Glen Rock's All Saints Church youth ministry director accused of stealing collection money

The director of children and youth ministries at All Saints Church in Glen Rock was arrested Sunday after surveillance footage showed him allegedly stealing nearly $600 in donation envelopes from the collection basket, police said.

Church officials brought the footage to the police, said Chief Dean Ackerman. Officers Bob Surdyka and John Tarantino confronted Sean M. Massaro. It was later revealed that $582 in cash was missing over a five-week period.

Massaro was arrested and released on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court in Hackensack on Feb. 23.

Massaro could not be reached for comment Monday.

"As you can imagine, this has not been an easy experience for our spiritual community," the church's pastor, Mark Robin Collins, said in a statement. "As we begin the season of Lent this Wednesday – the season of self-examination and repentance – I ask you to remember that each of us is subject to poor judgment from time to time, and each of us has taken what proved to be ill-advised actions on occasion. Let us be quick to admit our own sins, rather than catalog or comment on the sins of others. And let us seek after mercy, repentance and true amendment of life in ourselves, and pray for it sincerely for others, especially for those who have wronged us."

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Massaro was hired in September as the director of children and youth ministries, according to a Facebook post by the church.

"Sean has been a faithful Episcopalian for some time, but his experience in religious education goes further," the post said. "Sean has an interest in government and public service and served as a Legislative Intern to our state Assemblyman Timothy J. Eustace; and now serves as a member of the Bergen County LGBT Advisory Committee."

Staff Writer Keldy Ortiz contributed to this article.

Email: kanzler@northjersey.com