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| Church Cash May Be Missing Preliminary Audit Finds 'Grave Concerns,' Brookfield Parishioners Are Told By Marie Rohde Milwaukee Journal Sentinel May 9, 2008 http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=749196 [with link to the letter from the Rev. Paul Hartmann] A preliminary audit of a large Brookfield Catholic church has raised "grave concerns" about the possibility that cash donated during weekly services over an extended period could be missing, parishioners were told in a letter sent by the parish administrator. Father Paul Hartmann, pastor of St. John Vianney in Brookfield, declined Friday to speculate on how much money could be missing or over what period of time it could have been taken. Neither police nor the Waukesha County district attorney's office has been involved in the investigation. Three members of the parish, one of the largest in the Milwaukee Archdiocese, began the preliminary inquiry in early December, a short time after then-pastor Father Leonard Van Vlaenderen was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine, a misdemeanor. He entered a no-contest plea to the charge and is scheduled to be sentenced this month. The three parishioners, who were not named, asked that professional outside auditors be called in for a more detailed analysis of parish finances after finding patterns that raised concerns, Hartmann said. The accounting firm that has been hired to do the job is Virchow, Krause & Co. In his letter, Hartmann cautioned parishioners not to jump to conclusions. "Sadly, since there are yet no definitive proofs about the degree of the problem or who, if anyone, is culpable, the very act of keeping you informed sets the stage for more speculation and rumors," Hartmann wrote. "I implore all of you: Please do not start down that path." The cause for concern, he said, is circumstantial but grave enough that archdiocesan officials, church lawyers and insurers as well as the district attorney's office and police could be involved. Hartmann said Friday that the investigation is going back to at least 2000, not because it appears that problems go back that far but to provide a basis for comparison. Still, it could be difficult to ascertain the depth of the problem. Some parishioners may have stopped giving cash because changes in federal tax law now require proof of donations; a change in the Mass schedule also could have resulted in a different pattern. For now, the connection to Van Vlaenderen is only the timing of his arrest and the examination of the books, Hartmann said. Kathleen Hohl, speaking for the archdiocese, said Archbishop Timothy Dolan is aware of the situation and is supporting the parish but said the investigation is being handled internally by the parish. The parish has about 8,500 members, Hartmann said. Van Vlaenderen, the former priest-secretary to now-retired Archbishop Rembert Weakland, was arrested by St. Francis police in the parking lot of a vacant commercial building Dec. 8. Contact: mrohde@journalsentinel.com |
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