Church Mouse Journal

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2006-12-15T19:57:00.000+11:00

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Peter Kearney farewell concert

2006-10-24T08:56:00.000+10:00

Don't forget Peter Kearney's farewell concert on Sunday, November 12:

In addition , after Mass at St. Vincent's on Sunday 12 November as part of the community's Sharing the Journey programme, Peter and Madge will speak about their connection with Ted over many years.

Who knows, Peter might even sing a song or two.

All are welcome.

Incident at St Vincent's Church

2006-10-23T16:14:00.000+10:00

REDFERN, NSW - Sunday, 22nd October 2006

Today I attended mass at St. Vincent’s Redfern. I went to communion and the parish priest initially refused to give me the host and waited for me to open my mouth to receive it. When I persisted and stood with my hands open, he eventually placed the host in my hand. I then walked down the aisle of the church where I broke the host to give half to a parishioner who has been too traumatized to receive communion from the Neocatechumenate priest. The priest chased me down the church aisle and demanded that I return the host. I refused and gave half the host to the parishioner.

Might I add that there are a number of people who feel that they cannot receive communion from this priest because of his attitude towards those who do not follow the Neocatechumenate Way. People come from distances to share in the Eucharistic meal and see themselves as denied or cast aside. This is the story of the Redfern parish.

But it goes much further than this. The actions and the position of the priests of the parish have been endorsed by the Archbishop of the Sydney Archdiocese who has referred to many of us as The Rump of Redfern. He also infers that we are only glorified social workers handing out condoms and syringes. Such an inference is a fabrication of the truth and a means used by the Archbishop to attempt to discredit and even vilify those who seek to live and understand the integrity of the Gospel message.

This is somewhat ironic if we reflect on the readings for yesterday’s Eucharist. Isaiah talks about the suffering of the lowly Human One. The Book of Hebrews endorses and strengthens those on the journey of faith by exhorting to “Never to let go of the faith professed”. That was to prepare for Mark’s Gospel message where Jesus, after renouncing social power, is weary of explaining to the disciples what his message is all about. It was not for them to jockey for the first and second position in what they perceived as his political cabinet. What was asked of them was whether they were willing to undergo what he was undergoing.

That is where we, the supposed Rump of Redfern are at. We feel that we have been betrayed and lied to. We are saddened by the dismissive attitude of so much of the official Church towards fair and honest criticism. For over three years we have waited for the Archbishop to dialogue with us and understand our position. He has consistently refused to do so. Instead he called on a junior bishop to step in and all he did was to sanction calling the local police. The police in turn said that it was a matter for the parties concerned to work out a solution for all concerned. A solution seems light years away because of the totally dismissive attitude of the church authorities.

The Church Regional Tribunal for New South Wales has found a priest of the Neocatechumenate movement guilty of defaming a long time parishioner. The Tribunal’s definitive judgment was that the priest had defamed the parishioner by publicly insulting and denigrating her. Such defaming continued for some eighteen months. The priest did not exercise the right to appeal the decision of the Regional Tribunal. The officials of the Sydney Archdiocese have remained silent. Continually, the message from the pulpit is conformity to their ways. They are right they say because they have the full backing of the Cardinal.

In many ways one feels this is almost surreal, as though we are living out the story of the Grand Inquisitor in Dostoyevski’s ‘The Brothers Karamazov’. The Inquisitor told Jesus when He returned to earth in Seville that there was a fundamental error in the Gospel message. Jesus had preached that humans should freely give up the flesh and follow Him. This was an error in the eyes of the Cardinal Inquisitor. For him only a very few have the strength to follow the radical teaching of Jesus. The ordinary folk cannot make their own way and can only find happiness by forsaking their freedom and turning their affairs over to the church. It is then that they will find happiness. The end result was that Jesus had to die again for the safety of the Inquisitor’s church and his authority.

This seems to be the situation in our church in Redfern. Where to from here? I doubt whether becoming the Catholic Hillsong brigade will ever bring us closer to the Gospel message. But that seems to be the aspiration of the leaders of the church in Sydney. All that we ask for is that we will be listened to and that we will not suffer the indignity of being treated as The Rump of Redfern.

John Hill

Decree Finalises Defamation Case against Fr Dennis Sudla

2006-10-23T08:15:00.000+10:00

The following statement was read out to the congregation before yesterday's 10am Mass.

The St Vincent’s Parish Bulletin distributed on 19-20 August 2006 included an extraordinary item entitled “Apology”, which was presented without explanation. This issue of the Bulletin was in very short supply for the Sunday 10am Mass and had been printed on two-week-old “Saving Word” stationery. This deterred many people from picking up a copy. Nevertheless none were left by 10:05am.

Equally extraordinarily, on the preceding Friday the parish priest handed an envelope containing a money order for $200 made out to Sharing the Meal, bearing the name Dennis Sudla, and issued at the Redfern post office on 16 August 2006, to one of the Meal helpers.

The following should help fill in the background.

The Bulletin item was no doubt prompted by a court case that has only very recently been finalised by issue of a Decree. The case pertained to repeated unprofessional behaviour by an Assistant Parish Priest towards a long-term member of this parish. It was heard, not before the Civil Courts, but the Catholic Church’s Ecclesiastical Tribunal which deals with issues related to Church (or Canon) Law.

The Church’s judicial system provides the means whereby Catholics can vindicate and defend the rights they enjoy in the Church. However, Church law requires all members of the Church, and especially bishops, to strive earnestly, with due regard for justice, to avoid litigation among themselves and to settle disputes promptly and without rancour.

Between July 2004 and May 2005 Fr Dennis Sudla, the assistant priest in the parish of Redfern and member of the Neocatechumenal Way, repeatedly defamed a parishioner, Ms Clare Maguire. Having failed in her attempts to resolve the matter through numerous non-judicial processes, Ms Maguire was left with no other option but to lodge a petition before the Church’s Regional Tribunal for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. She had tried nine different agencies within the Church hierarchy over a period of approximately two years. Most efforts were redirected to the Archbishop, where they foundered.

The case took almost 18 months to run its course. It involved the preparation of a petition, the gathering of character references and witness statements, and a personal interview. The outcome is a 19 page judgement with findings, list of recompense and recommendations.

The Tribunal’s definitive judgement was that Dennis Sudla had defamed Clare Maguire by publicly insulting and denigrating her. He did not exercise his right to appeal the decision of the Regional Tribunal.

Church law requires that anyone who unlawfully causes harm to another is obliged to repair the damage done. Clare Maguire petitioned the Tribunal that Fr Sudla be required to offer her a public apology for defaming her. Although she had the right also to seek monetary compensation, Clare specifically requested that she not be awarded any such compensation for the harm she suffered. Instead, she requested that Fr Sudla be required to make a monetary donation to Sharing the Meal.

The Church’s procedures require the Tribunal to issue a specific direction that its judgement be executed. Before any direction was issued, the aforementioned Parish Bulletin carried a brief apology from Fr Sudla, in which he made no reference to the decision of the Tribunal. Moreover, he said in his apology that he “did not intend in any way to defame” Clare Maguire. His statement is contrary to the judgement of the Tribunal that found Fr Sudla was aware he was violating Clare’s right to her good name and that he intended to do so.

It is the Church’s teaching that the right to a good name is one of the universal and inviolable rights of the human person. All members of the Church must be held accountable if they violate that right.

We are grateful that this matter has been brought to a just conclusion through the Tribunal, but dismayed at the personal cost of seeking justice within the Church: at the drain on physical and emotional health.

We are saddened by the dismissive attitude of so much of the Church towards fair and honest criticism when there are so many other issues to resolve in this place. After more than three years it’s time that our Archbishop made an effort to listen to and genuinely work with us towards equitable solutions.

