St. Elizabeth Ann Seton pastor placed on leave while finances investigated

Monsignor Kevin McAuliffe, pastor at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church and a high-ranking diocesan official, has been placed on leave while an "allegation of a financial nature" is investigated, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Vegas announced Monday.

The diocese is using a certified public accounting firm to perform a financial audit, according to a statement from diocese spokeswoman Rachel Wilkinson.

The allegation involves only St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and does not touch on accounts belonging to the diocese, she said.

Wilkinson said McAuliffe has been pastor at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton since June 1997. She confirmed that McAuliffe also is diocesan vicar general, which Wilkinson described as someone who performs administrative duties for the bishop.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton has at least 7,000 families registered to the parish, which makes it one of the largest congregations in the diocese, Wilkinson said.

On Monday afternoon, Las Vegas police spokesman Jacinto Rivera said the department's Financial Crimes Section is not investigating McAuliffe.

When Wilkinson was asked whether the audit's findings will be passed on to the Metropolitan Police Department, she said she couldn't comment.

Review-Journal writer Antonio Planas contributed to this report. Contact reporter Alan Choate at achoate@reviewjournal.com or 702-229-6435.