Parish bookkeeper to be sentenced for defrauding church

Dianne Coady will be sentenced in the New Year after the former bookkeeper pleaded guilty to defrauding the Roman Catholic parish that trusted her with its finances.

Coady, 68, pleaded guilty in provincial court Monday to two charges: fraud over $5,000 and uttering a forged document.

A third charge, of theft, has been conditionally withdrawn.

Coady was accused of taking more than $300,000 from St. Patrick's parish in St. John'sbetween 2007 and 2012.

In a statement, Archbishop Martin Currie said he was "relieved" with the outcome in the case.

"While we are called by Christ to forgiveness, we are mindful of the many lessons learned as we have walked this road over the past months," the statement said.

"Our hearts are with other not-for-profit agencies and charitable organizations which have experienced similar trauma. It is our hope that by bringing this matter out into the light, we can help others to deal with such abuses of public trust. We look forward to continuing to rebuild on a foundation of hope and trust."