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	Priest to Plead Guilty to Stealing Nearly $200,000 By Eric Herman Chicago Sun-Times June 13, 2007 http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/426185,CST-NWS-priest13.article A Catholic priest accused of stealing nearly $200,000 from a North Side parish plans to plead guilty and take a four-year prison sentence, his lawyer said today. Mark Sorvillo, the former pastor of St. Margaret Mary Church in West Rogers Park, will enter the plea on July 20 before Judge Diane Gordon Cannon, lawyers said. In the meantime, the priest's lawyer is gathering evidence about Sorvillo's health to present to the court. "He suffers from a myriad of medical problems," said Sorvillo's lawyer, Brian Collins. The Archdiocese of Chicago ousted Sorvillo from St. Margaret Mary in February 2006 after financial irregularities at the parish came to light. Founded in 1921, the church counts Cook County State's Attorney Dick Devine among its parishioners. Former U.S. Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) and personal injury lawyer Philip Corboy grew up in the parish, which today counts 700 to 800 families among its flock. Last October, prosecutors charged Sorvillo with felony theft, alleging he took over $190,000 in parish funds for his personal use. "This ongoing theft enabled the defendant to support a lavish lifestyle which included fine dining, expensive clothing, and extensive travel," prosecutors alleged in court documents. Sorvillo, 54, allegedly used the money to pay for a summer vacation cottage as well as tickets to the Lyric Opera and Notre Dame football games, prosecutors alleged. He also wrote over $62,000 in checks on a parish money market account to pay his personal credit cards at stores including Neiman-Marcus, Bloomingdale's and Marshall Field's. Sorvillo is currently out on bond. He will likely serve two years out of his four-year sentence, a law enforcement source said. Contact: eherman@suntimes.com
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