Cops: Priests kept secret accounts for the good life

[Herman Munster]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15646208.htm

DELRAY BEACH - Detectives on Friday served more search warrants and uncovered more secret bank accounts as they continued to pore over the financial records of two South Florida priests alleged to have mishandled $8.6 million in church donations.

''The dollar amount is constantly changing,'' Detective Thomas Whatley said.

A 15-month investigation by Whatley and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement came to a head Wednesday night when they charged former St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church pastors John Skehan and Francis B. Guinan with grand theft over $100,000.

Skehan and Guinan are believed to have diverted millions of dollars from collection plates and other donations to the church during the past 42 years.

Guinan, ordained in 1966, served at Epiphany, St. Michael the Archangel and St. Hugh in the Miami area from 1969 to 1975, according to the Diocese of Palm Beach. He also was pastor of Christ the King in Perrine in the early 1980s.

[survivor999]

1. Good summary of what

organized religion is all about: getting your money into their pockets. Sorry about the cynicism.

[Joanie Baloney]

3. If the shoe fits....

These priests would buy it. Never apologize for well-targeted cynicism. Used judiciously, it's a wonderful tool. And religion is always fair game.

;)

JB

[Sherman A1]

2. Glad they got them

similar situation happened at my Mom's church a few years back and it just about tore that parish apart between the "Priest can do no wrong crowd" and the "I think lots of dollars are missing group". Oddly enough the priest suddenly resigned and ran off with the church secretary if memory serves.....