Cardinal Pell says he is willing to go to Redfern to sort out the problem, but months of negotiations have gotten nowhere. "The parish clergy continue to have my full support," he said. "They have been subject to regular abuse, harassment and provocation, often during the Mass itself."
The Australian, August 05, 2006

Perhaps he might begin by fairly and honestly reconciling these words with the Tribunal findings.

Len De Lorenzo
On behalf of the St Vincent’s Community
22 October 2006

Update from Toukley

2006-10-11T15:34:00.000+10:00

The correspondence between the good folk from Toukley (see Standing in solidarity - Friday, September 01, 2006) and the Cardinal continues. This letter, written after a visit to Redfern, received a terse and sarcastic reply that is not worth publishing at this stage.

___________________________________________

Small Church Community Toukley

Postal address c/o. PO Box 278, BUDGEWOI NSW 2262

29th September 2006

His Eminence
George Cardinal Pell
Polding House
133 Liverpool Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

Dear Cardinal Pell,

Many thanks for your letter of 30th August 2006, the majority of its contents being a copy of your Press Release of 1st. August 2006.

Before answering, we thought it prudent to pay a visit to Redfern Parish and experience the situation ourselves. Three of our group including the undersigned attended the Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, 17th September 2006. There was joy and sadness – joy at the lovable and friendly Community atmosphere, sadness at the complete isolation and behaviour of the Priests. There were certainly no signs of provocation by those attending the Mass. The attached notes will illustrate to you what we mean. How can you expect to have more Aborigines attending Mass when the Priests are behaving in this fashion?

You say in your letter that you have offered to discuss the situation with those who are discontented. We understand that all attempts by the Community to contact you have been in vain, in fact a letter dated 21st. May and also published in their newsletter “Church-Mouse”, signed by some 120 Parishioners, has not been replied to by you. The Community would like to enter into dialogue with you as their Bishop. Surely, such a discussion would preclude any conditions by you relating to the presence of the Priests of the Neo-Catechumenal Way. In fact, the Priests of this Parish appear to lack basic people skills! We have been told of shouting and ridicule by the Priests independently by various Parishioners.

You mention in your letter Father Ted Kennedy’s immediate successor. We understand that this Priest was not at all well during his time at Redfern!

The missionary family you mention is in total isolation. They do not engage in any contact with the Community and appear to be Neocats. Attempts by the Community have been in vain.

Why is the Saturday evening Mass celebrated in the Presbytery and not in the Church? Why is there a separate Mass in the medical center and no Mass allowed in the Church?

Finally, we draw your attention to the Bishops’ Social Justice Statement where Father Ted Kennedy and his work was mentioned. Surely, every effort must be made to continue the noble heritage of this remarkable Priest. His criticism of the Hierarchy only puts him on equal footing with Blessed Mary McKillop!

Dear Cardinal Pell, we urge you to fulfil the wish of the Parishioners to enter into a meaningful dialogue and restore peace.

Yours sincerely,
On behalf of Small Church Community Toukley

(Maureen Flanagan) (Peter Meury)

Copy to Bishop David Walker, Father Peter d’Souza, Toukley
Redfern Catholic Community

___________________________________________

Attachment:

Notes on visit to St. Vincent’s Church Redfern 17th September 2006
Present from Toukley: Maureen and John Flanagan, Peter Meury

When we arrived at 9.50 am for the 10 o’clock Eucharist, the church was empty. Aboriginals were gathered outside and were quite friendly. The mural of contention looks great.

At 10.00 worshippers started arriving, and we were immediately welcomed and introduced. There was a remarkable friendly atmosphere all-round.

10.10 The Mass commences – 3 Priests concelebrating, the main celebrant being the young Assistant-Priest Father Clesio Mendes. The Parish Priest was concelebrating as well as a visiting Priest from Western Australia. After the entrance procession, an aboriginal rushes forward and places a black cross in front of the altar. No welcome by the celebrant, no introduction of the visiting Priest.

The readings were introduced by John (a member of the Community – an excellent introduction of the meaning of the readings).

Prayers of the Faithful were read by the Main celebrant out of a book to which he added two petitions of his own. The Community actively participated in formulating topical and relevant prayers including one relating to the Pope’s visit to Germany. The prayers were cut short by the Priest!

The Priests did not participate in the communal singing, in fact looked bored and at times annoyed. After Mass, the Aboriginal rushed forward and collected the cross, and the Priests walked out into the Sacristy – there were no good wishes for the Community and no contact at all with the people after Mass.

Present during Mass were two large family groups (we were told they were of Italian/Spanish background). They did not mix with the general congregation, or take any active part in the Eucharist. These people were obviously part of the Neocat community.

Afterwards, we remained talking to the people who are those who have not ‘caved in’ to pressure and remain fighting for their beloved community, although small in number, one of the most friendly and remarkable that could be envisaged in any Catholic/Christian gathering. They inspired us with their determination and courage to fight on to retain the ideals of their beloved Father Ted Kennedy (RIP). Father Ted’s sister, a Sacred Heart nun, works with the aboriginal community, and is an active member of the parish. There are a small number of dysfunctional people present among the worshippers. We saw active support and outreach to these people. Other previous members of the Congregation, we hear, have succumbed to pressure, and are worshipping at nearby Newtown Church.

The back of the church has been set up for sharing a meal twice weekly with the marginalised. Numbers fed, about 150 each meal! There is only a small facility for heating food and no running water! The Neocat priests take no interest/active participation in this ministry.

We found a disparity in the fact that large premises used as a presbytery for the Neocats were paid for by the Diocese (between $800.900 per week) whilst requests for running water in the back of the church have met with silence.

We were invited to join Parishioners in the nearby Cana Café, where there was a lively atmosphere of a loving Community. The intellectual standard is quite remarkable.

The general consensus is that the Neocats have outlived their welcome. There is no Saturday evening Mass in the Church, but it is in the Presbytery and visiting Priests are not allowed to celebrate Mass in the Church for Parishioners who do not belong to the Neocat Movement. For a while they celebrated Mass, if any, in the nearby Aboriginal Medical Centre.

There is heavy criticism all-round by Parishioners of the Parish Priest who does not seek contact and does not participate in communal activities. All requests to Cardinal Pell for visiting them and sorting things out have met with silence.

Maureen Flanagan and Peter Meury

Are we for real?

2006-09-27T08:30:00.000+10:00

Can the Church love enough to listen? In listening, can it dialogue? And if it dialogues, will it change?

from Online Catholics by Mary Bryant

Whether by coincidence or serendipity I attended two talks in one week that were by fact destined to be related.

The first was the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ statement for Social Justice Sunday titled: The Heart of the Country – Dignity and Justice for our Indigenous sisters and brothers; the second was a talk by Fr John Prior SVD which focused on the importance of dialogue in Asia as way of engaging local culture and people in a Church that faces extinction. It was titled Mission as Dialogue: Compromise or Confidence.

The common ground for the discussion struck me as the need for the Church to openly engage in dialogue to address the past pain and trauma, to bring reconciliation and to create a realistic vision of the Church’s mission. While these goals were reiterated by John Prior, the complexity and prerequisites for this process must be fully investigated if they are to be achieved.

One extract from the Social Justice statement succinctly makes the point. It quotes Pope John Paul II from 2001, “it is the Churches' task to help Indigenous cultures preserve their identity and maintain their traditions”. Another continues: “The Churches' dialogue with cultures of our time (is) a vital area, one in which the destiny of the world… is at stake.” These themes were echoed and expanded by John Prior giving reference to the work of the FABC (Federation of Asian Bishops Conference).

Two questions the Social Justice Sunday statement raise for all of us are:

What has changed since the Pope spoke in Alice Springs 20 years ago?

Why are the circumstances that Indigenous Australians live in still so poor and embarrassing?

Any answers are determined by the lens through which you view the questions. It depends on the focus you choose to consider, whether it be health or land rights or justice.

The lens which I was forced to consider while sitting listening to John Prior was the role of the Church. How does the Church, which includes you and me, reflect its commitment to Indigenous people in the way it operates, organises itself and celebrates liturgy?

