Team to Fill in during FBI Investigation of Fairbanks Priest

By Sam Friedman
News-Miner
June 11, 2014

http://www.newsminer.com/news/local_news/team-to-fill-in-during-fbi-investigation-of-fairbanks-priest/article_51b4b2fa-f1d4-11e3-a793-0017a43b2370.html

The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks has established a ministerial team to fill in while a Fairbanks priest under investigation by the FBI remains on administrative leave. No charges have been filed.

The Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks announced May 23 that Rev. Clint Landry, the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Cathedral, was put on administrative leave because he was under investigation by the FBI.

As of this week, Landry remains on leave, said Ronnie Rosenberg, director of human resources and legal coordinator for the diocese. In Landry's absence, a three-member ministerial team will together cover ministries including the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the Spanish Ministry, the Filipino Ministry, St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Barrow and St. Raphael's Catholic Church on McGrath Road, she said.

Sacred Heart is the largest Catholic congregation in Fairbanks. About 1,000 people attend Sunday services there.

The diocese hasn't specified Landry's alleged misconduct, except that the investigation involves diocesan computers and the Internet.

The three-member team started Sunday May 28, Rosenberg said. It's made up of Rev. Kasparaj Mallavarapu of the St. Raphael and hospital parishes; Rev. Nelson Marilag of the Barrow, Filipino and Fairbanks Correctional Center ministries and Rev. Balasamy Gangarapu who is new to the diocese.