the church and the insurance company, which totaled about $25,983.

“I want to apologize to the court, the church and the community. I am so very sorry. I am ashamed,” she said...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2016/02/01/church-sentencing/79641824/