It is important for me to clarify what I mean by the word, Church. For me Church represents my experience as a lay parishioner who participates in liturgy in a local parish. The Church is often understood as the congregation that celebrates the liturgy together. However, power and decision making in the Church are not shared by this group. There are Parish Councils which make recommendations, but my experience of councils is that recommendations can be, and have been, overturned by local priests. I acknowledge that there are a variety of interpretations and meanings given to the word but I think I would be accurate in assuming my experience is the quite common.

The recent events in Redfern -- surrounding the painting on the church wall of a mural quoting the Pope in Alice Springs 20 years ago, and the subsequent media coverage with comments by the local Parish Priest in which he called the mural vandalism -- remind us that the Church is not one voice or even the voice of the congregation. It reminds us that the conversation is not equal; that the parties do not share power and there can be pressure on Indigenous people to join a non-Indigenous conversation and agree to participate in a celebration of Jesus that was not developed to respond or incorporate their culture.

A week after the mural event, a most serious outcome was described in a letter to the Parish Priest of St Vincent’s Redfern, August 24, on behalf of the parishioners:

“Fr Gerry, last Sunday during the celebration of the 10am Mass, you left the altar at the Offertory, for your stated reason that you regarded the words of the Offertory Song as ‘political’.

“Your action, of walking out and thereby terminating the celebration of Mass, deprived us of our Sunday Eucharistic celebration and of our bread of life for the week’s journey. This is a violation of the community and of your own priesthood of the Jesus who came to serve. It was a violation of ‘the norms and traditions of the Church’ that you say in your letter ‘must be respected by all’.

“The community remains deeply grieved that as the parish priest charged with the pastoral care of our parish you would act in a way so violative of your duties.”

To be marginalised is one thing; to be different another; but to be refused the Eucharist represents a very serious choice by the Church which is first called to act as Jesus on earth.

John Prior pointed out that the Asian Bishops Conference has been motivated to begin dialogue in response to a similar circumstance that has led to the local communities feeling excluded, their culture itself being denied.

In Australia the Church has also found herself responsible for behaviours, policies and practices that have hurt Indigenous people and one wonders whether Redfern is an instance of this.

I am not Indigenous. I am however female. So, like Indigenous people, I am participating in rituals and ceremony that have been designed by men and, in my view, have not incorporated the ways and culture of women in their deliberations and decisions, let alone ceremony.

At a practical level I am in the 12th year of being banished to a crying room, where they exist, with toddlers; a solution suggested to me by my parish priest. Other options included leaving the children at home, my husband and I attending separately, and if we insisted attending Church as a family, only attending mass when a children’s liturgy was available.

The humiliation of the visit -- in 2003 not 1903 -- with its subsequent suggestions was enough to send me, if not to the crying room, out the back of the Church. So it is with much seriousness that I wonder how honest and serious we are as a Church when we propose communion with Indigenous people or the people of Asia.

Dialogue, it is true, is the key to any movement together but as we all know no other interaction is so fraught as a conversation.

The truth is that the primary prerequisite for any dialogue is a talker and a listener. The talker is never hard to find; the listener is often elusive.

When I began to consider how the Church prepares herself in order to listen, I began to consider the qualities and prerequisites that facilitate the same skill in me. If I were to list the prerequisites for active listening in myself they would include respect for the other party; to have time; to have a goal for the dialogue (conversation); but most importantly, a quality that I am too slowly developing with age and experience, self assuredness, peace or self confidence which often comes from healing that allows me to listen openly, without needing to defend a notion or position, with a view to knowing more or becoming more.

The question then becomes: How does a Church become self confident, peaceful, and self assured in order to listen to other ideas, ways, thoughts and behaviours?

One answer is through healing, by offering forgiveness and being forgiven.

Another answer may be by modelling inclusive behaviours. For women, changes in language from male-oriented words to neutral expressions have marked a symbolic but crucial change. Another may be by being realistic about what we want and expect from the dialogue knowing what can change and what we can’t and being honest and open about that.

Fundamentally, we must find the common ground, which can be simply stated as a universal belief: love is good.

The fact remains that the Church, which includes you and me, can only enter a dialogue if we are truly open to the possibility of hearing new things, listening and not defending, celebrating difference and doing things differently.

One other feature of dialogue that I have been drawn to again in my experience as a woman is the capacity I have to influence the decisions that are made in response to the conversation. Women are very familiar with discussions that are held and then referred to a group for a final decision that largely excludes their voice; parliament may be a ready example.

The worst outcome of this process results in cynicism, rejection and anger. In the Church Mouse, St Vincent’s Parish, Redfern, we find the words posted:

“As usual, whenever we as a community or as individuals try to engage you or your fellow priests in dialogue, our efforts are met with stony refusals to engage. Rather, you choose to assert your authority as priest as if that should be the end of it.” August 27.

Therefore, if the Church begins a dialogue it needs to consider its own position in order to avoid tokenism, or time wasting.

In the launch of the Social Justice Sunday statement Fr Brian McCoy told us we must look back to look forward.

When I look back over the last 20 years I wonder:

What has changed in local parishes and how will things change in response to the statement now?

Do local parishes acknowledge the Indigenous people as the custodians of the land on which their churches stand?

Is there evidence of Indigenous culture, art, ritual in our local parishes? Is there the opportunity for dialogue?

My mother always said: “Don’t tell me you love me, show me.” I think we should do both. Certainly, words are not enough.

Recent developments in psychology and social work show that while looking back is important, we also need to identify resilience and strengths, acknowledging that victims are strong by the fact they have survived.

We could ask ourselves: What are the positive stories we tell, promote or publicise of Indigenous peoples’ resilience and strength and achievements? In Hebrews 11 we are reminded that: "To have faith is to be sure of what we hope for, to be certain of things we cannot see."

With this in mind I take the risk of hoping and dreaming:

Dreaming of a Church that is confident enough for liturgy to be celebrated in culturally appropriate ways;

Confident enough to invite women and men, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, into decision-making fora that plan for the future of the Church;

And that this Church is loving enough to have disabled access and a ceremony that appeals to children; a Church that seeks to love first in all its activities and to put that above history, tradition and power.

Mary Bryant is the mother of six children aged 3 - 12 years. She is a social worker who is particularly interested in the intersection between spirituality and social work practise. This includes writing and researching ways in which we can weave the values of Catholic social teaching into the work we do and the way we do it including policies and procedures of not-for-profit agencies. She is particularly interested in women's issues and her experience as a working mother have only heightened her passion for equality and structural change that assist women to combine both vocations.

The Tree upon the Wall

2006-09-25T23:22:00.000+10:00

The Church Mouse has received several requests for the words of the Offertory hymn that was so political that the Mass on Sunday 20 August 2006 had to be aborted and the congregation denied the Eucharist. The hymn has been sung pretty much every Sunday since that unfortunate day without consequence.

THE TREE UPON THE WALL
by Helen Reagan

There is something missing here.
There is something missing here.
A message that was oh so clear.
Of Love and Truth and Justice.

Chorus
But now we have the tree upon the wall.
Blessed by everyone who understands.
A message for everyone to see.
A challenge to those with their own plan.

The hands tell us who really own the Land.
The tree itself is a message as it stands.
A life that simply can not be cut down.
This life deeply rooted in the ground.

Let the tree bring them in.
Spirit filled prayers bursting forth.
Filling all with Truth in need.
Renewing hope for new life here.

Dear Redfern folks

2006-09-25T23:13:00.000+10:00

Sunday 10.9.06

Dear Redfern folks,
We heard of your problems and I finally found you on the Web to get your address. We would like to offer you our support.

My wife and I were Father Ted supporters and he had a cottage up here near Robertson. His brother I knew at Marrickville where I practised about 50 years ago.

We were able to read most of the story on the Computer, which only confirmed what we had heard. We also read of it in the S.M.H. I am actually not a Cardinal Pell supporter and luckily live in the Wollongong Diocese - Wasn't Melbourne lucky! They are still laughing.

