The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas has learned that Father Richard Storey has pleaded guilty to theft in excess of $100,000, severity level 7, a non-person, non-drug felony. As part of the plea agreement, Fr. Storey has paid restitution in the amount of $159,362.92 to Curé of Ars Parish.
On behalf of the archdiocese, Archbishop Shawn McKnight expresses his deep sadness at this news and asks the faithful to keep all those impacted by this matter in their prayers.
As part of its commitment to responsible stewardship and appropriate due diligence, with permission from civil authorities involved in the investigation of Fr. Storey, the archdiocese engaged an independent outside firm in July to review its financial processes.
Following today’s guilty plea, the archdiocese will now initiate a preliminary canonical (Church) investigation into all the allegations involving Fr. Storey, including the financial matter that was the subject of the plea agreement and the allegation involving an adult victim. The results of this investigation will be shared with the Archdiocesan Finance Council Audit Committee for their consideration. They will then present their findings and assessment to the Promoter of Justice, who will recommend any further canonical action to Archbishop McKnight, at which point he will decide on subsequent measures.
Archbishop McKnight remains committed to transparency and will share the findings of the investigation with the Curé of Ars Parish and communicate its conclusion to the faithful.
For all media inquiries, please contact the Office of Communications at communications@archkck.org.