NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire Union Leader
By MARK HAYWARD
New Hampshire Union Leader
MANCHESTER — The right-hand man to former Manchester Bishop John McCormack is slated to appear in a Manchester courtroom this morning to be sentenced for stealing thousands of dollars from the Catholic church diocese, Catholic Medical Center and the estate of a fellow priest.
The Rev. Msgr. Edward J. Arsenault III has already signaled his intent to plead guilty to the three felonies, and his lawyer and prosecutors have agreed to ask Superior Court Judge Diane Nicolosi for a four-year prison sentence.
Last May, the Diocese of Manchester announced that it had suspended Arsenault from his priestly duties, citing both illegal financial transactions and an “inappropriate adult relationship.”
Some details of the investigation are expected to be disclosed this morning:
• Court records at this point only say that Arsenault stole more than $1,500 in each of the three thefts charges he faces. The amount is the legal benchmark that makes each theft a Class A felony; the exact sums are expected to come out in court today, said Jane Young, a prosecutor in the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office.
• Less will likely be revealed about the CMC investigation. Young said Arsenault’s role in the CMC theft will be dealt with today. But the investigation is continuing, and that includes whether anyone else will be charged in the crime, she said.
• It’s unclear how much information will come out about the adult relationship. While not a criminal matter for Arsenault, the relationship appears to be a violation of the pledge of celibacy that a priest takes.
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