Posted on 07/06/2010 8:58:23 AM PDT by JoeProBono
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest in Connecticut was charged Tuesday with stealing $1.3 million in church money over seven years to use for male escorts, expensive clothing and luxury hotels and restaurants.
The Rev. Kevin J. Gray, former pastor at Sacred Heart/Sagrado Corazon Parish in Waterbury, was arrested and charged with first-degree larceny, Waterbury police said. Arraignment was expected Tuesday in Waterbury Superior Court....
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Nice try from Lucifer, but he will never destroy the Church.
I just never cease to be amazed at the conduct of some, not all, of these Catholic priests and their superiors. It is just sickening.
The answer to your question can be found at http://stopbaptistpredators.org
Tuesday, July 6, 2010 3:14 AM EDT
Police say priest had secrets
Gray accused of stealing from church to pay for male escorts
BY JONATHAN SHUGARTS | REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN
The Rev. Kevin Gray pictured in front of Waterbury’s Holy Land. Republican-American archives
WATERBURY — To many of his supporters, the Rev. Kevin Gray is a humble servant of God who helped those in need, sacrificed for his flock and preached the Gospel at Sacred Heart Church in sermons described as soul-touching.
But police say a months-long criminal investigation has revealed the 64-year-old Gray was leading an extravagant double life that his parishioners never knew about.
That secret life included male escorts hired in New York, $200,000 in restaurant bills — including dinners at Tavern on the Green — and hotel stays in the lap of Manhattan luxury, expenses amassed by Gray and paid for with the church’s money, police say.
Detectives say they discovered Gray, a well-respected Catholic priest and former leader of several city parishes, siphoned roughly $1.3 million from Sacred Heart to pay for a lavish lifestyle usually reserved for the wealthy.
Gray is expected to surrender to police today on a felony charge of first-degree larceny, a crime that could lead to 20 years in prison. Police say for the past seven years he cut checks from the church bank account to pay for designer clothes by Armani and overnight stays at Madison Avenue hotels, among a list of other expenses.
Although police believe Gray told his congregation he was battling cancer, detectives have determined Gray has never had cancer.
“I think that’s how he explained his absence from the parish,” said Capt. Christopher Corbett, a police spokesman.
Police have investigated Gray since May, when the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford came across financial “discrepancies” during an internal investigation. Archdiocese officials presented their findings to police, who say they’ve confirmed Gray embezzled the funds.
That was my thought, too, though I'm glad it was the Diocese that finally contacted the police.
Does the Diocese allow Parishes to have Finance Committees, which oversee the Parish budget, and make sure bills are paid, etc? If so, that committee should have caught something like this within the very first year, and dealt with it.
"Police have investigated Gray since May, when the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Hartford came across financial “discrepancies” during an internal investigation. Archdiocese officials presented their findings to police, who say they’ve confirmed Gray embezzled the funds."
I think priests would be better at their jobs, too, if they were experiencing first-hand some of the things others are dealing with in their sexual relationships. Inability to overcome in sexual relationships is what causes a lot of breakdown in marriage and, thus, social problems IMO.
The $1.3 mil over seven years, equates to over $185,000 a year, which equates to over $15,000 a month, or more than $500 a nite - FOR SEVEN YEARS. And no one that he was associated with noticed?
“is that it is driving people from religion”
Separating the wheat from the chaff.
A faithful priest IS strong in self-discipline; he HAS to be to live his celibate life. He can only get that from continual prayer on his part, and on OUR part, as his parishoners.
As for dealing with problems in marriages, the priest hears more about sexual problems, as well as all other problems, than almost anyone else on the planet, except possibly marriage counselors. He can provide an unbiased 'third party' to whom couples can go, as individuals, and believe that he's not taking the side of the other party.
I'm talking about the kind of self-discipline involved in relationship which a priest does not walk in. The kind of strength a man needs to discipline his desires, yet make a woman's desires come to pass.
A priest does not walk in these kinds of dynamics day by day so doesn't have the knowledge to counsel others. This is why the catholic clergy is confused and drawing effeminate men to the priesthood. If they'd allow real men in they would be a great example to families and social justice issues would not be so much to the fore IMO.
You could say it was all about the pretty pictures of the "ripped" Jesus and Saints, but, if that were the case, the Eastern Orthodox would be gayer than the audience at a Liza Minelli concert.
Self discipline is so much more than dealing with sexuality, but dealing with one's own is more important than worrying about another's desires. There will always be priests who have difficulty with celibacy, for the same reasons that some married men have difficulty with faithfulness. We are fallen creatures, in need of constant help from the Lord to live out our vocations.
Not so with married men...or strong married men. It's all so often that it is "another's desires" that is the only thing that will help a man deal with his own. Women have often been called a "civilizing influence" for this reason.
Just because something has gone on for centuries doesn't make it right or in need of reform. I stand by my belief that a good married man will often have more of a basis to counsel in social issues (much of which have a basis in the sexual realm) than a celibate priest.
It's largely for this reason exactly that the Church requires celibacy of her priests. The Church knew, long ago, that if a man is married, he is going to put most of his efforts into his marriage and family, as he should. Being a priest in a Catholic parish requires one's full attention to be on the Parish, and its members, so not being married means he doesn't have those family needs vying for his attention and efforts.
Yes, there are denominations that have done fine with a married priesthood, but the Church has been served well for centuries with celibate priests, and the Lord will provide workers for the harvest, if we keep our trust and our eyes on Him.
Again, both illegitimacy and the current problems would be alleviated by allowing priests to marry IMO, thus drawing a lot of quality men into the priesthood. As you noted, priests in other demoninations do just fine at balancing work and family. In fact, this can allow a priest to have even MORE insight into what afflicts suffering people whom they must counsel. Marriage is not a lesser state.
You missed my point on this one.
The Church is made up of sinful human beings in constant need of redemption and forgiveness. After all, Jesus chose, as the leader of His Church on earth, the man who he knew would deny him three times, when the going got tough.
Some of those sinful people are men who hear a call to the priesthood. I have no illusions that any priest is a perfect human being; my parents taught me that they deserve my respect, as long as they continue to earn it, but they're no holier, or better, than anyone else.
I know that some priests will disappoint the Church, and her people, but the vast majority serve God's people with willing and cheerful hearts, and these men deserve our continued thanks and prayers.
I don't think the argument is whether or not priests are perfect. I think everyone knows they are not. No one expects them to be, but we certainly don't want them to fall below what good society regards as wholesome.
There is too much of a belief among many that enforced celibacy ensures some kind of higher spirituality. This is not true and other branches of christianity know it.
I would say most Catholics don't believe that, though they do know that it requires a higher level of prayer life in order to sustain a life of celibacy. That higher level of prayer life gives the priests the strength to serve our Lord, it doesn't make him any better human being than any other.
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