The Bishop of St. Petersburg, Robert Lynch, wrote in a blog about how he blames himself for Father Vladimir Dziadek's suicide and he outlines how the church discovered the priest's gambling addiction.By Josh Rojas, Reporter
Last Updated: Thursday, May 22, 2014
ST. PETERSBURG --
The Bishop of St. Petersburg, Robert Lynch, wrote in a blog about how he blames himself for Father Vladimir Dziadek's suicide and he outlines how the church discovered the priest's gambling addiction.
“The pastor had been using the parish bank debit card to withdraw large sums of money at the local gambling casino over the last fifteen months," wrote Bishop Lynch. "Father Vladimir readily acknowledged that he had withdrawn the money for gambling purposes but stated that he had tried to replace some of the funds.”
It appears Father Vladimir had taken $199,685 and had returned $35,300, according to the blog.
"This otherwise good priest appeared to have a serious addiction to gambling," Lynch wrote. "Father Vladimir left my office ashamed of what he had done, sorry for what he had done, but in denial in some ways of the true nature of his actions.”
The Bishop said he immediately removed Father Vladimir from anything involving administration of St. Joseph Parish in Tampa and offered the priest help.
“I assured him that I was ready to assist him in any way possible," he stated. "Asked him to allow us to find assistance for him for his addiction (which he continued to deny having) and that while I hated the circumstances in which we found ourselves, I still loved him as a bishop should and we would attempt to get through what was coming.”
Last week, shortly before Father Vladimir, 56, was to be replaced by a new priest he hanged himself inside the church office.
“No amount of money is worth the taking of a human life, no amount of shame can ever completely erase the good a person has done,” wrote Lynch.
The Bishop said he now feels the deep anger and guilt families of suicide victims experience.
“This has been the hardest, most challenging and emotionally draining moment of my time here as bishop," he wrote. "I blame myself and even though everyone who loves me says, “don’t”, to this moment I can’t stop. I feel I could have and should have done more.”
The Bishop said all of the money that Father Vladimir took will be reimbursed to St. Joseph's Parish. Parishioners said they're shocked by the news surrounding the priest's death.
"Very disappointed because I didn't think a person would do something like that," said Antonio Colon. "Especially, a priest."
"I would've never imagined," said Michael Ciccarello. "There was nothing that I could see that he was doing to make me think anything different."
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