Our parish has had an Opus Dei "Takeover" as I call it - where "only the Saved will be saved".

My wife and I were called before the liturgy committee here and given a "lecture" by 3 Opus Dei members on the "Mass", as I had complained in writing about the old hymns the choir were directed to sing.

We would like to get a copy of the Offertory Hymn you were not allowed to sing. Have you a spare copy?

We are S.I.P.S members - 0ur chairman is a "wasted ex-priest" - what a waste!

God bless you and you have our support.

John and Kathy Roche.

New regime sparks unholy row at Aboriginal church

2006-09-08T21:24:00.000+10:00

From The Independent in London, Published: 08 September 2006
By Kathy Marks in Sydney

A thinly attended Friday morning mass has just ended at St Vincent's Catholic church in Redfern, a deprived inner-city neighbourhood of Sydney. As the priest, Father Gerry Prindiville, hurries out, the front door opens to a colourful wave of humanity.

These are the parish's most needy: the homeless, the mentally ill, the down-and-outs, many from Redfern's sizeable Aboriginal community. Some used to attend mass, but now they come just for the free meals provided twice a week.

For 30 years, under Father Prindiville's predecessor, Ted Kennedy, St Vincent's was a refuge for broken people. Father Ted, as he was known, was passionate about social justice. He helped to set up Aboriginal housing and medical services in Redfern, where he is still revered.

But he also made himself unpopular with the Catholic hierarchy, particularly the present Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, an ultra- conservative. After Father Ted fell sick and died last year, Cardinal Pell replaced him with priests from the Neocatechumenal Way, a Spanish missionary movement committed to saving souls rather than changing society.

The move, which some denounced as provocative, has caused a rift between clergy and parishioners. The latter, who include a substantial number of middle-class Catholics drawn to Redfern because of Father Ted, say the "Neocats" have no interest in the area or its problems. The priests have been accused of showing disrespect to Aboriginal people and their traditions.

Now the faithful are fighting back. A few Sundays ago, Father Prindiville found a huge mural had appeared in the church overnight. Framed by indigenous totems including an emu and goanna, it reproduced a speech by Pope John Paul II in Alice Springs in 1986, in which he paid tribute to Aboriginal spirituality. The Pope told Aborigines: "Your dreaming is your own way to touching the mystery of God's spirit in you and in creation." Father Prindiville was furious. He called the mural vandalism.

Since then, relations have deteriorated. Father Prindiville scandalised worshippers by storming out half-way through one Sunday mass, calling it "too political". Prayers had been offered for Vietnam War veterans, and for Aboriginal stockmen who fought for land rights. After last Sunday's mass, a parishioner, Len De Lorenzo, stood to read a conciliatory letter. The priests walked out, with one seminarian making a two-fingered gesture.

Marnie Kennedy, Father Ted's sister, says parishioners had tried to talk to the newcomers. "Ted used to reach out to the Aboriginal people. These priests don't even want to meet them. They're only interested in evangelising."

For her, Redfern mirrors a wider struggle between liberals and conservatives in the church, with groups including the Neocats and Opus Dei used to clamp down on troublesome parishes.

For black parishioners, the mural has helped to restore the sense that St Vincent's is theirs. Ralph Townsend said: "It lets the Neocats know we're here, and they're not going to kick us out of our church."

It took weeks to plan the mural, and seven Aboriginal artists were involved. A nun let them into the church on the Saturday afternoon. Her brother, an off-duty policeman, kept watch. Scaffolding was wheeled in. Six hours later, the painting was complete.

The mural dominates the church interior. Behind the altar, are photographs of Father Ted and "Mum Shirl" Smith, an Aboriginal social worker. Father Prindiville took her picture down, but replaced it after angry protests.

The flashpoint was a wooden crucifix painted in the Aboriginal colours of red, black and gold, which local people placed on a small table by the altar. An assistant priest, Dennis Sudla, allegedly threw it across the floor, and smashed the table. Police were summoned.

Father Prindville objects to people calling out during prayers. But, Marnie Kennedy says, "that's the kind of parish we are, it's a place with a lot of suffering and shouting". Some parishioners also complained about a priest, Clesio Mendes, who enacted a crucifixion rite during the Good Friday service, calling out: "Daddy, Daddy, save me!"

Cardinal Pell told The Australian newspaper that he wanted St Vincent's to concentrate on religion rather than social work. "There's no long-term help for anyone in Redfern simply by handing out condoms or syringes or a few bob to clean the church," he said.

The chancellor of the archdiocese, Father John Usher, said Cardinal Pell had made it clear the Neocats would stay. Of the mural, he said: "I understand that it's very beautiful. The difficulty is that it just happened." Father Prindiville has declined to comment.

Standing in solidarity

2006-09-01T09:20:00.000+10:00

Many thanks to these good people from Toukley on the New South Wales Central Coast. Not only are they upset by the injustices heaped upon the St Vincent's community, they are standing up and loudly saying so. The following correspondence is reproduced with permission.

From: Peter Meury
Sent: Tuesday, 29 August 2006 10:48 PM
To: church-mouse@lanuera.com.
Subject: Your struggle

Dear Brothers and Sisters of the Catholic Community of Redern,

Following the recent and less recent events in your Parish, we have today mailed a letter to Cardinal Pell with copies to our local Bishop, our Parish Priest and yourselves as per attachment. We would like to assure you, that we stand in solidarity with you in your struggle for justice and the Peace of our Lord. We sincerely hope, that your goodwill evident from your recent expressions in “Church-Mouse” will soon bear fruit.

Prayerfully Yours

On behalf of Small Church Community Toukley
Peter Meury and Maureen Flanagan

Small Church Community Toukley
Postal address c/o. PO Box 278, BUDGEWOI NSW 2262

28th August 2006

His Eminence
George Cardinal Pell
Polding House
133 Liverpool Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000

Dear Cardinal Pell,

Social Justice in our Church/The Redern situation

Our small Church Community Group meets every two weeks to study and reflect on the Sunday gospels, to pray, to meditate, and to discuss topical issues of today, especially Social Justice Matters.

We have been greatly concerned about recent articles in The Weekend Australian (5th August 2006) and SMH (31st. July) in regard to the situation of St. Vincent’s Parish in Redfern. The statements attributed to you, the inability of the Church authorities to resolve this terrible situation since the departure of Father Ted Kennedy, and the actions of the present Parish Clergy as described in the newspaper articles are surely not in accordance with Gospel values. Where is the compassion of Christ? How is social work not part of the Christian ethic? What about the spirit of reconciliation?

Do these people need religion or do they simply need an understanding pastor? You are quoted to have said, that you will go to Redfern and sort out the problem. Why has this not happened so far? It appears that Father Gerry Prindiville is unable to solve difficult issues. The local Deacon seems to be of the same opinion.

Even the Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal for NSW is now involved in what appears a genuine complaint of defamation (SMH of 25th August).

We stand in solidarity with the struggling people of Redfern and implore you to end these injustices without further delay.

Prayerfully Yours

On behalf of Small Church Community Toukley
(Maureen Flanagan) (Peter Meury)

Copy to Bishop David Walker, Father Peter d’Souza, Toukley
Redfern Catholic Community

Just another Sunday

2006-08-27T16:37:00.000+10:00

Today's 10am Mass was said by Clesio Mendes with Gerry Prindiville and a young seminarian assisting.

The Neocats behaved as though it was just another Sunday: no reference to the walkout last week; no reference to the community's letter to Prindiville sent during the week; certainly no apology for denying us the Eucharist; nothing.

Copies of the letter were provided next to the church bulletin for people to read for themselves, and at the end of Mass, after the celebrants had left the altar, one of the letter's signatories read it out from the lecturn while the seminarians scurried about clearing the altar.

