One Milwaukee business is crying foul against the
Catholic Church, a week after the archdiocese released scathing details
on its long sex abuse scandal.The problems, however, have nothing to do with assaults.
North Side Coal & Oil Company supplied fuel to three Catholic cemeteries for decades.
"It's for machinery. Basically the lawnmowers, weedeaters, backhoes, anything that they would use. Pickup trucks. Dump trucks. Anything they would use within the cemetery," explained Steven Pitel, the company’s general manager.
The money stopped coming in years ago, and the church owes the company more than 10-thousand dollars.
Pitel contacted TODAY’S TMJ4 after watching an interview last week with Archbishop Jerome Listecki.
Listecki discussed a $57 million fund set aside to defray the costs of maintaining those cemeteries.
"...it's our responsibilty on the part of the leadership that that money is set aside for that purpose and and basically it's protected," Listecki said.
Pitel wants to be paid. He sees his shop as yet another victim of the church.
“I don't think they'll ever do business with us, at this point, but we'd like to see the money,” he said.
A church spokesperson tells TODAY’S TMJ4 the Archdiocese has its hands tied.
Companies included in the church’s bankruptcy proceedings - which includes North Side Coal & Oil - won’t be paid until a judge approves plans for Chapter 11 reorganization.