| Was Rose's Saint really a scheming sinner? | ||||||
| In God & priest she trusted but suit says man of the cloth duped her out of 500G | ||||||
Msgr. John Woolsey, 66, pastor of St. John the Martyr Church on the upper East Side, abused his influence as spiritual adviser to the late Rose Cale to satisfy some unholy greed, the lawsuit claims. "As a Catholic, I am outraged by the conduct at issue in this case," Janet Naegele, executor of Cale's estate, told the Daily News yesterday. "Priests and pastors, who are revered by their parishioners, should not accept large personal gifts from them." Cale died in January 2003 at 88. But before she passed away, her friend Naegele, a Manhattan accountant, uncovered evidence that the priest was trying to swipe the elderly woman's entire $1.3 million fortune, the suit contends. The lawsuit also names the Archdiocese of New York as a defendant, claiming Edward Cardinal Egan should bear responsibility for Woolsey's alleged "reprehensible conduct" and establish rules to prevent similar incidents. "We haven't seen the lawsuit yet, so I can't respond to that," said archdiocesan spokesman Joseph Zwilling. Zwilling also declined to vouch for Woolsey, saying, "That's between the estate and him." Woolsey could not be reached for comment last night. Calls left for his attorney, Christopher Houlihan, were not returned. Parishioners and colleagues of the veteran priest were stunned by the charges. "He's a very good person," said Laura Aponte, 50, a member of Woolsey's flock. "He wants to help people. I don't think he would take advantage of anyone." The Rev. Michael Greene added, "I know nothing of the charges. ... I don't want to hear." The lawsuit, filed yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court, claims Woolsey bilked Cale of a total of $490,000 in cash and stock, and at one point had her designate him the sole beneficiary of her estate. Cale had inherited her fortune, her estate said. The lawsuit says Woolsey "exercised undue influence on Miss Cale and was able to manipulate her to his personal gain." Cale gave Woolsey $100,000 to buy a condo on the Jersey Shore, the suit contends. The priest also got Cale to make $241,500 in charitable donations to St. John the Martyr by telling her the money was needed for expenses, such as replacing the organ, court papers say. "These representations of material facts by Msgr. Woolsey were false, known by Msgr. Woolsey to be false ... " the lawsuit says, adding that the priest allegedly used Cale's donations for his personal use. Cale, who never married or bore any children, began attending Woolsey's E. 71st St. church in 1997, upon becoming disillusioned with another parish, said attorney Brian Caplan, who is representing her estate. Caplan, from the Manhattan law firm Goodkind, Labaton, Rudoff & Sucharow, said Cale lived with her elderly brother on E. 77th St. and attended Mass every day until her death. She grew close to Woolsey, who showed her more attention than just hearing her confessions and giving her Communion, the lawsuit claims. "Over time, Msgr. Woolsey interjected himself into Miss Cale's daily affairs of both a personal and a business nature," said the suit, adding that the priest often would dine with Cale and accompany her to medical appointments. He also would write letters to Cale, signing them "Love, Monsignor Woolsey," the suit contends. Then, in 1999, Woolsey allegedly told Cale of his "hopes and plans" to buy the condo on the Jersey Shore. She responded by giving him $100,000, according to the suit. Property records reviewed by The News show Woolsey bought a $100,000 condo in the Channel Club Tower in Monmouth Beach, N.J., in 1999. Caplan said Woolsey has since sold the condo. Also in 1999, Woolsey got Cale to transfer her stock portfolio with Prudential Securities into an account with both their names that his broker established, according to the suit. Then, in May 2000, Woolsey allegedly persuaded Cale to write a will naming him the sole beneficiary, the suit claims, adding that church personnel witnessed her signing the document. The will would have left Cale's 87-year-old brother, Frank, who is frail and nearly deaf, with no means of sustenance except Social Security, the suit claims. When Naegele found out about the will, she immediately had Cale void it and write another making her the executor, she said. Naegele said that when she confronted Woolsey about the $490,000 he allegedly took from Cale, the priest told her he accepted only $80,000. Naegele said yesterday that the case shows how easily "parishioners can ... be manipulated by those individuals from who they seek spiritual guidance, particularly the elderly." |
| Father Flim Flam a target |
| DA to probe 500G 'gift' |
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"We are looking into it," Sherry Hunter, a spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, said yesterday. A suit filed this week charges Msgr. John Woolsey, 66, with abusing his influence over the late Rose Cale to line his pockets - and buy a Jersey Shore condo - with her cash. Woolsey had no comment, and one source at St. John the Martyr said the pastor was advised to see a doctor about a heart condition after the news broke. But the big-bucks scandal swirling around Woolsey was the talk of the parish yesterday, in the pews and from the pulpit. "Our concern should be, first of all, to pray for monsignor and everyone involved," the Rev. Joseph Baker told worshipers at afternoon Mass. Outside, the flock was divided. "I wish I could shout through a megaphone," said Maria Rhodes, 50, who went to the rectory to see Woolsey yesterday after her father died. "I would proclaim that he's a great priest, a compassionate soul, an extraordinarily decent man. I would stake my life on this man's reputation." Others were rattled by the lawsuit. "I won't lose my faith but I might lose trust in this church," said Lourdes Tajiri, 66, a St. John's parishioner for more than 40 years. "I have no children and I was considering giving my estate to this church when I died," Tajiri added. "I'll be reconsidering that now. This has totally shocked me." The lawsuit, filed by the executor of Cale's estate, claims Woolsey "induced" the trusting octogenarian to give him $490,000 in cash and stocks over three years. He's accused of using $100,000 to buy a condominium in Monmouth Beach, N.J., in 1999 - a swank property he resold for $276,000 a few months ago, records show. The lawsuit also names the Archdiocese of New York, which said only that it is "looking into" the allegations. The Catholic League, however, rushed to Woolsey's defense, mocking the idea that the priest - who once ran the archdiocese's Family Life office - is a conniving hornswoggler. "It is one thing if a clergyman shakes down a member of his flock, quite another if he takes a gift that has been voluntarily given to him," said Catholic League President William Donohue, a friend of Woolsey. A St. John's source described Cale as a cantankerous but kind and generous woman who enjoyed a "father-daughter" relationship with Woolsey. "I once jokingly made a comment asking for $100,000 for repairs to the organ and said if anyone had a check, I'd like to hear from them. She was outside my door immediately, saying, 'Don't take it from anyone else,'" the source said. "I think [Woolsey] has been imprudent, maybe even stupid, but there is no reason why he could not accept gifts." Originally published on July 14, 2004 |