The Neocats in the congregation left rapidly (as is their habit), and Prindiville led his cohort from the sacristy before the reading was complete to cries of "shame!"

So, Gerry Prindiville, nothing has changed. There is no engagement - only enragement.

As usual, whenever we as a community or as individuals try to engage you or your fellow priests in dialogue, our efforts are met with stony refusals to engage. Rather, you choose to assert your authority as priest as if that should be the end of it. You refuse to participate in community with us. All of you, your fellow priests and the members of the congregation who identify as part of the Neocatechumenal Way, fail to assist with our weekly meals for the poor, in our Sharing the Journey discussions, and in the simple acts of morning tea and friendship after Mass. This is despite numerous invitations issued to all of you over the past years. It is, to say the least, unhelpful that you should lead "your" people out of the Church immediately after the conclusion of Mass not just today but on every Sunday, ignoring us as you do so.

Seminarian giving Neocat sign of reconciliation as the clergy hastily leave.

Redfern parishioners want to reconcile with parish priest

2006-08-25T08:46:00.000+10:00

Catholic News, 25 August 2006

A group of St Vincent's Redfern parishioners has called for reconciliation with the parish priest, Fr Gerry Prindiville, after the NSW Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal upheld a defamation complaint by parishioner Clare Maguire against a former assistant priest.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Clare Maguire claimed her right to a good reputation had been violated by Fr Dennis Sudla, a Neo-Catechumenal priest.

The decision of the Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal, a key church judicial body, was this week posted on the parish's community blog, The Church Mouse, and confirmed by the offended parishioner.

Ms Maguire declined to elaborate on the priest's behaviour but said the matter came to a head over an exchange in the presence of witnesses during Mass, while she was stepping forward to put flowers on the altar to commemorate Hiroshima Day.

"I'm very satisfied. But were this a civil case, there would have been a very large financial compensation for the content of his words," she told the Herald.

Ms Maguire said the judgement had yet to be executed but in part required a financial sum to be paid towards the costs of Sharing of the Meal, which is the parish's twice-weekly provision of meals and hospitality for people in Redfern.

But despite the potentially explosive finding, Church Mouse yesterday published an open letter from Ms Maguire and three other parishioners calling for reconciliation with the parish priest.

The letter is in response to Fr Prindiville's own letter read to the parish last Sunday in which he also appealed for reconciliation in the parish.

The four parishioners said that "it was good to see your letter acknowledge that OUR Parish 'has particular characteristics, with its indigenous population and the significant heritage of [former parish priest, the late] Fr Ted Kennedy's work'".

"We would like to acknowledge your request for cooperation and harmony, and your expression of an earnest desire to fulfil your role in the parish as you see fit," the parishioners wrote.

However, the parishioners remained critical saying that "we are painfully aware that non-Aboriginal people are treated differently" and expressing concern over "the ongoing disregard for, or unawareness of, Aboriginal culture and spirituality".

The letter also criticised Fr Prindiville for "walking out" of Mass last Sunday over the words of an offertory song he considered to be "political."

The letter concluded that "we believe that the Gospel of Jesus requires that both priest and community approach each other in a spirit of honesty and forgiveness for the process of reconciliation to begin."

Tribunal finds cleric defamed parishioner

2006-08-25T08:23:00.000+10:00

Sydney Morning Herald, August 25, 2006

RELATIONS between conservative clergy and parishioners in the troubled St Vincent's parish in Redfern have taken another dramatic twist, with a church tribunal finding that an assistant priest defamed a parishioner.

In an unusual case, the Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal for NSW, a key church judicial body, has upheld a complaint against a former assistant priest, Dennis Sudla.

Clare Maguire claimed her right to a good reputation had been violated by Father Sudla, a neocatechumenal priest.

The tribunal's finding was this week posted on the parish's community blog, The Church Mouse, and confirmed by the offended parishioner.

Ms Maguire declined to elaborate on the priest's behaviour but told the Herald the matter came to a head over an exchange in the presence of witnesses during Mass, while she was stepping forward to put flowers on the altar to commemorate Hiroshima Day.

Before lodging her complaint, Ms Maguire said she had approached nine different levels of the church hierarchy and each time was redirected to Cardinal George Pell.

"I'm very satisfied. But were this a civil case, there would have been a very large financial compensation for the content of his words," she said.

Ms Maguire said the judgement had yet to be executed but in part required a financial sum to be paid towards the costs of Sharing of the Meal, which is the parish's twice-weekly provision of meals and hospitality for people in Redfern.

Yesterday, in a separate matter, parishioners issued an open letter to Father Gerry Prindiville, accusing him of walking out of Mass last Sunday because he regarded the words of the Offertory song to be political.

Parishioners said the parish clergy had also ignored and ridiculed lawful parish customs and claimed it had turned away some Aborigines from the altar. They also defended their right to bring issues such as the plight of Aborigines and asylum seekers to the liturgy.

Last week Father Prindiville appealed to parishioners to co-operate with him so he could carry out his parish role.

by Linda Morris

Open Letter to Parish Priest

2006-08-24T09:50:00.000+10:00

Dear Father Gerry,

Thank you for your letter of August 13, 2006.

It was good to see your letter acknowledge that OUR Parish "has particular characteristics, with its indigenous population and the significant heritage of Fr. Ted Kennedy's work". We note with interest and pleasure that this is the first time you have made such an acknowledgement.

We would like to acknowledge your request for cooperation and harmony, and your expression of an earnest desire to fulfil your role in the parish as you see fit.

At the same time we note that since your appointment over three years ago, the Community has remained hopeful of witnessing your "great love and respect for our indigenous brothers and sisters". We draw your attention to the large number of written and verbal complaints that have been made to you expressing concern over the ongoing disregard for, or unawareness of, Aboriginal culture and spirituality. We are deeply concerned that you and your assistant priests have seen fit to ignore and ridicule lawful customs of our parish. How many Aboriginal funerals have there been here during the last three years? How often have we seen Aboriginal members of this Community publicly challenged about their state of sacramental preparedness at the very point of receiving the Eucharist, and turned away from the altar, confused and humiliated? We are painfully aware that non-Aboriginal people are treated differently. To refuse Holy Communion to any person not prohibited by the Church from receiving the Eucharist is a violation of the norms of the Church you say in your letter “must be respected by all”.

For over thirty-five years this Community has attempted to live out the Gospel imperative of giving welcome to the marginalised regardless of colour or creed. This inevitably translates into a disruptive and demanding invitation to accept individuals who have been born into structural violence. We have chosen to be confronted by the presence of God "in the least", with whom Jesus so clearly identified, both in his earthly life and as the Risen Lord of the Gospels. After all, the final revelation of Jesus is not about knowing but about loving.

Your acknowledgement of the importance of social and justice aspects of Church life begs the question: when and where do you find the "time and place" for them? At St Vincent’s we have a long tradition of breaking open the word of Scripture so that it may speak to us of today. The image evokes the Eucharist itself. To us, the Incarnation means that we discover the relevance of the Word to real people in real life. This brings real issues - like the often hidden sufferings of Aboriginal people or the desperate plight of asylum seekers – to our liturgy. You may consider these things as "politics" but to us they are the very cry of the God seeking Compassion and Justice in this world. We bring issues into our liturgy because we believe that it is only in prayer that we can adequately name them.

Fr Gerry, last Sunday during the celebration of the 10 am Mass you left the altar at the Offertory, for your stated reason that you regarded the words of the Offertory Song as “political”. Your action of walking out and thereby terminating the celebration of Mass deprived us of our Sunday Eucharistic celebration and of our bread of life for the week’s journey. This is a violation of the community and of your own priesthood of the Jesus who came to serve. It was a violation of “the norms and traditions of the Church” that you say in your letter “must be respected by all”. The Community remains deeply grieved that as the parish priest charged with the pastoral care of our parish you would act in a way so violative of your duties.

