El Paso bishop sues priest to recover funds missing from parish

his mother must be very pleased:

from the article, among much more wrongdoing by this opus dei wonk:
. . .a grotto?

Notice: NO Saint Vincent De Paul Society supplying clothing and food to the poor, despite the several homeless I walk around in El Paso, and despite getting hundreds of thousands of dollars deposited into its unobserved, idle account?
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"Beginning in 2009, the lawsuit alleges, Rodriguez solicited donations from parishioners for the construction of a grotto, to renovate the exterior and interior of the church, to buy new church bells and repair and to renovate the kitchen and garage of the parish hall.

Rather than being deposited in the Investment Trust, most of the donations were improperly deposited into the San Juan Church St. Vincent de Paul Society account. The building projects were then completed without the knowledge or approval of the bishop.

While the St. Vincent de Paul Society account had been established before Rodri guez's appointment as administrator, it was not an authorized account for the payment of expenses associated with building projects. And during Rodriguez's time at the church, the society -- which helps needy families financially and offers them clothing and furniture -- did not have a chapter at the church, the suit alleges.

None of the donations were solicited for the society. Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges, the funds were deposited in the society account to keep them secret.

Through his canon lawyer, Rodriguez admitted paying $20,000 from the St. Vincent de Paul Society account to repair the church roof in 2010, according to the lawsuit. Records from the St. Vincent de Paul account show that building projects were routinely being paid from donations deposited in the account, the suit states.

Other violations occurred during 2009, 2010 and 2011, when the priest solicited money from parishioners to construct a new altar and to renovate the sanctuary to comply with the ancient norms of the Roman Rite, the suit alleges.

Rodriguez, again, did not get permission from the bishop for the project and deposited the money in the St. Vincent de Paul account and had checks written to him to keep them secret, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also claims that Rodriguez admitted paying $20,000 from the account to an architect to design the renovations to the sanctuary without informing the bishop.

In November 2009, the diocese conducted an internal review of the church's finances and asked Rodriguez to disclose all accounts. Rodriguez failed to disclose the St. Vincent de Paul Society account, the suit states.

By that time, according to the lawsuit, Rodriguez was heavily involved in mishandling donations and had started to use donated money for unrelated projects, such as paying his sister-in-law (David Rodriguez's wife) $5,000 for the operation of a bookstore and to conduct home-schooling at the church.

The suit says that starting June 1, 2010, Rodriguez began opening various certificates of deposits.

On Dec. 10, the suit alleges, Rodriguez deposited $100,000, which was a donation for the renovation of a church sanctuary in the first CD. Rodriguez continued to make a series of deposits and withdrawals, the suit says. On March 17, 2011, Rodriguez withdrew $209,159, the suit says.

Also, on June 1, 2010, Rodriguez opened a second CD and deposited more than $200,000 in April 2011, the suit says. Both CDs showed that upon his death, they would be paid to his mother, Beatrice T. Rodriguez, the suit says."

I'd like to sue lots of bishops to recover the funds they have used to coverup and otherwise prevent fair and equitable treatment of victims of abuse by their clerical brothers.

Where can I do it?

this unfolding story is receiving a lot of coverage in El Diario de El Paso, whose articles are repinted in its sister newspaper El Diario de Juarez. Apparently this move was finally made by Bishop in his last days in office and Father Rodriguez is counting on the new biahop to make it all go away and move him back to the parish he bilked with his brother and mother for nine years. Rodriguez also claims it is all lies. Rodriguez was one of a group of right wing politicians in town who moved to have the mayor's election voided with a revote posted for a few months from now, activating the right wing base to vote against the excellent mayor of El Paso. Rodriguez has also done a lot of publicity, including newspaper ads and the like, not only on this issue but also diversity, etc.

while hiding hindreds of thousands of dollars