Officials in New Jersey have charged a former parish financial director with the theft of more than half a million dollars in church funds.
Joseph Manzi has been charged with second-degree theft by unlawful taking after he allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from St. Leo the Great Parish in Lincroft.
Manzi was the subject of an August lawsuit by the parish in which he was alleged to have “systematically, secretly, and dishonestly utilized parish funds for his own personal benefit.” The civil suit claimed he had stolen upwards of $1.5 million.
In an Oct. 17 press release, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s office said Manzi had been officially criminally charged with the theft. Platkin in the release said Manzi used the funds “not to feed his family or for some kind of emergency, but to live a more lavish lifestyle.”
Manzi stopped working at the Lincroft parish in June of this year, the office said. Afterwards, church staff reviewed credit card statements and found “numerous unauthorized charges that were determined to allegedly be for Manzi’s personal benefit.”
The state alleged that Manzi used stolen funds for “event vendors, vehicle repairs, financing, and purchases, including a Cadillac SUV,” as well as purchases such as luxury clothing, sports event tickets and “chartered fishing trips.”
Manzi is facing up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $150,000.
It was not immediately clear why the prosecutor’s office charged Manzi with about $1 million less in theft than the August civil suit alleged. The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Oct. 18 seeking clarification on the figures.
On its website, the St. Leo parish said the controversy “will not prevent Saint Leo the Great Parish from working every day to live our mission – to serve Parishioners and the community in God’s name with the greatest of love and compassion.”
“We ask you all to stand together in our shared faith and to pray for a swift and just conclusion to this troubling chapter,” the parish said.
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Spokane, Wash., Nov 8, 2019 / 02:25 pm (CNA).- For the second time in two days, a federal judge on Thursday said the Trump administration’s conscience protection rule for health care workers violated the law.
St. Mary’s School in Fredericksburg, Texas. / Credit: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Seattle, Wash., Mar 24, 2025 / 15:40 pm (CNA).
A $1 billion “school choice” proposal moving through the Texas Legislature could dramatically expand private education and home schooling in the country’s second most populous state, winning praise from Catholic leaders while raising concerns among some public school advocates.
The legislation would create education savings accounts (ESAs) of about $10,893 per student — calculated as roughly 85% of what public schools receive per pupil — and allow home schooling families to collect $2,000 per child. Crucially, the bill does not include any income cap, prompting debate over whether higher-earning parents should also benefit from state funds.
If passed, the bill could trigger an influx of students to Catholic schools, the largest private school network in Texas. According to Helen Osman, communications consultant for the Texas Catholic Conference, there are 240 Catholic schools in the state educating approximately 62,000 students, but they have room for 25,000 more.
“This legislation would give more families access to Catholic education, allowing parents to exercise their fundamental right and responsibility to find the best education for their children,” Osman told CNA.
In recent guidance, the state’s bishops said the bill meets key criteria they support, such as accreditation-based accountability, strong religious liberty protections, and a focus on aiding low-income families.
Despite that endorsement, critics worry about the bill’s impact on public schools, which rely heavily on attendance-based state funding. If families move their children to private or home-based education, fewer dollars remain for the 5.5 million students in the public system.
Lawmakers on the left argue that wealthier Texans stand to benefit disproportionately, while supporters insist that today’s inflationary climate affects a wide range of households.
Home-schoolers could also benefit
Home-schoolers who opt in to the program would receive $2,000 per student. Anita Scott, education policy director for the Texas Home School Coalition, told CNA in an interview that parents appreciate the financial relief.
When asked about those home schooling families wary of a potential increase of state oversight, she said they’ve “been invited to the table to make sure the bill is functional for home-schoolers.”
“If parents are still uncomfortable, they can opt out. Families want to be in charge of what’s placed in front of their children. They deserve that freedom, whether or not they take state funds,” Scott said.
Meanwhile, conservative advocates, including Mandy Drogin of Next Generation Texas, say these education savings accounts would not siphon money from public school coffers.
Mandy Drogin directs the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s “Next Generation Texas” campaign. Credit: Courtesy of Texas Public Policy Foundation/screenshot
“So first off, the money for the education savings account does not come from any education-related funding,” Drogin said. “It’s from state revenue funds, especially the surplus, and does not in any way remove or defund the public schools.” Proponents also argue the competition will elevate academic quality for all students.
