It happened in February of this year, 48 year old Randall Kozlowski is arrested and charged with stealing $400,000 from Our Lady Help of Christians in Cheektowaga. A year earlier Maureen Durrell is sentenced to 6 months in jail after pleading guilty to embezzling nearly a half a million dollars from St. Christopher Catholic Church in Tonawanda.

It struck a chord with the Buffalo Diocese. A parish financial controls committee has now been appointed to review their policies and come up with ways to tighten controls over church money. "Any time you have somebody violate the trust and take money over a long period of time you have to take a look at your policies." said Diocese spokesperson Kevin Keenan.

A diocese a year ago that was running in the red, and has closed churches, is now operating with a small surplus. Donations are it's main source of income and they go to help those in need and fund church programs. "The funds that go to the parishes go to the parish ministries. They support everything from youth ministry, to grief ministry, and catholic education. It really is an important part of what we do." said Keenan.

Committee members include: former Buffalo Police Chief Rocco Diina, former Erie County criminal investigator Patrick Finnerty, administrative vice-president and corporate security for M&T Bank Christopher Henderson, former regional president of HSBC Bank Brian Keating, retired Buffalo CPA of Lumsden & McCormick Anthony Martino, Niagara University accounting department chair Alfonso Oddo, Erie County Central Police Services commissioner Peter Vito, and Merchants Insurance Group president and CEO Robert Zak.