We appeal to you to resume your place as the celebrant in our Community. We believe that the Gospel of Jesus requires that both priest and community approach each other in a spirit of honesty and forgiveness for the process of reconciliation to begin.

Mary McMahon, Clare Maguire, Peter Griffin, Len De Lorenzo
For and on behalf of the St Vincent’s community

Church justice - a little never too late

2006-08-18T14:07:00.000+10:00

Cardinal Pell says he is willing to go to Redfern to sort out the problem, but months of negotiations have gotten nowhere. "The parish clergy continue to have my full support," he said. "They have been subject to regular abuse, harassment and provocation, often during the mass itself." The Australian, August 05, 2006

Over the last 30 months or so, members of the St Vincent's community, as a group and individually, have been trying to establish a dialogue with the hierarchy of the Catholic Church regarding the untenable appointment of proponents of the Neocatechumenal Way to the Redfern parish, and their unacceptable behaviour.

Letters were written; meetings were held. Inevitably, it seemed, each attempt met with rejection – a rebuke for being so impertinent as to criticise the clergy, a “misunderstanding” or outright denial of the issues raised, a “go and talk to the Cardinal” fob-off, or most often, no response at all.

With each rejection, the point of contact moved up and about the hierarchy, starting, of course with the parish priest Fr Gerry Prindiville, followed by the likes of Mgr. Vince Redden - then Archdiocesan Vicar for Clergy, a Canon lawyer, Mgr. Brian Rayner - then Archdiocesan Vicar-General/Chancellor, Cardinal Pell Archbishop of the Sydney Diocese, Archbishop Hickey of the Perth Archdiocese, the local Church Professional Standards Committee, the National Committee for Professional Standards, and last but not least, Archbishop Carroll – then President of the Australian Bishops' Conference.

All these avenues were exhausted well over a year ago.

Because of some specific behaviour over a period of time by the assistant priest Fr Dennis Sudla towards one of the members of the community, Clare Maguire, canonical advice was sought from Dr Rodger Austin as to how this matter might be addressed.

As Sudla was unwilling to attempt to resolve the matter through a process of mutual consultation, Clare Maguire lodged a petition before the Ecclesiastical Regional Tribunal for New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, claiming that her right to the good reputation which she enjoys had been violated by Sudla.

The Tribunal is a Church court which is essentially about rendering justice while applying the Church's Canon Law. In other words, the Tribunal is a judicial body and a pastoral ministry of the Church, which deals with issues involving injustices and any cases that might need the interpretation of the Church's own Law. Most of its business is in marriage annulments; defamation cases are quite unusual.

The Regional Tribunal has issued a definitive judgement in response to Clare's petition in which the Judge determined that Fr Sudla had defamed her. Sudla did not exercise his right to appeal and the case is now completed.

In fact, the former assistant PP has not been sighted in Redfern since shortly after the petition was lodged. He was last mentioned in an October 2005 church bulletin as being “in the Philippines doing missionary work and … near his family who need his help”.

The final step in the process is the execution of the judgement which is expected to occur shortly.

Raise your voices!

2006-08-16T22:17:00.000+10:00

From this week's Online Catholics:

Following Paula McLeod’s article last week, Rise Up for a Just Church, several comments were made to me which have been encapsulated in this week’s letter, Some help please! from Fr Sanchez, of Brisbane: basically that people would like to write – but to whom and what needs to be said?

In the specific case of Redfern, Cardinal George Pell, and the parish priest, Fr Gerard Prindiville, would head the list. Other possibilities include Archbishop Philip Wilson (Adelaide), as President of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and Archbishop Barry Hickey (Perth), the chair of the new Bishops’ Commission for Relations with Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. If you want to go further, other Bishops could include Christopher Toohey (Justice and Service), Eugene Hurley (Pastoral Life) and Michael Malone (Church Ministry). And, of course, there is always your local Bishop.

To offer support to the local Aboriginal community, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Catholic Council (NATSICC) might be able to offer some assistance or provide the names of local contacts.

An excellent source for information about the Catholic Church in Australia normally is the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference site within the Church portal. While it is not up-to-date with the new structure of the ACBC, unfortunately, it will give you easy access to emails and postal addresses for all the Bishops.

As to what to say, Paula has suggested that in relation to Redfern, essentially the point to make to our Bishops is that all of the communities within a diocese "have a place at the table". All must be heard from and accounted for, and each one must show consideration for the rest and for the good of the entire church.

She says that Redfern is not just an administrative unit of a larger entity. It is a gathering of Christians in which the Spirit dwells. No parish should be more privileged than another. No parish is second-rate compared to others and should not be treated as such.

As a Catholic parish Redfern shares "true equality in dignity and action whereby all cooperate in the building up of the Body of Christ". (excerpts taken from an excellent summary by Future Church of parish rights and obligations at www.futurechurch.org/sopc/parishrightsandobligations.htm)

She says that this website also has links to sample letters to bishops on a range of topics.

It is important when writing such letters that you make your point clearly, briefly and without allowing the emotion that has generated the letter-writing to dominate. You do not want to give the impression of being impolite or unreasoned. It is also important that you express what you want to say in your own words. While this can be more difficult for some people, it is worth the effort as your opinion comes across much more genuinely to the recipient of the communication.

If you need further help, then your local social justice group / diocesan commission might be useful.

It is important that we communicate with our Bishops.

Blessings!

Penny Edman

The Neocat backlash

2006-08-14T19:47:00.000+10:00

The 10am Mass on Sunday at St Vincent’s was stacked with many more Neocats than usual, including a significant proportion of first-timers. They were almost strategically distributed about the church, surrounding the community, to hear Prindiville read this letter to the congregation before Mass on Sunday. It was also published in the weekend’s parish bulletin.

From the Parish Priest
Dear brothers and sisters, and people of good will,
Our parish of St. Vincent has recently been in the news. For this reason Fr Clesio and I wish to appeal to you for cooperation.

More than three eventful years ago I was appointed as Parish Priest by the Cardinal. I accepted this mission with joy and am still happy to be here to serve. The parish has particular characteristics, with its indigenous population and the significant heritage of Fr Ted Kennedy's work. We did not come with any preconceived idea or plan. We have great love and respect for our indigenous brothers and sisters, and for all to whom the Lord invites us to announce the Good News of Jesus Christ.

This parish has a history of involvement in social and justice issues for which there is a time and a place. We acknowledge the importance of this aspect of Church life: we have both lived and worked among the poor and oppressed - Clesio in Brazil and I among displaced Haitians in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

We can have different ideas or opinions on many aspects of the life of the Church and of society, but the Liturgy is where we can experience communion, accepting also that there are different roles in the Body of Christ. The celebration of the Mass is not the place for making political statements or points, but rather the place where the Lord passes among us. This requires that all accept the norms and traditions of the Church in relation to the Liturgy.

We therefore insist that during the Mass the introductions be brief and related to the Scripture proclaimed. This is not the place for criticism of the Church, the Bishops or clergy.

Likewise the Prayers of the Faithful should be brief and genuine prayers. It is not appropriate to give long explanations, or make critical statements. We are simply asking the Lord, who knows our problems and needs, for his help.

All are welcome to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist, but the norms and traditions of the Church must be respected by all. It is our duty when we preside at the celebrations to ensure that this happens. There is no place for interventions or interruptions without the knowledge and consent of the presiding priest at any time until after the final Blessing.

We ask that all respect our wishes, in order that together we may journey towards the heavenly banquet which will be the fulfilment of all our desires.

Fr. Gerry Prindiville, Parish Priest

The Church Mouse wonders whose pusillanimous performance piece this actually is. It has little in common with the Prindivillean utterings to which we have become accustomed.

Footnote:
In the true spirit of journeying together towards the heavenly banquet, the community’s commentary on the readings and Prayers of the Faithful were apparently recorded by the Neocats, no doubt to be carefully scrutinized for heresies that might provide fuel for a little burning at the stake.

