Sept. 11th, 2020.
| R T Friday, September 11, 2020 Dear Parishioners and Friends of St. Francis Parish, What a near-perfect day. Low humidity. Sunshine and cooler. A taste of heaven. I started the day off at Veteran’s Park off of Newfield Street with the local Fire Departments, Police and others. It was a 911 commemoration service. Very impressive. I said the opening and closing prayers. Mayor Florsheim quoted the Catholic mystic Thomas Merton in his talk. The bagpipers are always so powerful. Firetrucks look even bigger when you stand next to them. I then attended the funeral for Sister Consolata at St. Sebastian’s at 10 am. The service was broadcast to her family in Italy. The nun who sang had an awesome voice, professional. Such a treat just to listen to her sing. Fr. James Suholet from the New London area gave a fine sermon. He had met them here in Middletown after he was ordained and became a life long friend. Sister Consolata always made him blueberry pancakes after he said mass for them. I must tell the sisters that I love blueberry pancakes. I took Myron Markowski to lunch at Guida’s in Middlefield (?) Usual hot dog, fries, and soda. I had to pay this time. I can’t believe how much stuff is in the church hall. I’m sure everything will go just fine, as long as the weather cooperates. I think we will begin having a 4:00 pm Saturday evening mass come October. It gets dark and many just don’t like to drive at night. I’ll end with a sad story. A priest embezzling lots of money for his own pleasure. When I read such a story I get really mad. But I know priests are human and subject to temptation and sometimes fall badly. I well remember the words of Father Fox, when I was with him for seven glorious years in St. John in Cromwell, from September of 1975 until June of 1982. “Russ, we only have one set of books here at St. John’s. We don’t have any slush funds or secret accounts. It is not our money. It belongs to the parish.” As I reread this story about this Father Wehrle, I can’t comprehend how this could happen in this day and age …… WILLIAMSTON, MI — An auction was held Saturday at the Lansing-area mansion of a Catholic priest who was accused of embezzling millions of dollars before he died in March while awaiting trial. There were nearly 1,000 items for sale, including about 100 pieces of furniture from the six-bedroom home, the Lansing State Journal reported. “It’s about four sales in one with the amount of stuff that’s out here,” auctioneer Mel White said. Fr. Jonathan Wehrle was pastor at St. Martha Church in Okemos. He lived in a 12,000-square-foot mansion in Wheatfield Township, near Williamston, which included an indoor pool, an elevator, baby grand pianos, a pipe organ, three sets of washers and dryers, and enough kitchen supplies to outfit a restaurant, the newspaper reported. Wehrle was charged with six counts of embezzling $100,000 or more from his church, although auditors said more than $5 million was missing. Police discovered $63,000 stashed above ceiling tiles. Wehrle’s attorney claimed he had family money and an agreement with a bishop, now deceased, to use parish money for a private home. Wehrle died in March at age 69. The Internal Revenue Service, an insurance company, and others are seeking money. “There are a lot of creditors lining up,” attorney Pat Gallagher said. |
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