Priest Plea Is Possible March 12 Arraignment Set in Case of Louisa County Priest Accused of Embezzling from Two Rural Churches, by Bill Freehling, The Free Lance-Star, February 27, 2007

Priest Plea Is Possible
March 12 Arraignment Set in Case of Louisa County Priest Accused of Embezzling from Two Rural Churches

By Bill Freehling
The Free Lance-Star
February 27, 2007

http://www.fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2007/022007/02272007/263261

A Catholic priest accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from two churches in Louisa County might plead guilty March 12, his attorney said yesterday.

Rodney Lee Rodis, 50, was in Louisa Circuit Court briefly yesterday to tell Judge Timothy K. Sanner he had hired Louisa attorney Jack Maus to represent him on the embezzlement charge. The judge set Rodis' arraignment for 2 p.m. March 12.

Louisa attorney Jack Maus talks to the press about the Rodney Rodis case outside the courthouse yesterday.
Photo by Dave Ellis/The Free Lance-Star

Maus spoke with reporters outside court after the hearing. He's been reviewing the evidence and said that Rodis "may be in a position to enter a plea on March 12."

Maus also addressed questions about a woman and children who had been living in Spotsylvania County with Rodis, a pastor at St. Jude and Immaculate Conception Catholic churches for 13 years before retiring for health reasons in May.

Spotsylvania court records show that Rodis and 44-year-old Joyce Sillador had lived together in the Sheraton Hills area. There were also three girls living at the Watson Lane home. Neighbors believed Rodis and Sillador were married with children.

The Rev. Rodney Rodis, the Catholic priest accused of bilking two churches out of thousands of dollars, leaves the Louisa County Courthouse.

Maus told reporters yesterday that he could say "very certainly that Father Rodney is not married." But Maus referred to Sillador and the children as Rodis' "family" and noted that there are many forms of relationships other than marriage.

Maus didn't answer questions about whether the children were Rodis' or whether the priest and Sillador had a common-law marriage.

Maus said Sillador and the girls recently moved to New Mexico. He said Rodis, who is free on a $10,000 bond, will stay in Spotsylvania to face the charges. Rodis is a native of the Philippines and had to surrender his passport to get bond.

Many of Rodis' former parishioners were in court yesterday to watch. Most declined comment, noting there was nothing left to say. Rodis also didn't comment but has previously apologized to parishioners by e-mail and asked for prayers.

The investigation began late last year when a parishioner made a $1,000 donation and asked for a tax receipt. There was no record of the transaction. Rodis was indicted on one felony count of embezzlement Jan. 8.

He is formally accused of stealing between September 2001 and October 2006, but state police believe the thefts were going on for years before. Police have said the total amount stolen may have exceeded $1 million.

Rodis is in the United States on a religious worker's visa that expires in 2015. It's possible that he could be deported if convicted of felony embezzlement.

Rodis can no longer present himself publicly as a priest. The Catholic Diocese of Richmond hasn't said whether it will try to defrock Rodis, but the sacraments he gave will remain valid.

Bill Freehling: 540/374-5424
Email: bfreehling@freelancestar.com