'Cancer victim's' unholy rip-off
By FINBARR BUNTING - Sunday News
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EXCLUSIVE: ON Friday Gerard Marychurch is due to appear at Auckland District Court to face a charge of obtaining by deception above $1000.
But the Catholic churchgoer has already apparently apologised to fellow parishioners for ripping them off over money they thought they were giving him for medical help.
In an apology letter, the 39-year-old from Point Chevalier, Auckland, is quoted as saying he instead spent most of the cash on "feeding my gambling addiction’’.
Sunday News understands Marychurch may have obtained nearly $500,000 from churches around Auckland over the past five years.
A signed letter bearing his name was given to parishioners who attended Eucharist in the Parish a fortnight ago at Marychurch’s St Francis & St Therese church in Pt Chevalier.
"I have at times been unwell and have been under medical advice but apart from a few medical accounts the rest of the money that I have obtained has gone into feeding my gambling addiction,’’ the letter reads.
The letter continues: "I now have to face the legal system but I am taking each step at a time including facing those whom I have hurt and my gambling addiction.
"To all members of the parish I would like to offer my sincere apology.
"Please keep me in your prayers.’’
Marychurch's alleged deception spread from St Francis & St Therese parish to others across Auckland as word of his supposed health woes spread from priest to priest.
A number of churches then started collecting on Marychurch's behalf. St Joseph's Helensville and St Patrick's Huapai churches even mentioned Marychurch in their combined newsletter, asking parishioners to pray for him.
It's understood at one point Marychurch suffered from a treatable form of cancer but he recovered long before police became involved.
One parishioner whose late mother was affected by Marychurch's alleged deception was disgusted when she learned where her mum's hard-earned money had apparently gone.
"I think its a disgrace he said he had health issues when he didn't. He lied about having cancer," said the woman, who declined to be named.
The woman said Marychurch's alleged deception was made worse by his cover story, which she believes he made up so church-goers wouldn't be tipped off about his gambling.
She said he had been "damning" of the public health system and said because they wouldn't pay for specialist treatment, he had to fly to the South Island – away from the watchful eyes of fellow parishioners.
"I was suspicious of what was going on, so made some enquiries down in Dunedin," the woman said. "They came up with nothing. At the time I thought he was being ripped off by some charlatan.
"I was sympathetic towards him, then ... "
Marychurch's priest, Father Maurice Ford, said his parish was shocked by the letter. Until then they hadn't doubted Marychurch's condition or sincerity.
"It's a shock. Certainly, a lot of people are shocked," Fr Ford said. "I think he has taken a fair whack [of money]."
Lyndsay Freer, media spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Auckland, said Marychurch's alleged crime had come as "a great shock to everybody" in the church community because "nobody was aware that the illness he claimed to have was anything but genuine".
Freer said no one in the church community wanted to comment further while his court case was ongoing.
Fr Ford was forgiving of Marychurch's alleged misdeeds.
"All of us have got our own sins. It has affected quite a few people but in reality all sin affects everybody."
And he welcomed Marychurch back to the church.
"He did a lot of administration and got things together at the church ready for mass".
Marychurch refused to comment to Sunday News.
