A retired Diocese of Lansing priest has been found guilty of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from three elderly clerics of the diocese. 72-year-old Father David Rosenberg was convicted, February 9, on multiple counts of criminal embezzlement following a jury trial at Clinton County Circuit Court in St Johns, Michigan.
“Upon the conclusion of these criminal proceedings, our prayers are naturally with those most affected by Father Rosenberg’s actions, especially the close friends and family of his three victims, each of whom has since died, may they rest in peace,” said David Kerr, Director of Communications for the Diocese of Lansing, February 10.
Father David Rosenberg was the director of the Diocese of Lansing’s Saint Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt from 2015 until his retirement in 2021. Diocesan apartments for retired priests are located adjacent to the Retreat Center. Each of the priests in this case resided in the apartments. They were Fr. Benjamin Werner, Fr. Joseph Aubin, and Fr. Kenneth McDonald, now all deceased.
Father Rosenberg was not accused of stealing money from any diocesan entities nor did his crimes relate to any official role held within the diocese. The director of Saint Francis Retreat Center has no official responsibilities for the nearby community of retired priests. Rather, the embezzlement concerned Father Rosenberg’s own personal activities.
Upon being charged in 2022, Father David Rosenberg was ordered to refrain from public ministry by Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing. That order remains in place.