Zuni Parish Has Millions

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Gallup Independent
February 28, 2015

http://gallupindependent.com/

It’s been nearly five months since the Rev. Ravi Kiran abruptly left his assignment at St. Anthony Mission in the Pueblo of Zuni, and officials with the Diocese of Gallup still have not publicly answered questions about Kiran or his financial administration of the mission. Kiran, however, has spoken out in an effort to clear his name. In a series of five emails over the last several weeks, Kiran has claimed he has been cleared of any wrongdoing, and he has made the startling claim that the small mission church had $3.3 million in investments when he left the Diocese of Gallup in October.

Investment accounts

So how did a small Native American mission with just about 125 parishioners in the pews, about the same number of children in its PreK-8 school, and just a few hundred dollars in the weekly collection plate amass $3.3 million in investments?

Kiran did not say, but according to his emailed statements, it appears the little Zuni mission may have healthier finances than the Gallup Diocese, which had to borrow money in order to file for bankruptcy.

According to Kiran, when he arrived at St. Anthony’s in July 2012, the mission had $3.9 million or $4.1 million in investment accounts.

Franciscan friars, who ran St. Anthony’s for about 90 years before the Gallup Diocese took over the mission, reportedly built up a large investment portfolio. In addition, the mission reportedly has a development office that solicits financial donations from across the country. Diocesan officials, however, have repeatedly failed to answer any questions about the mission’s finances. “There were about 16 accounts all over Gallup, Albuquerque and Zuni,” Kiran wrote. “Several steps were taken to minimize the operational cost and the whole operation was simplified with 4 accounts.”

During his two years in Zuni, Kiran said he spent nearly $2 million for a “complete face lift” of the mission campus. When he left in October, Kiran said, the mission still had $3.3 million in investments.

Kiran provided the information in response to a series of media questions that had been emailed to him. Although he avoided many specific questions, Kiran defended his record and reputation.

Mission renovations

“When I took over Saint Anthony Indian Mission, the place was a dump, it was falling apart. Saint Anthony is a very historical mission and I could not see the place falling away,” Kiran said. “Now after restoration and renovations the place is beautiful and will serve another generation of Zuni community,” he added.

Kiran defended his renovations of the mission, which have been controversial among some parishioners, saying he “spent money to improve the facility to assure the safety of the children and to restore the legacy of Saint Anthony Indian Mission.”

Neither Kiran nor diocesan officials have answered whether Bishop Wall approved all of the renovations, which is required under the diocesan financial policy.

Officials have also declined to explain who purchased Kiran’s personal Mercedes-Benz and where the vehicle is now. Kiran, however, provided the names and phone number of the couple who gave him the vehicle.

In a telephone interview Wednesday, Carmen Pacheco-Smith confirmed that she and her husband, Kevin, purchased the Mercedes-Benz as a gift for Kiran after he served as their priest at Holy Trinity Parish in Flora Vista. Pacheco-Smith, who said she and her husband did not pay for insurance on the Mercedes-Benz, added they had purchased other vehicles in the past for another priest and a couple of Catholic sisters.

Pacheco-Smith said the Diocese of Gallup kept the vehicle until about a month ago. At that time, she said, the Rev. Kevin Finnegan, the diocesan chancellor and vicar general, told them they could pick it up.

Conflicting statements

According to Kiran, he has been cleared of all allegations of wrongdoing by two diocesan audits. Kiran said the first audit was completed in early December, and the second audit, which he said was requested by diocesan attorneys, was completed Jan. 10. “May be the chancery will be making a statement and publishing the audit results,” Kiran said in an email dated Jan. 15, adding that Finnegan could confirm his story.

Attempts to confirm Kiran’s claims with diocesan officials have been unsuccessful. Repeated questions to Suzanne Hammons, the Diocese of Gallup’s spokeswoman, have been met with promises to provide a summary of the audit sometime in the future. Hammons has continued to assert that the investigation into Kiran and the mission’s finances is ongoing.

As to the first audit, Kiran cited a statement Finnegan made to Zuni parishioners on Dec. 7, 2014, in which Finnegan said Kiran had been cleared of wrongdoing. And in fact, Finnegan did indeed make that statement, according to parishioners.

However, later that same week, Susan Boswell, the diocese’s lead bankruptcy attorney, and Hammons both contradicted Finnegan and asserted the diocese’s investigation was continuing.

Personal choice

Kiran said he left the diocese in October after Bishop James S. Wall met with him and informed him the diocese was doing an independent audit of the mission’s finances.

“He told me to go back to the parish. I came home and after two days I made a personal choice and decision to be away from the parish,” Kiran wrote. “I thought may be I should leave the parish so that the investigation and audit will be fair and just,” he added.

After returning to India, Kiran said he informed the bishop about his departure. Kiran did not address the fact that Catholic priests cannot simply leave their ministry assignments without permission of their local bishop, but he did say he served the Gallup Diocese longer than his contracted five years.

“I served in the diocese with integrity and honor,” Kiran said in a January email. “I gave myself to the fullest of my ability at every place I served.”

In his emails, Kiran repeatedly stated the diocese has cleared him of wrongdoing, and expressed frustration that the media has not been informed of that by diocesan officials.

“I fulfilled my obligations,” Kiran added in an email Thursday. “Wherever I was assigned I worked with dedication and commitment. Leaving the Zuni mission was my personal choice.”

Reporter’s Note: This online news story has been edited slightly from its original published version to correct a first reference error.