September 5, 2003

WORCESTER (MA)
Telegram & Gazette

Kathleen A. Shaw
TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF




WORCESTER- The Rev. Donald C. Ouellette has been indicted by a Worcester County grand jury on charges of stealing more than $250,000 from Immaculate Conception parish in Fitchburg.

District Attorney John J. Conte said yesterday Rev. Ouellette will be arraigned in Worcester Superior Court at some future date.

Bishop Daniel P. Reilly said yesterday the diocese is attempting to recover the lost money through its insurance carrier.

The bishop also appealed to Catholics to take a greater interest in the operation of their parishes and in the accounting for parish funds.

The bishop in March placed Rev. Ouellette on medical leave after parishioners discovered money was missing. His status was recently changed to administrative leave. The Rev. Thien Nguyen was appointed parish administrator.

“All of us share a great concern at the possibility that the trust which parishioners have placed in their pastor was apparently broken by the misappropriation of parish funds,” Bishop Reilly said yesterday.

Rev. Ouellette, 48, whose last known address was 59 Walnut St., Fitchburg, was indicted during a recent sitting of the grand jury on 18 counts of larceny of more than $250, according to Mr. Conte. The thefts allegedly occurred between March 15, 2001, and Jan. 2 of this year. Mr. Conte said he did not know what motive Rev. Ouellette might have had for taking money. “The bishop came to us about it,” he said.

Rev. Ouellette was installed as pastor in March 2001 by Auxiliary Bishop George E. Rueger. A Leominster native, Rev. Ouellette was ordained in 1990 after completing studies at Catholic University of America. At one time he was chaplain at St. Bernard’s Central Catholic High School.

Mr. Conte said Rev. Ouellette is charged with writing more than 207 checks to himself that amounted to more than $250,000 and cashing them at local banks. The checks were drawn on the account of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Worcester A.C.S. Immaculate Conception Parish. Mr. Conte said he understood the parishioners had raised the money for an elevator at the church.

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