Rise up for a Just Church

2006-08-09T08:38:00.000+10:00

Online Catholics, 9 August, 2006

Who really gives a fig about Redfern? If it were East Timor or West Papua the letters would be flying in all directions!

My mail this week revealed the usual clutch of bills and brochures, but the letter that caught my attention was an envelope with “Rise Up for a Just Church” emblazoned across the front.

The contents revealed the latest letter from the American lay activist movement Call to Action, celebrating its 30th year in 2006. Interesting I thought: 30 years of advocacy for the accountability of bishops. Thirty years of asking the hard questions about the place of the laity in Church governance, the future of the priesthood and the thorny issues of sexual orientation, race and the role of women. Thirty years of working for justice and dignity within our Church.

But who really gives a fig about all these issues?

Call to Action obviously does, but what about Australian Catholics?

For most, all this is really a matter of Ho hum, yawn. Let me know when it’s all fixed and I might prise myself out of my comfy parish pew to get involved. And maybe they are right; our parishes today are hardly hotbeds of discontent.

Parish life runs smoothly as long as you have enough people to finance the pastoral needs and the committees are full of willing workers to make it all happen. Church law defines the jurisdictional and public ministries of priests and those employed by the Church, and is a strong deterrent to public utterances of discontent, which can be very risky if you want to keep your job. As a result injustice within the Church is a very controversial topic for public parish dialogue and is generally saved for conversations among trusted friends.

Should Australian Catholics publicly call into question unjust actions within our Church? Our Catholic formation has certainly sensitised us to the consequences of silence and inaction on justice issues.

What becomes of parishes like Redfern if we remain silent? Are they are left to fight the battle on their own?

Do we stand by and watch from our parishes thinking: Thank goodness we don’t have that problem here. Let’s get on with organising our next function. During this week many of us will gather with other parishioners or colleagues at meetings and slip an intention for Redfern into the essential opening prayer. This will probably be followed by the essential exclamations about how dreadful it all is.

Is this really enough?

What would you do if Redfern were your parish?

In Sydney on Pentecost Sunday, I sat beside long-serving parishioners from Redfern and listened to them speak with pain and passion about their community. One could only stand in solidarity with the people of Redfern after hearing their stories of marginalisation.

The article, John Paul’s words a weapon in parish war by Peter Lalor (Weekend Australian, August 5-6, 2006), is surely our very public invitation to express our solidarity. Maybe this time our distractions, parish commitments and fears will not excuse us from taking the risk.

Think about it. If this injustice were happening in, for example, East Timor or Western Papua, our parish social justice groups would be penning letters in many directions to all concerned. So why not apply the principles of Catholic social teaching to Redfern and see, judge and act accordingly?

Write to your Bishops, even the Cardinal, but more importantly let the struggling people of Redfern know that you stand in solidarity with them.

Catholics belong to a very powerful Church whose public voice demands, in the name of Christ, integrity and justice for all creation.

Catholics also belong to a Church that sometimes fails to critically examine its own actions against the tenets of the gospel it proclaims.

So this time – Give a fig! and rise up for a just Church.

by Paula McLeod

Paula McLeod is committed to a just Church. She is interested in the influence of parallel organisations (e.g. Call to Action) in shaping our vision of Church. Paula is currently completing an M.A. (Theology) with a particular focus on women’s formation and conversion in the Catholic Church.

A little sympathy for Prindiville?

2006-08-07T21:45:00.000+10:00

The following curious article appeared in The Australian today.

It should be noted that the good Cardinal was not criticised so much for his opinions on how to help the Aboriginal community, as for the implication by association in those words that the St. Vincent's community is involved in such activities.

It should also be noted that yesterday was Hiroshima Sunday, so the liturgy included a number of uncomfortable (leftwing?) reminders of the past - such as the sad fact that the atomic weapons dropped on Japan were blessed by Catholic priests before they were deployed, and that the small Catholic population of that country was decimated in the devestation caused by those bombs.

Critical mass targets Pell on condoms
John Stapleton, The Australian 7 August 2006

Forced to listen: Father Gerry Prindiville, accused of being out of touch, presides at St Vincent's in Redfern, Sydney, yesterday. Picture: Chris Pavlich

CARDINAL George Pell was repeatedly criticised during mass yesterday in Redfern for saying that handing out syringes and condoms was not the way to help the Aboriginal community.

The Archbishop of Sydney made the comments to The Weekend Australian in support of the parish's conservative clergy, now at loggerheads with their turbulent inner-city congregation with its strong liberal Catholic tradition.

Aboriginal deacon Frank Cain received a standing ovation yesterday when he told the congregation he was proud to be involved in the painting of a mural a week ago, on one of the internal walls of St Vincent's, which marked an escalation in the conflict.

"This mural is not a sacrilege in any way, shape or form," he said.

"We are not social workers, welfare workers, and we are certainly not a medical team handing out contraceptives and syringes, as Cardinal Pell bluntly states in The Australian. Neither are we extremists causing trouble, as Cardinal Pell again states in The Australian .

"We ask that the church respect the mural for its theological and spiritual symbolism, cultural nature and reconciliation themes."

The parish acquired a strong social justice agenda under the 30-year leadership of Father Ted Kennedy, who died last year. Since then, there has been a growing divide between the clergy and parishioners, including the mentally ill, alcoholic and Aboriginal.

The unauthorised mural, painted without the permission of parish priest Gerry Prindiville, quoted John Paul II: "Your dreaming is your own way to touching the mystery of God's spirit in you and in creation," it reads in part.

Father Prindiville, criticised for his lack of empathy with the local community and with Aboriginal spirituality, led the mass yesterday morning but was forced to listen while his largely left-wing parishioners repeatedly condemned or questioned the church and its hierarchy.

Sister Sheila Quonoey, who led the community commentary for the mass, continued the anti-authoritarian theme when she said: "God calls us beyond the boundaries of our comfort zones whether that space is physical, cultural, religious, racial or our own family. God's word subverts our familiar world."

She described the mural as a "wonderful image to give us courage, hope and commitment to true justice for Aboriginal people in this land".

A spokeswoman for Cardinal Pell said he was overseas and not available for comment.

Frank Cain, you’ve done it again

2006-08-06T00:37:00.000+10:00

My name is Frank Cain and I have been a member of this community for around twenty years. I am proud to have played a part in the liturgy of the Message Stick and establishing the Mural at St Vincent’s last Sunday.

The Mural is a symbolic artistic gesture of the discernment of God’s beautiful face in creation. It conveys the words of the Vicar of Christ, or Christ’s representative, the late Pope John Paul II, stating that the Aboriginal people make up part of the Church of this country and recognizes their Catholicism as well as their own unique spirituality.

“The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you (the indigenous Australians) have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others” Pope John Paul II Alice Springs 1986

These words are the justification for the existence of the Mural. It is not sacrilegious, as claimed by some, in any way, shape or form; neither is it a jape or joke as described in Monday’s Sydney Morning Herald article.

Some aspects of how the Mural came to be may be frowned upon by some, but this Church was not broken into by any parishioner as claimed in that article.

If some of us were to have broken into the Church as suggested – what a shame that we had to – because once upon a time we could walk freely in and out of this Church – especially on Saturday evenings when we were welcomed at Mass and not questioned if we were Catholic or eligible for Communion.

As Griffo said, we weren’t going against authority – we were making a statement that we were reclaiming the Church for the Aboriginal people of this parish and abroad, and to remind the Church that we are still here! And to remind the Church of the Pope’s words at Alice Springs in 1986 – “That in relation to Aboriginal Land Rights the Church still supports you (the Aboriginal people) today.”

The statement that we, the parishioners of Redfern, “won’t accept any sort of authority” (SMH) is wrong. The fact is that we do accept authority, particularly the authority given by Christ to question when authority fails to respect the truth or the people. And we remember that Christ spoke with authority on a par with the people, and not to them or at them.

