EDITOR’S NOTE: Recent entries were delayed because the bishop began locking his diary in a drawer. Fortunately, he is both lazy and forgetful.
July 22nd, 2026
Dear Diary,
Had to remove Fr Kevin Flaherty from St. Mildred of Thanet’s today. The word for a while has been that everything at St M’s is weirder than it should be. Get it?
Not because of the liturgy, pretty weird, which was Msgr. Tommy’s constant gripe. Kevin goofed around for years. Puppets, “inclusive” creeds, dancing girls with streamers, and something last Pentecost involving a leaf blower. People complained. Lots. Both Tommy and then Fr. Gilbert kept a folder. I told him every parish has a few rigid types who resist pastoral creativity. And it wasn’t because of the crazy homilies. Kevin probably hasn’t said anything recognizably Catholic since… maybe ever. Maybe that’s because he went to CTU in Chicago. Once preached that the Resurrection was “the disciples’ shared experience of renewed possibility.” Tommy said that was heresy. I said we should accompany Kevin and avoid labels.
But money sure has labels! In one of the FCFH* meetings I was pretty much beaten into ordering all the parish books to be audited. They found that Kevin and his secretary, Ms. Crenshaw, had been accompanying nearly 180K into a condominium at Spring Lake. Also restaurant bills, jewelry, and something called a “wellness cruise”. Turns out they have been carrying on for years. Everybody knew except me and apparently Fr. Gilbert, who went pale and said, “But she always called him Father.”
Kevin blew his stack when I confronted him. Said the money represented “reparative compensation for uncompensated emotional labor.” The VG said it represented embezzlement. Kevin demanded a synodal process. Tommy said the police were already conducting one.
The diocesan statement says that Father has been placed on administrative leave because of “financial irregularities and boundary concerns.”
The finance people say some of the money may be recovered. The condo has a hot tub. I asked whether it could become a diocesan retreat center. Tommy said “no” before I finished the sentence. Maybe he’s right.
We went to Razzo’s afterward. I needed something settling, so I had the lasagna, garlic bread, and tiramisu. Tommy had soup. Finally he said, “We warned you about him for years.” “Okay, but nobody mentioned the money.”McBMcB
*Finance Council From Hell
Fr. John Zuhlsdorf on ASK FATHER: Is the priesthood dominated by men who are varsity-level players or 3rd and 4th stringers?: “TonyB: I don’t make anything out Sheen’s defense of Chardin, since I haven’t read it or seen it. However, firstly,…”
