Catholic Priest Arrested for Funneling Parish Money to Men on Grindr

The monsignor also is accused of using the money to pay for a beach house at the Jersey Shore.

Tracy E. Gilchrist

Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP of Editorial and Special Projects at equalpride. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.

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Tracy E. Gilchrist

August 22 2019 3:08 PM EST

August 22 2019 3:15 PM EST

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A New-Jersey based monsignor has been arrested for allegedly funneling nearly $100,000 of parishioner's donations into an account that he used to send money to men he met on Grindr and to fund a beach house at the Jersey Shore, according to Philadelphia magazine.

Monsignor Joseph McLoone, who worked at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Downington, N.J., has been under investigation for more than a year and the subject of an internal investigation conducted by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 2017. Investigators say they found that he had been siphoning off money from the church since he opened a secret checking account in 2011.

McLoone, 58, was arrested Wednesday and charged with 18 counts, including multiple counts of felony theft. He is currently out on bail, Philadelphia reports.

When the archdiocese questioned McLoone, he admitted to using the money to pay for "personal relationships" with men. Investigators found that he sent thousands of dollars to various men on Grindr via Square and J-Pay. The money also went to dinners and to a beach house in Ocean City, N.J.

"These charges are serious and disturbing," Chief Communications Officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Kenneth Gavin said in a statement. "The Archdiocese and the parish will continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the criminal matter enters its next phase. Pending the outcome, Monsignor McLoone remains on administrative leave. Information regarding his arrest will be shared with the Saint Joseph Parish community."