Homily
by the Most Reverend William E. Lori, S.T.D.
Bishop of Bridgeport
Saint Michael the Archangel Parish and Saint Timothy Chapel
Greenwich
January 20-21, 2007

Introduction

As Mass concludes this morning, you will receive a letter from Father Michael in which he shared with you the news of his resignation as your pastor. This is difficult news indeed so I came here to be with you at all your Sunday Masses to assist in a very difficult time and to share with you what has led to this sad but necessary decision.

For some 14 years, Father Michael has served this parish with dedicated, pastoral love. He has been with you in your joys and sorrows, in your dilemmas and doubts, in your hopes and dreams, helping you all the while to grow in love of God and neighbor. He has brought his many talents to priestly ministry and has put those gifts at the service of your parish and school, and at the service of many others in this Diocese and beyond. And in recognition of his priestly love and his many talents, Father Moynihan remains a priest in good standing, a functioning priest, and in the days ahead we will be discussing options for a new priestly assignment.

At the same time, however, after a long and thorough process, I have reluctantly but firmly concluded that any new assignment will not entail financial administration, particularly in this time of the Church's life when financial transparency is an essential quality of those who would exercise the office of pastor. For a few moments let me share with you why this decision was reached and how, together, we can build on Father Michael's good pastoral work while thoroughly overhauling parish financial administration.

A Thorough Process

In 2002, I published a Parish Finance Manual and directed that all parishes regularly undergo an internal financial review, conducted by the Diocese. In early 2004, Saint Michael Parish was in fact reviewed. This review indicated the need for substantial improvements, and accordingly it made important recommendations to strengthen parish finances - basic things like preparing a budget, documenting expenses, and securing the services of a qualified accountant or business manager. We received assurances from Father Moynihan that those recommendations were being implemented.

Last July, as part of a pilot program in which most parishes in the Diocese will be annually reviewed by external public accounting firms, I directed that Saint Michael's again be reviewed, but this time by a major public accounting firm. It was my expectation that this review would last only a couple of weeks, find substantial improvements since the 2004 review, and offer further recommendations to strengthen the controls and procedures of your parish finances.

Unfortunately that was not the case. Soon after that review (by an external auditing firm) began, the Diocese received a call from civil authorities concerning two unreported, off the books, bank accounts. Without Father Michael's cooperation, the Diocese managed to track down one of those accounts, with activity totaling approximately $ 1.4 million, and used by Father Michael for a variety of expenses. Sad to say, it was opened only days after the 2004 diocesan (internal) financial review was completed. It was unknown either to the Diocese or the Parish Finance Council. After this account was discovered, Father Michael repeatedly assured us there was no other hidden account.

This discovery of at least one hidden account caused the external auditing firm to expand its review into a full-fledged investigation. In spite of the clear violation of a reasonable diocesan policy - that there is to be only one operating account and that any and all off-the-books accounts are strictly forbidden - I still hoped that all the expenses in the newly discovered account would be documented or in some way corroborated and would prove to be entirely appropriate. Unfortunately, such documentation was difficult to secure. Throughout this process, I also sought the help of the Parish Finance Council with whom I have met many times during these past six months. Eventually, the external auditor was satisfied that the majority of expenditures in that account, more than $800,000, was demonstrably used for the parish and the school. But there remain categories of expenditures, totaling more than $500,000, which, after six months, have proven difficult to support. To put it mildly, parish financial records were badly tangled and at points not yet well explained, parish finances were intertwined with Father Michael's personal finances. We hope to provide more complete information to you when the process is concluded.

Now as this situation began to unfold, I decided, early on, in August 2006, to remove Fr. Michael from the financial administration of the parish to safeguard parish funds. In fairness, as a brother priest, I wanted to give him every opportunity to provide the documentation and explanations the external auditor was seeking. Father Michael did provide some additional documents and explanations and the gap of unexplained expenditures narrowed - somewhat. As that happened, I continued to hold out hope that this nightmare, and it is a nightmare, might possibly have a happy ending. But that was not to be. For in late December, five months into this process, the other off-the-books account - the one Father Moynihan assured us did not exist - was discovered by the Diocese. This was a very sad discovery, the last thing I wanted to hear - but it led me to the inescapable conclusion that, despite all his talents and priestly generosity, Father Michael was simply unable or unwilling to lead the parish to a new day of financial accountability and transparency. And it is the role of the Pastor to provide just this kind of leadership.

So just before New Year's, I discussed with Father Moynihan the advisability of his voluntarily resigning as pastor, for his good and for the good of the people he had served and had grown to love so deeply. Father Michael assured me that he never intended to harm either the Parish or the Diocese and that he would continue to work with the external auditor to explain and document as much as possible. He also said that, to the best of his ability, he would contribute back to the parish in recognition of any expenditures that at the end of the day, remain unsupported. I offered him further opportunity for prayer, reflection, and consultation with trusted friends and advisors and I also met with him several more times. He concluded that resignation was the right thing to do.

Moving Forward

I tell you all this and today share with you the preliminary report of the external auditor because I want you to understand as fully as possible what has led to his difficult decision, and because I seek your prayers for Father Moynihan. I also share these things to help us move forward in the days ahead. In this spirit, I have appointed Msgr. Peter Cullen, Vicar General, to serve as Administrator of Saint Michael Parish, and he and I will continue to meet with parish leadership. Msgr. Cullen will expand membership on the Parish Finance Council and vigorously implement the financial procedures and controls put in place for all 87 parishes in the Diocese. At the same time, Msgr. Cullen will be a good shepherd to you, helping you through the confusion, anger, and sorrow many of you are bound to experience by this unwelcome news. I encourage you to share your questions and concerns with him. I will also make myself available to you to assist in the healing process. Let me also assure you of my concern for Greenwich Catholic School. Tomorrow there will be trained counselors from Catholic Charities on hand to meet with faculty and students who request to do so. We will also work with you to ensure that its excellent programs continue and that the school will be brought to a new level of excellence.

In today's second reading (I Corinthians 12:12-30), Saint Paul speaks of the variety of gifts the Spirit distributes - including gifts of teaching, healing, and administration. It seems to me we will need all these gifts in abundance in the days ahead and that means we will need and welcome your participation in building on what is sound and restoring what is not. In taking the difficult step of resigning, Father Michael sought to maintain the unity of this parish and I am seeking the same thing, because only when we are united in faith and love, united in the truth, can we heal more quickly and continue to grow as the Body of Christ.

I am sorry, truly sorry, to bring you such tough, bad news this morning. I also realize I've been dealing with this since last July in a sincere and protracted effort to bring about a very different outcome; and most of you are only hearing today about all this. I realize how difficult it must be to process this news. I will be in the back of Church after Mass to greet and talk with you, as will Msgr. Cullen, Nancy Matthews, the Chancellor, Father Dariusz, the Vice-Chancellor, Norm Walker, the Chief Financial Officer, and members of your Parish Finance Council, and others. Please pray for Father Michael, and pray for the priests who serve you here: Father Kennedy, Father Connolly, and Father Quinlan, and now in a special way for Msgr. Cullen. And please pray for me even as I assure you of my prayers and heartfelt love for this parish community. Thank you for listening, God bless you!

To read the Press Release, Timeline, and Summary of Preliminary Findings, click here.