Bishop Michael Barber has released the following statement to the parishioners of Church of the Assumption Parish and the faithful of the rest of the Diocese of Oakland:
On Oct. 23, the Diocese of Oakland provided information to the Alameda County District Attorney requesting an investigation into suspected financial improprieties at Church of the Assumption in San Leandro. The information is in the form of a forensic accounting report, completed by an independent firm engaged by the Diocese. The Diocese engaged the firm after the parish finance council discovered the perceived financial improprieties and irregularities.
The report indicates the likelihood of misappropriation of funds by a former lay employee. The individual is no longer employed by Church of the Assumption or in the Diocese. There were no other people implicated by the report. No further details will be provided until the district attorneyʼs office concludes its investigation. The Diocese is cooperating fully with law enforcement and intends to seek restitution.
The Diocese is also reviewing its procedures regarding training of clergy and lay employees in financial controls to determine how it can improve its efforts to avoid similar situations in the future.
“This matter represents a serious violation of the trust, generosity and stewardship of our faith community,” Father Leonard Marrujo, parochial administrator of Assumption Parish, said. “I understand we will need to improve our adherence to strict standards of financial controls and work very hard to regain the trust of our parishioners.”
The above comes from a Dec. 1 release by the Diocese of Oakland.
No amount cited? Al too often parishes assume some one will never betray a trust. Simple two person control procedures can prevent this. As the IRS says, In God we trust; all others we audit.
hire an accountant every quarter. .. Its cheap ..an hourly rate ..to go over the lay persons books…A lay person should always be able to be accountable every 90 days…
Each parish is required by canon law to have a functioning Finance Council. In the diocese the money collections are to be counted by a different team each week, never from the same family, and no more than once a month or so. The person who counts the money should give the money to another person who makes out the deposit slip, and a fourth person should take it to the bank. The bank receipt should be posted in the monthly financials. When this kind of event occurs, it is the fault of the pastor, who is not doing his job. By the way, many churches have found that a team of three should take the money from the baskets and deposit them in a safe during mass. It’s not complicated and it is not expensive, just prudent. Now, if yoiu really want to have a safe system, take the checkbook away from the pastor, have his office submit vouchers to the accountant, and have the monthly financial reviewed by the Finance Comm. Parishes need processes that require all expenditures, other than payroll, over a certain limit, say $500 to be approved by the Finance Comm before spending the money.
why has this not been followed up? Has this person been arrested?