"No matter what your station, it is unacceptable to help yourself to other people’s money and violate their trust. If you commit a crime, status as a religious leader will not protect you from federal prosecution," said U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman. The admission marked a sharp fall for Brown, a prodigious fundraiser who has sat on at least 11 charitable boards and helped raise untold sums for inner-city Catholic schools in Passaic and Paterson. He resigned today as pastor of St. Vincent de Paul, which he led 18 years. At his request, Brown will be reassigned to a parish in a poor section of Paterson to work until his sentencing, scheduled for Feb. 9. "To the great number of people who respect Monsignor Brown and hold him in high esteem for his many good works, this admission brings sorrow and pain," said Richard Sokerka, a spokesman for the Diocese of Paterson. Brown’s guilty plea comes roughly four-and-a-half years after Rev. Joseph W. Hughes admitted stealing $2 million from Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in Rumson. Charles Zech, a Villanova University economics professor who specializes in church finance, said it is a common problem for religious institutions of all faiths. Too often, he said, congregations put sole financial discretion into the hands of spiritual leaders without proper safeguards. “No would think that a pastor would embezzle, so we don’t have controls in place like they do in the business world,” Zech said. With his ebullient charm, Brown has long been popular among parishioners at St. Vincent, a bustling church with a prosperous congregation. A large stone sits at the doorstep of the rectory, engraved with the words: "Monsignor Brown is rock solid." The priest has also long been a fixture in the halls of Morris County government. He spent 25 years as chaplain of the Morris County jail. He delivered the invocation at virtually every county government reorganization meeting for a decade. Even after news of the FBI probe became public last year, Brown was
Page 249
2010 Media Report Villanova School of Business