Letter from Bishop Johnston | Update regarding former diocesan employee

Dear Friends in Christ,

Grace and peace be with you. In everything we do, we strive to be faithful stewards of the resources and generous gifts with which we are entrusted, and which help sustain our many services and ministries. Today, I write to you to address an update to our commitment to fiscal integrity.

In recent days, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Missouri issued a sealed indictment and executed an arrest warrant for Jeremy Lillig, a former employee of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, who left his position with the diocese in October 2023. The charges claim Mr. Lillig engaged in wire fraud in excess of $150,000 in his capacity as Director of Bright Futures Fund. This amount is within the range of what is covered by insurance.

This news is, I’m sure, unsettling to many within our diocesan family, and, like you, I was shocked to learn of such a gross violation of the trust and integrity that is essential to any institution, especially one upheld by Catholic teachings. We became aware of Mr. Lillig’s potentially criminal financial activity shortly after his departure, which we promptly reported to local law enforcement and the FBI. Importantly, the FBI has assured us that their investigation did not find any individual donor funds which were diverted prior to secure deposit into the Bright Futures Fund.

We have cooperated fully with law enforcement’s investigation. All financial records were provided to the FBI’s forensic accountant for review. A full audit was completed to identify the extent and circumstances of any malfeasance which included a full financial audit from an expert third-party firm, RSM.

Beyond that, and as this is an active legal matter, we are limited in what details we can share. Still, I know these revelations are understandably hurtful to the faithful in our diocesan community, just as they are to me.

Bright Futures Fund has existed as a separate 501(c)3 non-profit organization since 2012, created from its predecessor Central Cities School Fund, established in 1995. As the organization has grown, the transactions have become more diverse and material in order to assist the three Bright Futures schools, their students and families. Therefore, effective December 2023, I instructed that the Bright Futures Fund be governed by standard diocesan policy as it relates to the management of funds.

We are fully committed to preserving the long-term stability and financial security of the Bright Futures Fund. Specific changes implemented include:

• We have fully integrated the Bright Futures Fund accounting and donor tracking into our diocesan system, including regular oversight by the Office of Finance.
• We have strengthened our regimen of annual financial audits of the Bright Futures Fund. These audits are scheduled with an outside expert firm, RSM, and the process is managed to ensure completion in a timely manner.
• The Diocesan Finance Officer now attends Bright Futures Fund board meetings to present financial status and stay apprised of future endeavors.
• All building projects are integrated into the diocesan processes.

I thank law enforcement for their efforts, and I thank you for your dedication to our ministries.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend James V. Johnston, Jr.
Bishop of Kansas City-St. Joseph