Wiliam Dombrow is an admitted alcoholic who counseled other priests who dealt with alcohol addiction.
The rector of a Philadelphia Archdiocese retirement home for priests admitted that he embezzled more than $500,000 to support his gambling habit and expensive lifestyle. The Delaware County rector used the funds to pay for concert tickets and elaborate meals.
Monsignor William A. Dombrow admitted in court on Thursdday that he embezzled over a half-million dollars from the retirement home’s funds over a 9-year period.
The private bank account was set up to support Villa St. Joseph, a priestly retirement home in Darby Borough.
Four Counts of Wire Fraud
The monsignor also admitted to four counts of wire fraud. Most of the money donated into the Villa St. Joseph account came from parishioners’ donations or the life insurance policies of deceased archdiocese priests.
The missing funds were noticed after the archdiocese called for an audit last year. The investigation was called when the bank which administered the account flagged transactions at a Philadelpia-area gambling venue. Transactions were made from the account at Harrah’s Philadelphia Casino and Racetrack in Chester, which the bank’s managers found suspicious.
Gambling in the Caribbean
When confronted with archdiocese investigators, Msgr. Dombrow agreed to cooperate with the investigation. He remained the rector of the home during the investigation, though his access to the private account was restricted.
Dombrow eventually revealed to the investigators that he gambled at several casinos, including gaming venues as far away as Key West, the Poconos, and Aruba. He also used church funds to attend concerts by his beloved Boston Pops.
Counseled Priests on Alcoholism
The 77-year old William Dombrow was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1970. He served as a pastor and parochial vicar in several parishes. Dombrow devoted time to helping priests struggling with addiction, because he identified as a recovering alcoholic himself. Dombrow led the Archdiocesan Priests’ Committee on Alcoholism.
U.S. federal law sets a maximum prison sentence of around 3 years, if convicted of the charges. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 2017.
Villa St. Joseph Information
One notable fact about Villa St. Joseph is it serves as a retirement home for priests accused of sexual abuse. One of those who donated to the home was Rev. Francis P. Rogers, who was accused of multiple cases of sexual abuse prior to his death in 2005. Rev. Rogers donated $14,410 to Villa St. Joseph upon his death.
This is not the first time a religious figure has been accused of embezzlement in order to support a gambling addiction. Last year, a Buddhist temple leader in Louisiana stood trial for embezzling funds to gamble at Lake Charles area casinos. In 2015, a man in Toronto embezzled funds meant to help Iraqi refugees, but instead use those funds to gamble in Canadian casinos.
The Root Causes of Addiction
Many psychologists would say that Dombrow’s alcohol addiction was predictive of a gambling addiction. Those therapists argue that all addiction has a root cause which goes beyond whatever “vice” they abuse. Whether it is alcohol, drugs, gambling, sex, binge eating, or shopping, people’s addictions are an escape from their everyday issues, whether it’s boredom, thrillseeking, escapism, or the desire to avoid ruminating about the past.
Studies show links between various forms of addiction. Researchers established that people with a shopping addiction are more likely to be problem gamblers, for instance. The lack of impulse control in one form of spending is reflected in the lack of impulse control in another. People are seeking to fill a void in their life through some form of activity.
Catholic readers might assume such talk is psychobabble, but the thought process is not that different from Catholic theology. Most forms of Christianity suggest that human beings are “lost” without a spiritual side. If they do not have a connection to the Creator, it leaves a void they try to fill in countless ways: materialism, authority, accomplishments, and relationships are just a few of those ways.
In metaphorical terms, people wrestle with their personal demons. William Dombrow appears to be a man who has struggled with his own personal demons over the years. One of the ways he coped with his own void was to help others through alcohol counseling. He identified with the plight of addicts, because he once was one himself. All men (and women) have moments of weakness, and William Dombrow succumbed to his weakness for temporal thrills and high living.
As the old saying goes, churches are hospitals for sinners.
