Zuni priest’s abrupt departure leaves unanswered questions

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Gallup Independent
November 15, 2014

http://gallupindependent.com/

ZUNI — When the Rev. Ravi Kiran, a visiting Catholic priest from India, abruptly left his mission assignment in the Pueblo of Zuni on Oct. 9, he left behind a number of allegations and unanswered questions.

But thus far, officials with the Diocese of Gallup, the Zuni tribe and federal law enforcement officials have declined to answer any questions about their possible investigations into the sudden departure of Kiran, aka Ravi Kiran Dasari or Ravikiran Dasari. Some of the allegations against Kiran involve the possible misuse of money donated to St. Anthony’s Indian Mission for the benefit of tribal parishioners and mission students.

The Rev. Kevin Finnegan, the chancellor and vicar general for the Diocese of Gallup, told parishioners during a recent Mass at St. Anthony’s that the Gallup Diocese was conducting an investigation, and he promised answers in the future.

Gov. Arlen P. Quetawki Sr. of the Pueblo of Zuni has not responded to media questions, so it is unknown if the tribe is doing its own investigation.

And federal officials aren’t much more forthcoming.

“Under DOJ policy we (the U.S. Attorney’s Office and FBI) can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation into the matters you raise,” Elizabeth M. Martinez, public affairs officer for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said in an email Monday.

Kirin, who the diocese claims is back in India, was contacted through email and asked to explain his departure.

“I appreciate your reaching out to hear my side of the story,” Kiran said in an email Monday. “I am thankful to note that there are lot of people spoke in support of me. It personally pains me to see the division of the community where I served. Please forward the questions and I will see if I am able to respond.”

Kiran was sent an extensive list of questions, similar to the questions submitted to the diocese, but he did not respond with answers.

Financial issues

Allegations against Kiran, based on interviews with Kiran’s supporters and detractors, include the following financial issues. Both diocesan officials and Kiran were asked to address these issues, but neither did so.

■ St. Anthony’s Indian Mission reportedly has two primary sources of revenue, both of which were set up by the Franciscan Friars who oversaw the mission for nearly 90 years. The first is a financial investment portfolio, and the second is income generated from charitable donations through the mission’s development office. An old portfolio review, published for the St. Anthony Indian School for the third quarter of 2003 by UBS Financial Services, Inc., showed the portfolio had $1,018,785 in its stock account ($34,558 in cash and equivalents and $984,229 in equity) and $856,250 in its bond account. Assets of St. Anthony’s parish were not included in the report.

Questions about the current amount of money in mission accounts and amounts during recent years were not answered. Questions about whether a recent audit by the diocese revealed if Kiran had or had not used any mission funds for personal items, services or travel also were not answered.

■ Kiran’s supporters say he kept them informed about the mission’s finances. His detractors claim Kiran only released one financial report — when he first arrived at St. Anthony’s in 2012 — and that report was actually compiled by Sister Jean Glach, O.P. and the mission’s development office upon the departure of the Franciscan Friars in 2011. Throughout the summer of 2014, church bulletins state Kiran would be releasing a “Financial report for 2013-2014,” which he reportedly never released.

■ Weekly collections under Kiran may have dropped since the departure of the Franciscans. Collection figures from 14 church bulletins, randomly obtained from 2007 to 2014, indicate a drop. Two bulletins from 2007 show $451 and $379 collected weekly, $488 in a 2010 bulletin, $508 in 2011, $199 and $410 in 2013, and eight bulletins in 2014 show a low of $146 to a high of $259 in weekly collections.

■ Kiran reportedly drove a Mercedes-Benz, a vehicle that he apparently took with him. It is unknown if a friend gave Kiran the vehicle as his supporters believe, if Kiran purchased the vehicle with his own money, or if the vehicle was purchased with mission funds.

Again, neither Kiran nor officials with the Diocese of Gallup responded to any of these issues.

Editor’s Note: In Monday’s Independent, members of one Zuni family express support of their former priest, and remaining questions surrounding Kiran are discussed. *Correction: Part one of a three-part series