A former Lansdale priest has been found unsuitable for ministry, according to an announcement on Sunday from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
In 2017, 61-year-old Reverend Monsignor Gregory J. Parlante was granted a leave of absence from Saint Cornelius Parish in Chadds Ford, where his most recent pastoral assignment was located. Following his departure, a package with Parlante’s name on it was delivered to the parish’s life center. The staff opened it and saw that it contained illegal drugs, so law enforcement was notified and a search warrant was executed. The investigation lasted from May 2017 to January 2018. According to the Delco Times, Parlante stole $5,500 from Sunday offerings to pay for the drugs that were mailed to the parish.
Following the investigation, Parlante was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors—“Knowing or Intentional Possession of a Controlled Substance” and “Use or Possession with Intent to Use Drug Paraphernalia”— and one felony—"Theft by Unlawful Taking or Disposition.” The first two charges were dismissed when he entered a rehab program, according to the Lansdale Patch.
Along with being found unsuitable for ministry, based on “substantiated violations of the Standards of Ministerial Behavior and Boundaries,” Parlante has entered Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition, which is a program for first-time, nonviolent offenders. According to the announcement, he was also ordered to do 64 hours of community service, pay back the $5,500 he stole from his parish and complete one year of probation.
“This is a sad moment for all of us as a family of God, but our parish will survive and our church will survive,” said Monsignor David Diamond, in a statement to parishioners provided by archdiocese spokesman Ken Gavin.
Since his ordination in 1982, Parlante has served in parishes within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, including: Saint Stanislaus Parish, Lansdale (1982-1986); Saint Francis of Assisi Parish, Philadelphia (1986); Immaculate Conception Parish, Jenkintown (1987); Saint Madeleine Sophie Parish, Philadelphia (1992-1995); Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Bridgeport (1997-1998); Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Philadelphia (1998-2004); and Saint Cornelius Parish, Chadds Ford (2004-2017).
