Internal Investigation Shows Two Nuns Allegedly Embezzled Funds from St. James Catholic School

By Nathaniel Percy
Beach News
December 11, 2018

http://tbrnews.com/news/internal-investigation-shows-two-nuns-allegedly-embezzled-funds-from-st/article_8498ce2e-f439-11e8-bb66-5ff4d33f6f44.html

St. James Catholic Church in Redondo Beach (file photo)

An internal investigation at a South Bay Catholic school found that two nuns who worked there allegedly misappropriated a “substantial” amount of funds for personal use over a period of years, a letter sent to school families Wednesday said.

It wasn’t immediately clear how much was stolen from St. James Catholic School in Torrance. A specific time period also wasn’t provided by authorities.

One of the sisters had recently retired, according to a church newsletter.

Msgr. Michael Meyers, the pastor at St. James Catholic Church in Redondo Beach, said in the letter that Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, the nuns’ order, is cooperating with the parish and the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to determine exactly how much money may have been taken by the pair.

The church in Redondo Beach oversees the operations of the elementary school located 2 miles away in Torrance.

“Our community is concerned and saddened by this situation and regret any injury to our long relationship with the families of the school,” the Order said in a statement. “The Sisters of St. Joseph both desire and intend to make complete restitution to St. James School.”

The discovery was made during financial reviews in connection with a change of leadership at the school, Meyers said in the letter. No other staff members were implicated or responsible, he wrote.

The parish alerted the Torrance Police Department, Meyers wrote, but the Archdiocese does not intend to pursue criminal proceedings against the sisters. Instead, it “plans to have the Archdiocese, the School and the Order address the situation internally through the investigation, restitution and sanctions on the Sisters.”

“At our School, we have initiated additional procedures and oversight policies for financial management and reporting responsibilities,” Meyers wrote.

The letter said the misappropriation of funds did not affect students, programs or any educational resources. It was not immediately known how the money was stolen and from what specific funds.

The two sisters have expressed deep remorse and asked for the forgiveness and prayers of members of the parish, the letter said.

The archdiocese is still investigating the matter, spokeswoman Adrian Marquez Alarcon said.