The House plan differs from the Senate bill, which establishes a flat voucher amount rather than pegging it to public school funding. Both proposals prioritize children with disabilities and expand home-based education support, but lawmakers must reconcile those differences if they intend to finalize a single policy.
Gov. Greg Abbott, who has made “school choice” a central priority this session, predicts a final compromise before the legislative term ends in June.
Nationally, Catholic leaders are also backing the Educational Choices for Children Act (ECCA), a federal bill offering $10 billion in tax credits to donors who fund K–12 scholarships. They view it as another avenue to help low- and middle-income families afford private education, especially in states restricted by “anti-Catholic” Blaine amendments.
Two years ago, voucher bills floundered in the Texas House. This year, more lawmakers appear open to ESAs, thanks to retirements and electoral changes that have brought additional supporters into the chamber. Many see this shift as pivotal in moving the House bill forward.
Gov. Abbott of Texas signed a law banning transgender procedures for children. Credit: Carrington Tatum/Shutterstock
Observers note that negotiations are likely to produce amendments, especially regarding details such as special education funding or income-based priorities.
Should legislators vote it into law, the program would become one of the country’s most expansive voucher-style initiatives, lauded by supporters as a boon for educational freedom and criticized by opponents as a drain on local school budgets.
With the political momentum behind school choice stronger than it has been in years, the debate over whether affluent Texans should tap taxpayer-funded ESAs remains a key sticking point — and one that could shape the future of education in Texas for years to come.
Why every parish is not required to have an annual EXTERNAL audit is beyond me. When I was my diocese’s Director of Catholic Charities we were subject to an annual EXTERNAL audit. This is yet another good reason not to give a dine to your parish, diocese, USCCB, or Peter’s Pence. Give your donations to a worthy AUDITED Catholic charity or have the nibey you give to your parish placed in a restricted account.
Deacon, thank you! As a practicing CPA, I TOTALLY agree with your comments! In my diocese there have been a number of these incidents. My firm promotes internal control advisory services, etc. at no charge to the diocese, parishes, to no avail. Your recommendation should also include Catholic high schools, etc. Part of the problem is the lay employees who stand in the way of this. I, too, follow your recommendations and in my estate planning for clients penalize parishes who have had this problem. A number of years ago, Catholic Charities in Cleveland had two different embezzlements going on simultaneously! Yet, the bishops insisted that we ignore it and continue to give to it. Again, thank you!!
JML: Thanks for recounting your experience as a CPA. Here’s a piece of anecdotal, seemingly innocent, recounting of my own. I was having lunch one day with another deacon from my parish who happened to be employed by the parish. When it came time to pay the bill, he offered to pay using a credit card in the parish’s name. I was appalled and told him that I’d pay my tab with my personal credit card. I’ve often remarked that if the Catholic Faithful thought that the clergy sexual abuse was a scandal, I’d hate to think their reaction if they were aware of all the thievery that takes place in the Church by people in the Church having access to the money. They’d be shocked!
Why every parish is not required to have an annual EXTERNAL audit is beyond me. When I was my diocese’s Director of Catholic Charities we were subject to an annual EXTERNAL audit. This is yet another good reason not to give a dine to your parish, diocese, USCCB, or Peter’s Pence. Give your donations to a worthy AUDITED Catholic charity or have the nibey you give to your parish placed in a restricted account.
Deacon, thank you! As a practicing CPA, I TOTALLY agree with your comments! In my diocese there have been a number of these incidents. My firm promotes internal control advisory services, etc. at no charge to the diocese, parishes, to no avail. Your recommendation should also include Catholic high schools, etc. Part of the problem is the lay employees who stand in the way of this. I, too, follow your recommendations and in my estate planning for clients penalize parishes who have had this problem. A number of years ago, Catholic Charities in Cleveland had two different embezzlements going on simultaneously! Yet, the bishops insisted that we ignore it and continue to give to it. Again, thank you!!
JML: Thanks for recounting your experience as a CPA. Here’s a piece of anecdotal, seemingly innocent, recounting of my own. I was having lunch one day with another deacon from my parish who happened to be employed by the parish. When it came time to pay the bill, he offered to pay using a credit card in the parish’s name. I was appalled and told him that I’d pay my tab with my personal credit card. I’ve often remarked that if the Catholic Faithful thought that the clergy sexual abuse was a scandal, I’d hate to think their reaction if they were aware of all the thievery that takes place in the Church by people in the Church having access to the money. They’d be shocked!