A bishop in California is facing allegations of misappropriating a $200,000 cash donation intended for the renovation of a Catholic church before he departed for Michigan.
The bishop, Yousif Abdulmasih—also known as Marnaba Yousif Habash—is accused of taking the funds from Hani Toma, who is associated with Our Mother of Perpetual Help Syriac Catholic Church in El Cajon, as reported.
Toma claims that the bishop had informed him about the church’s need for remodeling, mentioning that they were short on funds and were dependent on donations.
According to the lawsuit, Toma agreed to contribute $200,000, on the condition that his donation would remain anonymous.
On June 8, Habash reportedly visited Toma’s workplace and collected the entire amount in cash.
However, later in June, Toma spoke with a priest from the church who offered a contrasting view of the church’s financial situation. The priest allegedly stated that the church had sufficient funds to cover the remodeling expenses and that no donation had been received.
Toma alleges that instead of using the donation for the intended purpose, Habash kept the money for himself. Consequently, Toma filed a civil lawsuit against the bishop in San Diego County Superior Court on September 2.
Toma is seeking the return of his $200,000 along with damages. Reports indicate that Habash has since left California and moved to Michigan.
Our Mother of Perpetual Help is closely connected to the Iraqi Christian community in San Diego County. The Syriac Catholic church has its roots in ancient Christian traditions originating from the Middle East, with its patriarchate currently based in Beirut, Lebanon.
