He managed Jesuit finances for decades. Now he has to repay the Catholic order $8.8M in stolen funds

For more than 30 years, Barry Leidl was trusted by the Jesuits of Canada to manage the accounting, finances and fundraising of the Catholic order.

“The treasury is not really operative when I’m not around,” Leidl, now 62, reportedly said shortly before his retirement in November 2024.

Now, the former finance director has agreed to repay millions in stolen funds, for embezzlement allegedly dating back to at least 2010, according to court documents obtained by CBC News.

The $8.8-million settlement includes:

• $6.5 million in damages.
• $1.27 million in interest.
• $990,000 in legal fees.

Leidl did not file a defence in the civil suit. Neither he nor his lawyers responded to CBC’s requests for comment.

Jesuits Canada also wouldn’t comment on the case, because it is currently before the court.

“The position of the Jesuits of Canada is reflected in the materials we have filed,” a spokesperson wrote in an email to CBC.

In filings to the Ontario Superior Court, the organization says it “trusted” Leidl and “relied on him to fulfill his duties with integrity, honesty and loyalty.”

No criminal charges have been filed.

‘Ethically unbelievable’: donor

The Society of Jesus is an order of Catholic priests and brothers whose members, including the late Pope Francis, are commonly known as Jesuits.

The Jesuits’ history in Canada dates back to the 17th century, when French missionaries first arrived. Today, their ministries include several schools, colleges and churches, initiatives with First Nations in northern Ontario, as well as the development agency Canadian Jesuits International.

Leidl first began working for the Jesuits in 1991 as assistant treasurer. He became director of advancement in 2017, and in 2022 was promoted again to director of finance, the position he held until his retirement.

As director of advancement, Leidl was outspoken about the impact and importance of everyday donations. In an interview with The Catholic Register, he described monthly donors as “unique and important partners” of the Jesuits’ mission, and in a 2021 article on the Jesuits’ website, spoke about “the feeling of being part of something more important than just profit.”

Retired Catholic teacher and administrator Donna Modeste, who donates to the Jesuits yearly, describes feeling “absolute shock” when she first learned of the allegations against Leidl.

“It’s morally and ethically unbelievable, to be honest,” said Modeste, who lives in Bowmanville, Ont.

“To be so intimately involved with the Jesuit organization, and to be part of everything they did and advocate for them — and then to turn around and betray them to such a degree is really unfathomable.”

Modeste hopes a criminal investigation will follow now that a settlement has been reached.

In a statement to CBC, Jesuits Canada says it’s “grateful for the generosity of those who entrust us with donations to further our mission” and that it has since implemented additional safeguards.

“We are seeking to recover the funds in question to ensure that past and future donor support continues to advance the work for which it was given.”

‘Serious accounting irregularities’

The lawsuit alleges that, at some unknown date, Leidl began to “exploit his position of authority” and “betray the trust placed in him.”

His assets were frozen by court order pending litigation shortly after the case was filed.

The Jesuits of Canada says that in April 2025, five months after Leidl retired, it discovered a series of “serious accounting irregularities,” including a Scotiabank account through which Leidl allegedly misappropriated at least $3.5 million to fund credit card payments, ATM withdrawals, tuition fees and cheques payable to himself.

According to the statement of claim, he diverted a further $3.1 million from 2018 to 2024 through fake insurance invoices — a template for which was created in 2010. Other allegations included another $300,000 embezzled from other accounts, and improper expense claims for travel and hotel stays with his family and “others.”

Leidl was paid out about $142,000 upon his retirement for seven months’ worth of unused vacation and “other alleged entitlements.”

According to the lawsuit, the day after the Jesuits revoked his email access on April 16, 2025, Leidl messaged Father Jeffrey Burwell, the head of the Jesuits of Canada, stating he had “made some mistakes in [his] years stewarding” the institution’s funds. He reportedly wrote Burwell again the following day, saying he would do “everything [he] can to make things right financially.”

In court documents, Jesuits Canada says Leidl confessed to their forensic accountant that he had used the bank account and fake invoices to direct millions of dollars to himself.

Cottage, cars for sale

The Jesuits also contend that Leidl and his wife, Nancy, used the stolen funds to flip houses.

Property records obtained by CBC show that the Leidls bought and sold three homes in Guelph and St. Catharines, Ont., between 2019 and 2024, for $220,000 in profit.

CBC also found a Reunion, Fla., house that netted a $40,000 US ($56,000 Cdn) profit in 2014. Another house in Kissimmee, Fla., was allegedly flipped for a further $115,000 US ($163,000 Cdn) profit.

As part of the settlement terms, Leidl has to sell his remaining properties. A cottage in Sauble Beach, Ont., and a Guelph townhome are currently on the market.

Last month, the five-bedroom Guelph/Eramosa house where the Leidls raised their five children was sold for just under $1.9 million.

Personal assets to be liquidated

Furthermore, Barry and Nancy Leidl must liquidate their personal accounts, including money saved for their retirement and their children’s higher education. They also have to sell eight of their vehicles, though a previously disclosed 2024 Lexus is absent from the terms.

The value of Barry Leidl’s assets is less than the nearly $9 million he is liable for, per his own estimates in a June 2025 affidavit.

CBC added up the value of the accounts and properties included in the settlement, which after paying off the Leidls’ lines of credit totalled $4.6 million, or roughly half the amount owed.

Despite Nancy Leidl being described as a “knowing participant” in and recipient of her husband’s “fraudulent misappropriation” in the initial lawsuit, the Jesuits of Canada agreed to discontinue further action against her provided it is able to recoup at least $3.9 million. She is also allowed to keep $125,000 of her RRSP.

Per the settlement, the Leidls are also allowed to keep their wedding rings, family heirlooms, “necessary clothing” and personal items with nominal value, as well as a set of furniture and household appliances worth no more than $14,000.

Because the judgment arises from embezzlement, Barry Leidl will remain indebted to the Society of Jesus even if he becomes bankrupt. He is also required to make the Jesuits the sole beneficiary of his family members’ life insurance policies.