SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- A financial audit of St. Gregory the Great, one of the largest parishes in the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland, has revealed that the church's late leader, Monsignor William N. Novicky, is likely to blame for the church's $1 million shortfall.

"We are pretty much wrapping that [audit] up," the Rev. Mark J. Payton told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Payton replaced Novicky this summer. "I tell people here we will be producing a financial report, and hopefully it will answer some questions . . . that are probably unanswerable because the monsignor is dead."

Questions about parish finances arose during a mandatory audit that takes place when a parish changes pastors, diocese spokesman Robert Tayek said. The internal audit was launched a few weeks after Novicky's death in October. Then the FBI arrived.

"We asked them [FBI] to come in and take a look at certain matters," said Tayek, adding "we have not had any feedback from them since."

Tayek said officials went to the FBI rather than South Euclid Police because "the case may have involved something more in their scope -- I don't know what that might be … but it would go beyond a local jurisdiction."

The audit found St. Gregory was $250,000 in arrears with its assessment payments to the diocese and about $750,000 behind in benefits to staff, Tayek said.

"A million dollars is what we are looking at right now as far as things that we know of for sure. The rest of it is being processed and scrutinized now," he said.

A business manager soon will be appointed for the first time to oversee parish finances. Novicky had overseen St. Gregory's money matters during his 25-year tenure as pastor.