(Plain Press, June 2014)Sister Judith at St. Rocco’s parish wants to alert area businesses and churches about a scam that is targeting local churches and businesses. She said the scam involves someone calling a company or a church and telling them their baby is sick, or they need a home or apartment and a sister or priest from a nearby parish said they should ask the business or church for a donation to help.

When St. Rocco received a request for a donation, the person told them a priest at Ascension Parish in Lakewood sent them. A call to Ascension revealed that no such request had been made. Ascension Parish reported other people had reported being solicited for funds in this manner by someone using their parish name.

In another incident, a person came to an Auto Repair Company in the St. Rocco neighborhood and said that “Sister Mary” from St. Rocco had told them to ask the company for a donation to help their family. The business gave the person $45, but then called St. Rocco to find out no such request had come from the parish.