Detroit Free Press
8:22 PM, February 11, 2014
Rev. Timothy Kane
Since 2005, an anonymous benefactor has given $17 million to the little-known Angel Fund to help Catholic priests in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck help people in need in their communities.
The secret angel — a man acting with the support of his family — wanted to eliminate bureaucracy and help inner-city priests deal quickly with the pressing needs of impoverished people. He’ll continue to do so, said Archdiocese of Detroit officials, despite today’s revelation that a parish priest, the Rev. Timothy Kane, is facing charges of defrauding the fund of thousands of dollars.
Kane, 57, who most recently ministered at Madonna and St. Gregory in Detroit and St. Benedict of Highland Park, was charged with six felony counts of defrauding the Angel Fund. Also charged was Dorreca Marvie Brewer, 34, of Jackson.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy alleged that Kane conspired with Brewer from about July 2008 to June 2011 to fill out false applications for grants from the Angel Fund, and that the pair received thousands of dollars in return.
“All we know is that he took money that was intended for people who needed it financially … and diverted it to himself,” Worthy said. “It’s essentially stealing from the church and stealing from God.”
A financially strapped person — someone perhaps seeking assistance to pay for a $50 prescription or $500 mortgage payment — has only to fill out a form and be vouched for by the parish priest to get a grant from the Angel Fund.
The benefactor and his family do not want a lot of bureaucracy to impede people in need from getting financial help.
“It was an honor system,” said Msgr. Michael Bugarin, the archdiocesan official who oversees cases involving clergy misconduct.
A recipient doesn’t have to be Catholic or a parishioner to receive a grant from the Angel Fund, Bugarin said, and approving grants has been “up to the integrity of the priest.”
Auxiliary Bishop Donald Hanchon said the Angel Fund is a resource available to urban pastors and wasn’t widely known to priests serving outside the city. Requests have varied over the years, and as much as $5,000 has gone to pay for medical needs in individual cases.
Archdiocese spokesman Ned McGrath said the Angel Fund does not use any money from parish collections or archdiocesan appeals and stressed it reflects the generosity of the anonymous donor.
Both Kane and Brewer have been charged with six counts relating to embezzlement of between $1,000 and $20,000. An exact amount was not disclosed, nor was the relationship between Kane and Brewer.
Archdiocese officials said Kane was removed last week from his post as associate pastor of St. Moses the Black Parish in Detroit, located at the site of the church previously known as Madonna, because of the investigation. Before a consolidation last year, Kane was associate pastor of Madonna and two other Catholic parishes no longer open for services, St. Gregory and St. Benedict. The Detroit archdiocese became aware of the improprieties in 2012.
Kane was in the spotlight when he celebrated the August 2011 funeral mass for Eleanor Josaitis, the co-founder of the social services organization Focus: HOPE. Kane is to turn himself into for arraignment at Detroit’s 36th District Court on Wednesday.
Another Catholic priest, the Rev. Edward Belczak, was removed a year ago as pastor of St. Thomas More Catholic parish in Troy under suspicion of mishandling $429,000 in parish funds. The FBI and Troy police have been investigating that case.
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Detroit priest, Father Timothy Kane, charged with defrauding Archdiocese charity
MLive (Michigan)
on February 11, 2014 at 3:17 PM, updated February 11, 2014 at 10:14 PM
By
Father Timothy Kane, 57, of DetroitDETROIT, MI — Charitable money supplied by the Archdiocese of Detroit for the needy instead went to an unscrupulous priest and his accomplice, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says.
Father Timothy J. Kane, 57, of Detroit, and accomplice Dorreca M. Brewer, 34, of Jackson are accused of implementing the scheme.
Both are charged with conspiracy to operate a criminal enterprise, a felony that carries up to 20 years in prison; using a computer to commit a crime, a felony that carries up to 20 years in prison; uttering and publishing, a 14-year felony; conspiracy to commit uttering and publishing, a 14-year-felony; embezzlement between $1,000 and $20,000, a 10-year felony; and conspiracy to embezzle between $1,000 and $20,000, a 10-year felony.
