St Frances De Chantal Roman Catholic Church
St Frances De Chantal Roman Catholic Church in The Bronx (Google street view)
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A Bronx priest accused of embezzling $1 million in church fund to pay for a male prostitute and a home in Brick has stepped down.

A letter read to parishioners at St. Frances de Chantal Church announcing the the Rev. Peter Miqueli's resignation was met with cheers, according to the New York Post.

“He was just mean and nasty. His letter is a lie. We reported him to the archdiocese, and they said they would look into this, but they never did," Craig Bruner told the newspaper.

On Thursday, a complaint was filed in the Supreme Court of New York alleging that Miqueli of New York City used church money to fund a lavish lifestyle that included paying a prostitute $1,000 a session to act out his "sexual fantasies." Miqueli is accused in the lawsuit of purchasing a Brick home for $264,000 with money skimmed from collection plates at his parishes.

Ardiocese of New York spokesman Joseph Zwilling told the New York Daily News that there are problems at the church but no one can produce any proof.

“We’ve asked for documentation and we don’t have any," Zwilliing said, according to the report.

Miqueli had at least one supporter at the church. Theresa Chirinnos, 66, told the Daily News she is a church trustee she was there when the collection envelopes were opened. She said that suit was filed by a small group of parishioners who had a had a problem with Muqueli. "He no gay. He never stole money,” Chirinos told the newspaper.

 

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