An old-school Irish priest confessed yesterday that he let his gambling bug get the better of him when he took $432,000 from his Westchester church — some of it meant for Hurricane Katrina victims — and blew it in Atlantic City.
The Rev. Patrick Dunne, 64, pleaded guilty to second-degree grand larceny for looting Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, which serves a wealthy Catholic parish in White Plains.
He’s looking at six months in jail and five years’ probation when he’s sentenced in January. Also, Dunne will be required to pay the money back.
From 2002 to 2007, Dunne ripped off an array of parish funds. Besides the Katrina money, he stole from weekly collections and accounts meant to pay for church maintenance and general operations.
Dunne, whose parents emigrated from Ireland, served Our Lady of Sorrows for 16 years from 1991 until his thefts were finally discovered in 2007.