Investigative Report Details Priest’s Life of Luxury

BRIDGEPORT (AP) — A priest who resigned as pastor of a church in affluent Darien misspent up to $1.4 million in parishioner donations to lead a life of luxury with another man, according to a church-directed investigation.

The report details how the Reverend Michael Jude Fay, the former pastor of St John Parish in Darien, used church money for limousine rides, stays at top hotels around the world, jewelry, clothing from Italy, and the purchase of a condominium in Florida with the other man. About half the money he spent was kept in a secret bank account, according to the report, which was mailed on July 28 to 1,700 parishioners and obtained in advance by The Associated Press.

Joseph McAleer, spokesman for the Diocese of Bridgeport, has said that the financial investigation into the activities of Fay focuses on his tenure as the pastor at St John Parish. Fay was the pastor there from 1991 until his May 17 forced resignation.

Fay served at St Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown from 1977 to 1986. He served there as a deacon for one year and then as an assistant pastor for eight years.

Father Robert Weiss, the current pastor at St Rose, has said that because Fay was only an assistant pastor at St Rose, he did not have access to church financial accounts. Weiss has said there has been no investigation regarding Fay’s time at St Rose Parish, nor does he expect that there will be such an investigation.

Bridgeport Bishop William Lori, who ordered the investigation of Fay by Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, said he was shocked and angered by the findings. The report also was sent to federal authorities who are investigating for violations of law. Fay has not been charged. The authorities would not comment on the church report, saying only that the probe is continuing.

“The amount of money that was misused is tremendous,” Lori said. “I think this report and other things we found out shows a real betrayal of trust and abuse of power.”

“This independent report is painful for every Catholic to read, but it must be shared with every member of St John Parish because they have a right to know what happened to their hard-earned money that they so generously gave to the parish,” McAleer said. Sending the report to every parishioner was “an extraordinary display of transparency and candor,” he said.

The report describes a parish finance council that did not meet regularly in recent years, largely due to Fay’s health and absences from the parish. Fay was diagnosed with cancer in 2001 and frequently cited his health when asked about church finances, the report states.

Lori has faced criticism for his handling of the scandal, especially when it emerged that another priest and the church bookkeeper hired a private investigator to look into Fay’s activities. The pair said they decided to hire the investigator in May after they met with Lori and Fay was not removed, according to the report.

Lori said after he was made aware of potential financial misconduct in late April he took swift action to stop Fay from using church credit cards and then to force his resignation.

“As your bishop, I accept responsibility in this matter and pledge to do everything possible to restore your confidence and trust,” Lori wrote in a letter to parishioners.

The report, which was limited to the past six years, calculated the “potential financial loss” at $1.4 million. The review also identified an additional $350,000 deposited in Fay’s personal account, but could not determine where the money came from.

The bishop said the church would try to recover as much of the money as possible and was enacting reforms to tighten control of church finances.

Fay told church officials that the money was used to help needy parishioners and for other legitimate church-related expenses. The report acknowledges some of the money may have been used for legitimate expenses, but said Fay failed to document his claims.

Fay also said he received money from parishioners, his family, and the other man, Cliff Fantini. Fantini has described himself as a “very good friend,” but denied the two men were involved in a relationship.

Lori noted that priests are supposed to lead simple lives free of luxuries. But the report paints a picture of a priest who felt entitled a lifestyle that more closely resembled those of some of his wealthy parishioners.

“Father Fay stated that he believed he was entitled to dine at any restaurant of his choosing and as frequently as he desired, regardless of cost,” the report states.

Fay shopped at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom, drove a Jaguar, attended a sports club, bought jewelry from Cartier, spent $130,000 for limousine rides for himself and his mother, and stayed at hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, Hotel De Paris, and the Four Seasons Hotel, the report found. He spent tens of thousands of dollars on home furnishings and meals and more than $20,000 to mark the 25th anniversary of his ordination, according to the report.

Fay paid Fantini and his production firm $10,000, claiming the money was for videography and decorations for the church. No invoices were supplied to verify the claim, the report said.

Fay also invested in a Philadelphia condo with Fantini and said some of the furniture he bought was used in Fantini’s residence.

The report also cites $257,000 for the purchase of the Florida property and $87,000 to rent an apartment in New York. Fay said he rented the apartment while he was treated for cancer in New York, but later admitted he began renting the apartment before he was diagnosed with cancer, the report said.

The parish finance council became concerned last fall about increased spending and debts, according to the report. Fay responded that he had been inattentive to the church’s finances due to his health, leading the council to attribute the problem to mismanagement, the report states.

The parish had been “short-listed” by the diocese for a review of its finances last fall, but the review did not occur because of staffing constraints, the report said. Lori said he is expanding the staff.

Lori said he met with Fay in March and told him to develop financial plans and expect to be audited.

Lori said he was not aware until recently that Fay owned the condominium with Fantini.

The church bookkeeper, Bethany D’Erario, had expressed concerns at the parish level last fall about Fay’s spending, but the priest would not disclose details about his credit card bills, the investigative report said.

“They hired me because they knew some bad stuff was going on and nobody was listening,” said Vito Colucci Jr, the private investigator hired by D’Erario and the other priest.