BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer
A controversial expansion project at Holy Cross Church in Rumson has proved to be the catalyst for a broad investigation into church finances that thus far has implicated two parish officials.
In the latest development, Holy Cross School Principal Thomas Bugliaro was removed last week from his position by the Diocese of Trenton as the result of an ongoing parish audit.
First Assistant Prosecutor Robert Honecker confirmed that Bugliaro is under investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in connection with allegations that he misused school funds.
According to Steven Emery, spokesman for the Diocese of Trenton, the investigation is focusing on whether Bugliaro may have taken school funds to pay personal debts.
“Clearly this is a very unfortunate situation,” Emery said. “It’s a very sad situation for the people in the parish.”
The disclosure that Bugliaro is under investigation comes less than six months after Holy Cross pastor, the Rev. Joseph Hughes, turned himself in to Rumson police for allegedly taking $500,000 of church funds to finance vacations, dinners and other purchases for himself and David Rogers, 25, Howell, who worked for the church as the operations supervisor.
Emery said that since the church and school have separate accounts, the two cases do not seem to be connected.
“At this time,” said Emery, “there is no reason to believe, and no evidence to show, any connection between the two.”
Emery said the construction project to expand Holy Cross, which divided the parish, is what led to the original audit that showed Hughes’ alleged financial indiscretions.
“Since that time,” said Emery, “the diocese has been working closely with the prosecutor’s office, and has instituted more
regular audits.”
The more extensive audits being conducted following Hughes’ arrest turned up what Emery referred to as “financial improprieties” on the part of Bugliaro.
“The allegations are that Mr. Bugliaro used school money to pay off personal debt,” Emery said.
Emery said the exact amount of school funds involved has not yet been calculated, but Bugliaro has signed an open-ended restitution agreement with Holy Cross to pay back what ever money he is found to have taken.
According to a statement, the diocese will assist the parish in finding an interim administrator.
Emery said the expansion will continue as planned.
Hughes’ proposal for the expansion and renovation of Holy Cross Church in 1994 was rejected by the Rumson Planning Board and the plans sat until 2000.
In November 2000, Hughes proposed a 700-plus seat, $7 million, addition to the church.
In October 2001, Hughes sent out a revised plan to parishioners, calling for a 600-seat, 9,500-square-foot addition to the back of the church, eliminating 292 seats in the present sanctuary, and a 9,500-square-foot addition to the school.
In 2003, Holy Cross sued the borough after the expansion application was rejected by the board in 2002. Hughes only agreed to drop the lawsuit after the board accepted a scaled-down version of the project last year.
Bugliaro had been the principal for Holy Cross since 1992, after working for seven years as a teacher at Saint Rose School in Belmar. Saint Rose was Bugliaro’s first job after he began to work for the diocese 20 years ago, Emery said.