Priests of Sacred Heart suing former exec for stealing donated money

From its headquarters in Franklin, the development office for the Priests of the Sacred Heart raises $20 million a year to support a monastery there and priests working around the world.

Some of those donations allegedly did not make it to the charitable end for which they were intended.

According to a civil lawsuit pending in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, a former executive director of the organization's fund-raising arm has "misappropriated significant sums of money" from the congregation for personal expenses, and now a self-insurance fund that covers the Priests of the Sacred Heart's losses wants the money back.

"One of the things that saddens me is the people who give believe they're supporting a much higher mission," said Cynthia Mack, a lawyer representing the Priests of the Sacred Heart. "It's unfortunate he took advantage of them."

The former executive, Patrick Thompson, 48, of Greenfield, denies any wrongdoing and has countersued the organization that employed him, his parents and siblings for years, contending that it breached his employment contract when it fired him in 2008 and owes him nearly $4 million.

Lawyers for the insurance fund, which is based in Illinois, declined to comment.

Read the rest from JSOnline

Wow that's quite the countersuit.