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Rodney Rodis convicted of theft from Louisa County parishes

Rodney L. Rodis, a priest of the Diocese of Richmond whose priestly faculties have been suspended, has been found guilty by a Louisa County jury for stealing from the two parishes in which he served as pastor.

The jury reached its guilty verdict on all 10 felony theft counts Oct. 30. It recommended a sentence of 20 years per count for a total of 200 years, the maximum sentence allowed.

The jury deliberated for less than an hour.

The jury had heard evidence that Rodis stole more than $1 million from St. Jude parish in Mineral and Immaculate Conception in Buckner where he served as pastor for 12 years from 1994 to 2006 when he retired citing health reasons.

He claims to have prostate cancer and said he suffered a stroke in 2005. He is currently in a federal prison in Butner, NC, on a five-year term for mail fraud, money laundering and wire fraud.

After he retired it was learned that he had been living for years with a wife and three children near Fredericksburg while he was pastor of the two Louisa County parishes.

A native of the Philippines, Rodis had been ordained a priest in his native country for the Order of St. Camillus.

According to Msgr. R. Francis Muench, Judical Vicar of the Diocese, Rodis is still technically a priest, but is not allowed to perform any priestly duties. The Diocese is expected to initiate a process in which he will be dismissed from the clerical state.

There were more than 40 people from both Louisa County parishes who attended the trial. Several among them testified on the side of the prosecution.

Father Rodis was sentenced last February by Judge Richard Williams to a term of 63 months without parole. Judge Richard Williams of the Federal District Court in Richmond also ordered Rodis to pay $591,000 in restitution, but the parish has not yet received any money, said Father Michael Duffy, pastor of both St. Jude and Immaculate Conception.

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