Affidavit: Kansas priest used parish money on cruises, casinos, weight loss expenses
Affidavit shows Fr. Richard Storey stole nearly $160,000 from Curé of Ars Parish using parish credit card and other accounts. Funds were spent on cruises ($77k), casino withdrawals ($24k), travel to Europe and New York ($27k), and medical/retail expenses ($11k+). The priest had resigned as pastor in September 2025 amid separate criminal investigation unrelated to the financial misconduct. He faces a level‑five felony charge for theft of property or services worth $100,000, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
3 months ago
The affidavit released in June 2026 alleges that Fr. Richard Storey, former pastor of Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood, Kansas, misappropriated roughly $160,000 of parish funds for personal travel, gambling, medical, and retail expenses, leading to criminal charges and an internal canonical investigation by the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas. 1
Fr. Storey resigned as pastor in September 2025 after the Prairie Village Police Department notified the archdiocese of a separate investigation involving an adult, prompting a preliminary canonical inquiry and temporary suspension from ministry. 1
The audit of 2021‑2025 financial records uncovered unauthorized charges on the parish credit card, including $77,000 for cruise vacations, about $24,000 withdrawn for casino gambling, $27,000 for travel to Europe and the United States, over $11,000 for medical and dental expenses, and nearly $6,000 for retail purchases at stores such as Jos. A. Bank and Nordstrom Rack. 1
Additionally, the affidavit states Storey wrote checks from the parish fund and used a redacted checkbook, and he made “donations” of more than $30,000 to church fundraising efforts using the credit card, artificially inflating reported totals without generating external contributions. 1
Storey faces a Kansas level‑five felony charge of theft of property or services valued at $100,000 or more, punishable by up to ten years in prison. The Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas has pledged full cooperation with law enforcement and is conducting its own canonical process. 1
The parish plans to file an insurance claim to recover the losses, while the capital campaign he launched—intended to fund roof replacement and interior refurbishment—has raised just over $6.4 million of a $12 million goal. 1
Archbishop Shawn McKnight expressed deep pain over the alleged misuse of resources entrusted by the faithful. Expert Robert Warren, a former IRS investigator, called the affidavit “shocking” and advocated for stronger internal controls, such as multiple personnel overseeing financial transactions, to deter future fraud. 1
Parishes across the United States—including those in Florida, Missouri, New York, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Iowa—have recently faced similar financial misconduct cases, highlighting a growing concern about fiscal oversight within Catholic institutions. 1*
How does the Catholic Church address clergy financial misconduct?
The Catholic Church addresses clergy financial misconduct through a combination of (1) clear identification of financial offenses, (2) governance structures meant to prevent abuse (oversight and accounting), and (3) canonical procedures that can lead to penalties, including removal, always with an emphasis on repairing harm.
In canon law, certain acts are specifically treated as “delicts” in financial matters—meaning juridically defined wrongs that can trigger penalties.
Canon law provides that a cleric who commits an offense in a financial matter, or who gravely violates specific legal stipulations referenced by the canon, is to be punished with the penalties indicated in another canon (can. 1336 §§2–4). It also makes explicit that punishment is “without prejudice to the obligation of repairing the harm.”
This matters pastorally and juridically: the Church’s approach is not only punitive; it insists on justice for victims and restoration where possible.
Canon law also lists concrete financial crimes and patterns of grave misconduct, including:
Canon law further specifies that other kinds of serious culpability—such as grave personal culpability (for the above type of offense) and grave negligence in administering ecclesiastical goods—can also lead to punishment (explicitly including possible deprivation of office in some cases), again without prejudice to repairing harm.
A major way the Church addresses financial misconduct is by reducing opportunities for abuse and increasing detectability.
Canon law requires that in every diocese, the bishop appoint a finance officer who is:
The finance officer is:
Their role includes administering diocesan goods under the bishop’s authority, according to a budget determined by the finance council, and—crucially—submitting an annual accounting of receipts and expenditures to the finance council.
This creates an institutional “paper trail” and internal checks intended to discourage wrongdoing and detect irregularities early.
The Synod of Bishops explicitly connects accountability with the health of the Church’s mission, stating that transparency and accountability should not only be invoked for sexual, financial, and other forms of abuse, but also for a range of governance areas. It also links lack of these practices to clericalism, i.e., the idea that authorities are not held to account like the rest of the People of God.
So, even when canon law provides penalties, the Church also treats structures of accountability as part of the solution.
Pope Francis has emphasized that countering money laundering and terrorism is about monitoring money movements and intervening when irregular or criminal activity is detected. He also highlights Vatican legal measures aimed at transparency, oversight, and competition in procedures for public contracts, and reporting suspicious activities to the Financial Information Authority.
While this text is specifically about Vatican governance, it reflects the broader Church principle that financial integrity requires legal and administrative safeguards, not only internal good intentions.
When prevention fails, canon law provides a juridical pathway for dealing with delicts, including financial ones.
Canon law states that the object of a trial includes:
This shows that the Church does not treat financial misconduct only as a moral problem; it can be addressed through formal legal processes that may end with penalties.
For members of religious institutes (though not limited to clergy, it illustrates core penal-governance principles), canon law requires that after proofs on facts and imputability are collected:
This is an important aspect of the Church’s response: while there is a real willingness to punish, there is also a right to respond based on the collected proofs.
Across these norms and governance expectations, the Catholic approach aims to ensure four things:
The Church’s teaching and law thus treat financial misconduct not as a mere “internal embarrassment,” but as a matter requiring accountability, justice, and lawful governance.