Kane is the former associate pastor of St. Gregory the Great and Church of Madonna, both in Detroit; as well as St. Benedict in Highland Park. In February of 2012, Kane was reassigned as a Christian service contractor at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. In July of 2013, he became the Parochial Vicar to St. Moses the Black Parish.
The pair are accused of filing the false applications over a period of four years between 2008 and 2012.
“This fund was set up to assist those who truly needed emergency assistance,” Worthy said. “The evidence will show that Father Kane abused his position of trust. It is especially troubling that someone who has dedicated his life to helping others is alleged to have stolen from the church.”
Kane is expected to turn himself in to be arraigned at the Wayne County 36th District Court Wednesday.
“Arrangements are being made for Defendant Brewer to be arraigned,” the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office said.
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Regarding Father Timothy Kane…
Archdiocese of Detroit website
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb 11, 2014 For more information contact:
Joe Kohn, Director of Public Relations
Kohn.Joseph@aod.org
313-237-5802
The Wayne County Prosecutor announced a warrant charging Father Timothy Kane, who had been serving as associate pastor of St. Moses the Black Parish in Detroit (formerly Church of the Madonna, St. Benedict and St. Gregory the Great parishes), with six felony counts related to defrauding an Archdiocesan inner-city charitable program known as the Angel Fund. Effective last week, Father Kane, 57, was removed from ministry related to these charges.
To address this matter, the Archdiocese of Detroit has scheduled a news conference for 4 p.m. today, Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit.
“We are extremely disappointed and discouraged that a generous source of support for those in dire need in the inner city, an effort known as the Angel Fund, could possibly fall victim to fraud by a member of our own clergy,” said Ned McGrath, Director of Communications. “We have been and will continue cooperating with law enforcement authorities and the Wayne County Prosecutor on this matter, which precludes us from commenting specifically on the case.”
The Angel Fund is a little-known charitable program of the Archdiocese of Detroit that has been funded exclusively by a single, anonymous donor family. Since 2005, the Angel Fund has granted more than $17 million to needy individuals and families in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. As it is funded by a single source, the Angel Fund is not supported by regular donations, such as weekend collections at parishes, the Catholic Services Appeal, or the Changing Lives Together capital campaign.
NEWS CONFERENCE DETAILS
When: 4 p.m. today, Tuesday, Feb. 11
Where: Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward Ave. in Detroit. Enter the office doors off of the parking lot.
Who: The following representatives of the Archdiocese will be available: Bishop Donald Hanchon, Auxiliary Bishop of the Central Region; Msgr. Michael Bugarin, the Archbishop’s Delegate for Cases Involving Clergy Misconduct; Ned McGrath, Director of Communications
Details: Call the Archdiocesan Communications Department at 313-237-5943 or visit www.aodcommunications.org.
BIOGRAPHICAL TIMELINE OF FATHER TIMOTHY KANE
- Dec. 1982 – Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit
- 1982-1983 – Associate Pastor at St. Patrick Parish in Wyandotte
- 1983-1986 – Associate Pastor at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson
- 1986-1992 – Chaplain at Bishop Borgess High School in Detroit
- 1988-2006 – Pastor at St. Rita Parish in Detroit
- 1992-1995 – Associate Director of Archdiocesan Priestly Vocations Office (While also at St. Rita)
- 2005-2006 – Pastor at St. Bartholomew Parish in Detroit (While assigned at St. Rita)
- 2006-2007 – Medical leave of absence
- Nov.- Dec. 2007 – Weekend assistant at St. Benedict, St. Gregory, Church of the Madonna in Detroit
- 2008-present – Associate Pastor at St. Benedict, St. Gregory, Church of the Madonna in Detroit* (*These three churches merged to form St. Moses the Black Parish in July 2013)
- Feb. 6, 2014 – Removed from ministry.