A Catholic priest, his musclebound boyfriend, a spurned ex-girlfriend, charges of sexual and financial impropriety, graft, angry parishioners, and rumors of drug-fueled S&M sex sessions. This story has everything!
The New York Daily News is reporting on a shocking lawsuit that accuses a Bronx, N.Y. Catholic priest of robbing the coffers of two parishes and spending the money on a lavish lifestyle he shares with his bodybuilding boyfriend with whom he allegedly has a "for pay" S&M relationship.
According to the lawsuit, Fr. Peter Migueli, 53, is accused of stealing money from a church organ fund, skimming cash off the top in a parish thrift shop and spending the ill-gotten lucre on drugs provided by a Bronx parishioner. Migueli also allegedly paid $1,000 per rough sex session with his alleged boyfriend, Keith Crist, who allegedly demanded the clergyman call him "Master" and drink his urine, according to the lawsuit. Crist, is also named a co-defendant in the lawsuit.
The New York Post alleges Migueli spent $60,000 in 2012 alone on "illicit and prescription drugs" that he used with Crist.
The lawsuit is filed by parishioners from St. Frances de Chantal Church in the Bronx where he currently serves as pastor and his former church St. Francis Cabrini on Roosevelt Island. It charges the archdiocese with covering up for Migueli for years. Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the archdiocese are also named as defendants in the court papers.
"These charges of theft and misconduct have been made for at least 10 years," said lawyer Michael Dowd, who represents the two parishes filing the suit. "It is unbelievable that the diocese can't come to a conclusion about the misconduct of Miqueli when there is money missing that may be a million dollars."
Migueli is accused of stealing church collections, not accounting for the money and then depositing the cash into his personal account in a Long Island bank.
And while most Catholic priests live in parish rectories, Migueli resides with Crist in a New Jersey home for which he reportedly paid $264,000 cash six years ago.
Neighbors of the Jersey love nest spoke to the Daily News of "a steady stream of male visitors" and "heavily trafficked hot tub in the backyard."
One of the whistleblowers in this case is Crist's former girlfriend Tatyana Gudin, who sent Cardinal Dolan and other church officials numerous emails providing information about Migueli and Crist's relationship. She claims to have saved copies of numerous text and email messages between the couple.
Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said the allegations against Migueli are "being taken seriously," but failed to explain how the priest, who is paid $2,545 a month, has a brokerage account with almost $900,000 in savings.
"This lawsuit seeks to finally put an end to this truly sinful conduct so that St. Frances de Chantal parish can regain the strength, spirituality and faith it once had before Father Miqueli arrived," the court papers say.
