Parishioners react to Bronx priest’s resignation amid S&M sex scandal, many denying allegations

By Daniel Lewis, Alyn Ackermann, Reuven Blau
New York Daily News
December 13, 2015

http://tinyurl.com/zzhjyza

Rev. Peter Miqueli's resignation letter was read at every Mass at St. Francis de Chantal Church in the Bronx this morning.

Parishioners file out of St. Francis de Chantal Church in the Bronx after hearing the alleged pervy priest’s resignation letter.

Rev. Peter Miqueli reportedly paid $1,000 per rough sex session with his hunky lover, Keith Crist (pictured).

Parishioners had mixed reactions Sunday to the resignation of their alleged S&M-loving Bronx priest.

The Rev. Peter Miqueli’s resignation letter was read to the faithful gathered at the start of three separate morning services at St. Frances de Chantal Church Sunday morning.

“He will come back!” shouted Theresa Chirinnos after the missive was read at the 10:30 a.m. mass. The congregation applauded.

After the service, Chirinnos, 66, said that she was a trustee at the church and helped open collection envelopes every week. She said Miqueli was arrogant but blamed a lawsuit against him alleging stolen funds on a small group of parishioners with an axe to grind.

“He no gay. He never stole money,” she said.

On Thursday, members of St. Frances de Chantal and Miqueli’s former church, St. Francis Cabrini on Roosevelt Island, accused Miqueli of using the plundered reserves to help pay for a master/slave love affair with boy toy Keith Crist.

The pervy priest played the submissive role, even agreeing to drink Crist’s urine, the suit charged. The priest paid his sex partner $1,000 a pop for the rough sex sessions, according to the suit.

On Sunday, Archdiocese spokesman Joseph Zwilling admitted the church had some management problems. But he stressed that so far the claims against Miqueli have been unsubstantiated.

Zwilling said a woman in the parish says she has photos and emails that prove Miqueli was stealing money and was giving it to Crist, but after asking her multiple times to show them the documents she refused.

“We don’t have any documentation,” Zwilling said. “We don’t have any proof.”

“All we have are allegations,” he continued. “We’ve asked for documentation and we don’t have any.”

Zwilling urged anyone in the community with evidence of misdoing to come forward. In the meantime, services will be led by the church’s associate priests.

“I hope for the parish that this is an opportunity to heal,” Zwilling said.

The lawsuit charged Miqueli with stealing money donated to fix a church pipe organ, taking cash from a parish thriftshop and mishandling the weekly Sunday donations.

According to the lawsuit, Miqueli paid cash for a $264,000 home near the Jersey Shore in Brick Township — where Crist now lives and tools around town in a new BMW.

Neighbors described a steady stream of male visitors to the house — and its backyard hot tub.

After Sunday services, one parishioner who declined to give her name said that the church has been troubled for a while, having several different priests in the last few years.

Meanwhile, Craig Bitner, who is not a member of the church but has sung in its choir for 15 years says the church knew about problems with Miqueli for a long time and has shuffled him around between parishes.

“We’re saying that the church knew about this for 10 years,” Bitner said.

“He was just mean and nasty. That’s no way for a priest to act,” Bitner said. “We’re glad this man is gone.”