A priest who worked at St. Philip Catholic Church in Battle Creek in
the late 1970s has resigned after a financial investigation into two
churches' funds.
According to a Diocese of Kalamazoo news
release Sunday, the Rev. Richard Fritz, 69, resigned Thursday, a day
after Bishop Paul Bradley received an audit report of financial records
at Colon's St. Barbara Mission and St. Mary of the Assumption in
Bronson.
Fritz worked at St. Philip in 1978-80, the release said. He worked at the Colon mission from 1996 to July 2016, and worked at the Bronson church from 1990 until Thursday.
The audit was conducted by an independent accounting firm and found irregularities connected to "inappropriate" checks written between 2010 and this year.
Suspicions were raised about the funds in the spring, and Fritz's access to them was stopped in June.
The release said the diocese is now reviewing records from before 2010 and the Michigan State Police are conducting a separate investigation.
Fritz worked at St. Philip in 1978-80, the release said. He worked at the Colon mission from 1996 to July 2016, and worked at the Bronson church from 1990 until Thursday.
The audit was conducted by an independent accounting firm and found irregularities connected to "inappropriate" checks written between 2010 and this year.
Suspicions were raised about the funds in the spring, and Fritz's access to them was stopped in June.
The release said the diocese is now reviewing records from before 2010 and the Michigan State Police are conducting a separate investigation.