A former financial executive of the Philadelphia archdiocese pleaded guilty to stealing over $900,000 from the church.
42-year-old Anita Guzzardi surrendered to police last March. She was fired in July, weeks after becoming chief financial officer.
Prosecutors say Guzzardi used hundreds of church checks to pay personal credit card bills from 2004 to 2011. The investigation began when American Express contacted authorities.
The Haddon Heights, N.J., woman had worked for the Roman Catholic archdiocese since 1989.
Prosecutors say they've recovered about $150,000 for the church. The archdiocese says insurance will pay for most of the remaining losses.
In a statement, the archdiocese says the money came from its general operating fund, and not from any fundraising campaigns.
On Friday, Guzzardi pleaded guilty to theft by deception, forgery and unlawful use of a computer. She is scheduled for sentencing on August 24.
