I live in Walnut Creek and the area for a long time.
Being Catholic this really inflames me! We have enough of a bad image because of some priests whom abused children and having to buy off the victims at great expense and now this?
Priests i am afraid have no business acumen to go along with their spirituality and that hurts in the long run.
I once told a San Francisco priest whom was in the middle of trying to save certain parishes from ruin that he should treat his approach as Donald Trump does but don't act like him!

"In God we trust" is on the dollar, but that’s what happens when we start to worship the almighty dollar more than the Almighty! When desperation and opportunity meet and greet, or was it just opportunity and greed? These are tough economic times, and status quo is difficult to maintain. But these are residents of Blackhawk, Danville and Alamo. Hello, is this so? Just as in my last comment about the Pitbull attack that mauled/killed a dog in Blackhawk .When one thinks of Blackhawk, now Danville and Alamo, one does not think, perpetrators of such crimes. Let alone, from embezzling money from their own church and diocese. Actually, they have also stolen the money from the parishioners, for it was their tithing’s that were taken for personal use and expenses, like maybe paying their mortgage. Hmm! It would be interesting to find out. However, it’s becoming clear that crimes have no boundaries of geographic location, religion or social status. It begs to ask, have we reached a point in our society where it’s OK, if you can get away with it? Jesus was betrayed and sold out for 30 silver coins, Dake, Peindo, and Lukban, betrayed Jesus and sold out their church for silver lining. Any act of embezzlement is disdained, but such an act, acted out in the house of the Lord is despicable. “In God we entrusted the help of these three, but now these wayward souls find their fate in the justice system we trust!

WWJD

It amazes me that people really think they can get away with doing things like this. Even if they would have somehow not been caught (that's a WHOLE lot of money not to miss though), how does someone live with themselves for not only stealing such a huge amount of money, but, stealing it from a church?

St. Isidore's is such a lovely parish. I know one of the families who attends St. Isidore's. Such incredible people; my family absolutely adores them.

Let's pray for these people. They are not evil even if what they did was evil. We are all subject to temptation. Let's help each other maintain our guard, our vigil, against whatever temptations we meet in life.

There in lays our moral dilemma, it's not the people it's the act. And yes, the first person Jesus took with him to heaven was a thief hanging on the cross. But the thief was sincerely repentant and acknowledged Jesus was being wrongfully crucified. In this case over half a million dollars was embezzled and their act was not a one time crime of opportunity. It was however, a “crime over time” willful and deliberate and discovered after a nine month investigation. Yes, it is sad, when people have fallen weak from temptation. Again, times are tough and we don’t know what people will do when desperation ensues. But yes, we can have compassion for them and we can forgive them too. However, even for the church forgiveness is not enough as they pursue to right the wrong to get the money back that was wrongfully taken. As the three perpetrators are in the hands of human justice. We can only hope for their repentant hearts to ask God for forgiveness and place their souls in God’s mercy.

As a member of the parish of St Isadora’s I am peeved off. As my company moves me from location to location I change church. This is the third church in 7 years that I have belonged to that has an issue of misappropriation. This is the money that I donate to the church that is being stolen. I know they say donate and forget about what happens to the money after you give, but this leave a very bitter taste in my mouth.

The only reason Police were alerted is due to a slip. Fact is Preachers across Contra Costa County are running a scam, involving selling vehicles and registration fraud. To simplyfiy this, everyone is allowed to sell 5 vehicles a year without a sales license (as a dealer) if 50 people run sales thru their names and allow some one else to sell the vehicles for a %, then one individual can sell 250 vehicles a year or more, and belive me there are thousands of transactions done in this mannor.

The average gross $ on these sales run about $1800.00 that is $450,000.00 annually which makes a nice "TAX FREE" income. Everybody gets a little and no body complains. Police and all other enforcement authorties are inept and most likely could only catch the dummies after all "THEY" law enforcement are nothing but a gang of crooks.

Hard to imagine stealing from one's own Church but guess no place is sacred anymore. One of the perpertrators is my neighbor and hope that it is not true but have a hard time believing it isn't since they investigated for a year!? What took them so long to find out the church was missing $. Hire an accountant and do an audit each year...!

Hi, Adam:
Your comment has been deleted because we don't allow profanity in this forum.