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"SUGAR DADDY" PRIEST CHARGED W/ LOOTING CHURCH FUNDS FOR GAY LOVER: Rev. Backs Principal In Lawsuit
NY DAILY NEWS ^
| 6/21/02
| MIKE CLAFFEY
Posted on 06/21/2002 7:15:35 AM PDT by Liz
Queens parochial school principal who angered Catholic Church leaders by accusing a priest of looting school coffers to pay for a gay lover has won the backing of a prominent local Catholic educator.
"Your courage in stopping this outrage, even at the risk to your own employment, has taught all of your pupils a lesson they will long remember," the Rev. Richard Van Houten, president of Archbishop Molloy High School in Jamaica, wrote to Barbara Samide.
Van Houten went so far as to hint in the letter that he would come to Samide's rescue if she is ousted as principal of St. Elizabeth School in Ozone Park.
"If we have an opening in your field, we would be honored to have a person of your integrity on our faculty," he wrote.
"Your actions and the tragic inaction of the clergy underscore the need to end the culture of secrecy and the lack of accountability in the church," he added.
Samide, 39, blew the lid off a simmering tale of alleged sin and theft of school funds in a lawsuit filed in Queens Supreme Court on Wednesday against Brooklyn Bishop Thomas Daily and the Diocese of Brooklyn, which also runs Catholic parishes in Queens.
The suit charges that the vicar for southern Queens, Msgr. James Spengler, repeatedly ignored Samide's complaints that the Rev. John Thompson stole thousands from St. Elizabeth School coffers and spent much of it on a 19-year-old male go-go dancer he met at a Greenwich Village nightclub.
In addition, the suit charges that Thompson used his church-issued American Express card to pay for trips to a Florida nudist resort and a weekly visit to a Village massage parlor.
Samide states in the suit that Thompson, 50, spoke openly about being a "sugar daddy" to a teenage "houseboy," and moved his lover into the St. Elizabeth rectory in January 2001.
Samide, who joined the school in September 2000, also charges that Thompson stole $14,000 in profits from a school candy drive.
Frank DeRosa, a spokesman for the Brooklyn Diocese, insisted yesterday that Samide's job is not in jeopardy, adding, "She is the principal of the school."
The Queens district attorney's office has empaneled a grand jury to investigate the charges of missing funds. Samide is expected to be the star witness before that panel.
DeRosa said the church will "fully comply" with prosecutors' request for the school's financial records.
Thompson resigned from the parish March 23 and is living with his family.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: abortionlist; barbarasamide; bishopdaily; brooklyn; catholic; catholicchurch; catholiclist; catholicschools; clubbing; dioceseofbrooklyn; gogodancer; greenwichvillage; homosexualagenda; homosexuality; homosexualpriests; newjersey; newyork; nightclub; nyc; playboypriest; priest; priestfag; prolife; queens; sexcrimes
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To: Plutarch
This is shocking! Who did this Priest think he was? A U.S. Congressman (D-MA)? Bwaney is definitely a role model (barf).
41
posted on
06/22/2002 4:08:35 AM PDT
by
Liz
To: Liz
When they throw this Rot out into the street they should handcuff Bishop Daily to him when he goes.
I really can't believe this story hasn't been acted on by the Idiots of the Church who are "in Charge"
DISGUSTING!,
42
posted on
06/22/2002 5:53:32 AM PDT
by
chatham
To: Siobhan; agrace; Alberta's Child; Antoninus; BeforeISleep; Betteboop; bioprof; Black Agnes; ...
According to an article in THE WANDERER, April 25, 2002, the Bishop of Paterson, Frank J. Rodimer, sold off Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, NJ, in order to pay off a family to settle a case of Child Abuse. He also kept on Fr. Lou Scurti who was arrested from being "caught in the act" with another priest from St. Luke's Church, Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ and a retired full-bird Colonel on Route 3 and Broad St., Clifton, NJ, a popular hangout for homosexuals. Fr. Lou kept his position as a teacher at DePaul High School, Wayne, NJ. He is now a chaplain at William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ. Can you imagine a Bishop allowing a practicing homosexual priest to remain teaching at a high school? What kind of Bishop does the Diocese of Paterson have? Fr. Lou, an artist, was also responsible for demolishing former/deceased Bishop Lawrence B. Casey's chapel shortly after Rodimer was named bishop. The chapel was magnificent, and Scurti removed all of the beautiful artwork, including framed paintings and frescoes depicting the crucifixion; the high altar was dismantled and replaced with a modern altar.
Catholic Campus Ministry Center of William Paterson University
Fr. Lou Scurti
Bishop Frank J. Rodimer, Diocese of Paterson
43
posted on
06/22/2002 9:36:18 AM PDT
by
Coleus
To: Coleus
The devils themselves
44
posted on
06/22/2002 9:44:55 AM PDT
by
Siobhan
To: chatham
"When they throw this Rot out into the street they should handcuff Bishop Daily to him when he goes. I really can't believe this story hasn't been acted on by the Idiots of the Church who are "in Charge" DISGUSTING!"Chatham, you took the words right out of my mouth. But rest assured: Every one of those people who are exposed will be GUILTY. The Holy Spirit is heading up this little clean-up drive, so expect to see lots of names revealed. We beg the Lord every day in our prayers not to stop with this cleansing until it is finished to HIS satisfaction. Pray! Pray! Pray!
45
posted on
06/22/2002 9:55:06 AM PDT
by
redhead
To: redhead
We beg the Lord every day in our prayers not to stop with this cleansing until it is finished to HIS satisfaction. Pray! Pray! Pray!
AMEN. AMEN. AMEN!
46
posted on
06/22/2002 10:12:42 AM PDT
by
Siobhan
To: Coleus
...The chapel was magnificent, and Scurti removed all of the beautiful artwork, including framed paintings and frescoes depicting the crucifixion; the high altar was dismantled and replaced with a modern altar.Sounds like what FORMER Archbishop Rembert Weakland did to St. John the Evangelist Cathedral in Milwaukee last summer BEFORE he was forced to resign in a similar case -- stealing $450,000 of dioscesan funds to pay for the silence of a gay lover. Weakland replaced the crucifix with a pipe organ as the center of attention for the worship space.
To: Siobhan; Liz
Thanks for the ping S. This priests should not be defrocked, but put in the slammer. This is beyond belief.
To: Alberta's Child
many of the most perverted freaks the human race has ever produced have spent the last 30 years functioning as Catholic priests. ...but not ALL.
There's always Bill Clinton.
49
posted on
06/22/2002 12:50:07 PM PDT
by
ninenot
To: RightOnline
Also happened about 5 years ago in California. However, the priest in question THERE did not steal the candy-drive proceeds.
50
posted on
06/22/2002 12:51:19 PM PDT
by
ninenot
To: Puddleglum
feely-mcneely US Catholic bishops.They felt up McNeely, too? Who's HE???
51
posted on
06/22/2002 12:52:51 PM PDT
by
ninenot
To: afraidfortherepublic
Word's out that Rembert is now the subject of intense IRS and Wis Dept of Rev scrutiny; the payment is most likely income to Rembert (even though it went directly to the grifter,) and Berty will have to cough up $200K or so in total Fed, State taxes, penalties, fines, and interest.
Also heard that someone will file a complaint against Flynn (the lawyer) w/Lawyer's Ethics Board. Flynn obviously represented Rembert's interests, NOT the interest of the Archdiocese, WHICH PAID FOR HIS SERVICES.
Fun's just beginning.
52
posted on
06/22/2002 1:00:29 PM PDT
by
ninenot
To: Angelique
....priests should not be defrocked, but put in the slammer. This is beyond belief..... Course, I could be wrong, but Thou Shalt Not Steal, I believe, is still one of the "Ten Suggestions."
53
posted on
06/22/2002 1:45:59 PM PDT
by
Liz
To: Coleus
According to an article in THE WANDERER, April 25, 2002, the Bishop of Paterson, Frank J. Rodimer, sold off Pope Pius XII High School in Passaic, NJ, in order to pay off a family to settle a case of Child Abuse. Does anyone have a citation to The Wanderer where I might be able to find this article?
54
posted on
06/22/2002 1:51:41 PM PDT
by
07055
To: ninenot
All riiight! It's about time. Wembert got away with so much, for so long, and destroyed so many, for so long.
55
posted on
06/22/2002 1:51:52 PM PDT
by
livius
To: madg
People are hurting over this, theres no need to make a circus out of it.
Fear not; a lot of us Protestant/Fundamentalist types are in your corner.
Here's hoping that Gov. Frank Keating will stay the course and force a fair,
efficient cleaning of the house.
(I was an Oklahoma resident for most of his first term...he's a guy who could do the job.)
56
posted on
06/22/2002 1:57:06 PM PDT
by
VOA
To: 07055
It doesn't appear to be online. Here are the two articles online for that date:
Law And Order In Boston By FARLEY CLINTON 4/25/2002
The Church In The U.S.A. Needs A Papal Legate By FR. ATHANASIUS 4/25/2002
Found here:
Wanderer Archives
57
posted on
06/22/2002 1:57:30 PM PDT
by
Aliska
To: madg
To St. Elizabeth's parishioners:
I don't think anybody meant to attack you. It's certainly not your fault that this guy was your pastor. You must all be really, really upset now, though. (I worked for years with a woman who grew up in St. Elizabeth's, btw.)
But you can bet that your fellow Freepers have only sympathy and prayers for you. Many of us have been through this, in one way or another, in our own parishes, so we certainly understand.`
Keep the faith!
58
posted on
06/22/2002 1:58:05 PM PDT
by
livius
To: Liz
Thou Shalt Not Steal, I believe, is still one of the "Ten Suggestions"The parishioners should have a set of its own comandments for the Church, starting with Thou shalt not have any strange priests before me.
To: Angelique
The parishioners should have a set of its own comandments.....starting with Thou shalt not have any strange priests before me. Strange is right.....this guy was a yo-yo.
60
posted on
06/22/2002 2:40:16 PM PDT
by
Liz
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