It has also been said that the “freewheeling” parishioners at Redfern don’t express or respect a “disciplined spiritual authoritative regime”. Well, neither did Jesus Christ (e.g. Mark 2:23, Eating on Sabbath)

Salvation is not necessarily obtained through dogmatic rules and regulations. It can be obtained through caring for the sick, serving the poor, the needy, the oppressed, providing a voice for the marginalized, the down and out, the fringe dwellers and the outcasts. And providing basic human care and resources to people in need, as well as empowering and encouraging people to be independent and acknowledging “the human soul” in that respect. In John Paul II’s words “The greatest value to be achieved …. Is respect for the dignity and growth of the human person”.

We are not social workers or welfare workers making administrative and statistical assessments of people’s lives. And we are certainly not a medical team handing out contraceptives and syringes (as Cardinal Pell bluntly states in The Australian). Neither are we extremists in the community or visitors causing trouble and disrupting Masses (also claimed by Pell in the same article)

We are in fact liberal minded Catholics with a profound devotion to Christ through his teachings and through the Eucharist.

And we ask that the Church recognizes and respects the Mural for its theological and spiritual symbolism, its cultural nature and theme of reconciliation.

John Paul's words a weapon in parish war

2006-08-05T09:10:00.000+10:00

The Australian, August 05, 2006

Help now or in the hereafter? Different approaches by modern missionaries have stirred tensions in Redfern, writes Peter Lalor

Put tree around pope's words: Garry Griffiths in front of the mural he painted inside St Vincents Church, Redfern. Picture: James Croucher

LAST Saturday night, a group of conservative Spanish missionary priests held their mass in a middle-class Redfern terrace. The Eucharistic loaf was baked according to a strict recipe and the furtive community prayed like early Christians.

Nearby, at their empty Catholic church, a confronting mural was drying on the walls. The work featured the words of reconciliation spoken by Pope John Paul II to the Aboriginal people in 1986.

For months, a group of 20 Aborigines and Christian activists had planned the painting in secret. They did not tell the new parish priest, Father Gerry Prindiville.

On Saturday afternoon, a small group moved in with ladders, stencils and paints. Somebody had the key to the adjoining medical centre, which allowed access to the St Vincent de Paul property. Somebody else had left a door open so the guerilla artists could gain access.

Garry Griffiths, a Redfern resident for the past 48 years and one of hundreds of Aborigines who had slept for years in the presbytery with the former priest, Father Ted Kennedy, was one of the artists.

A member of the Kamilaroi mob, he painted his totems: an emu and a goanna. He helped put the tree around the former pope's words.

"We had nowhere to plant one so we painted one," Griffiths explained.

On Sunday, scores of locals turned up for the special ceremony to mark Pope John Paul II's visit 20 years earlier. "Mate, I was so proud, it was the best turn-up we've had here for a long time," Griffiths said. "Our people's faces lit up when they saw it." But Father Prindiville's face fell noticeably. It was the latest act of rebellion in Redfern's religious war.

On the outside wall of the church somebody has scrawled these words: "Crucified on every city sidewalk, the Aboriginal Christ should be free in his own church, among his own people in Redfern." The message is notice of a conflict that is getting more heated by the minute.

On one side of the battle are the Kooris and community workers; on the other the Cardinal George Pell and the conservative evangelical priests called the Neo-catechumenal Way. The Way is a Spanish missionary movement set up in the 1970s by an evangelical painter who was a student of Picasso.

It has hundreds of thousands of recruits around the world, two seminaries in Australia and was only recently recognised by the Vatican.

The Neo-catechumenal missionaries were sent into the parish in 2003 by Cardinal George Pell after the retirement of the beloved Father Kennedy a year earlier. The Way does not hold with social work, is not fond of open masses and has turned its back on decades of liberal Catholicism practised in Redfern.

Redfern is a unique parish and the church, under guidance of Father Kennedy, established a strong social presence and was associated with the medical centre, housing initiatives and other welfare works.

Everybody was welcome at mass, including drunks, the mentally ill and those whose need for a cigarette out the back meant they could never sit still long.

Since Kennedy's retirement - he died in 2005 - things have grown progressively less tolerant and occasionally ugly. Cardinal Pell calls it "painful" and blames "extremists" in the community.

There are allegations from both sides. The old Redfern mob reckon a new priest threw the Aboriginal cross across the floor and smashed its stand. People have been manhandled, mass has been interrupted and Aboriginal services dishonoured.

Father Prindiville is considering removing the new mural. "I don't know whether I will leave it or not," he said.

Aboriginal deacon Frank Cain, who helped celebrate Sunday's service, said the Way had alienated his people and the wider parish. "These Neo-catechumenals have their place in the world, but Redfern is not it," he said.

"We believe in a Christ that walked with the people and not on them or above them."

Cardinal Pell says most of the people causing trouble are not locals, but agrees that he wants the church in Redfern to move away from social work and concentrate on souls.

"I believe as a serious Catholic that the best thing we can offer to people who are suffering, or in some cases degraded, is religion," Cardinal Pell said. "There's no long-term help for anyone in Redfern simply by handing out condoms or syringes or a few bob to clean the church, that's paternalistic."

Yesterday morning at the back of St Vincents church, Griffiths's asthmatic lungs fought vainly to get a breath as he huddled over a cup of hot tea, his wet hair dripping.

He and 20-odd other locals had sought shelter from the rain in a soup kitchen run by a group of social workers after Friday mass.

Father Prindiville and a Brazilian assistant, Father Clesio Mendes, had just finished the ceremony and rushed out past the cold and hungry crowd. "He doesn't want to know about us," Griffiths says. "They don't really want us here." The social workers say the priests won't help carry in the food. At one stage the archdiocese even cut off funding for the soup kitchen, but wide protests saw it re-established.

The Way priests also took the Saturday night mass service away.

Cardinal Pell says it was to avoid troubles at the service, but it is standard practice for the Spanish group and one the Vatican has warned them about, instructing members to attend public Sunday service at least once a week.

The Spanish movement refused permission for outside priests to say a mass at the church on Saturdays, forcing the locals into the nearby medical centre.

Earlier, the priests had removed a portrait of Aboriginal welfare worker Mum Shirl from a wall in the church, but the locals replaced it, Father Prindiville took it down again, but it went back up and has stayed ever since.

Cardinal Pell says he is willing to go to Redfern to sort out the problem, but months of negotiations have gotten nowhere. "The parish clergy continue to have my full support," he said. "They have been subject to regular abuse, harassment and provocation, often during the mass itself."

Members of the local community defend it, saying that they speak up in church because it is the only time anybody is listening.

George's small rump

2006-08-01T19:29:00.000+10:00

The following letter was sent to George Pell back in May. There has been no reply - not even an acknowledgement of receipt.

This is hardly surprising, as many previous communications have met the same fate, or at best elicited a perfunctory response that made no attempt to address the issues raised. The community's attempts at dialogue with the hierarchy have failed miserably, least of all through want of trying.

Rather than explore these serious issues, Pell has chosen to demonise the community - there are numerous cases (press reports and letters) documented on this website. The most recent is a letter signed "George Card. Pell" (see Redfern, by George), that was passed on to the Church Mouse by its concerned recipient. A future article will deal with the misconceptions and misrepresentations of the facts contained in this vexatious letter.

For the moment, the Mous. feels that the Card. needs to be taken to task over his reference to the "small rump" of opposition in the parish of Redfern.

The community's letter was signed by a "small rump" of about 120 parishioners, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal, who prefer to be at the arse end of the church if the current hierarchy is representative of its head.

The text of the letter follows:

St Vincent’s Redfern Community Redfern
May 21, 2006

Cardinal George Pell
Polding Centre
133 Liverpool Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Your Eminence,

We, the community of St Vincent’s Redfern, write to you now in urgent need. It is about three years since you appointed Father Gerry Prindiville and the Neocatechumenal Way to St Vincent’s Redfern. As you no doubt know, the experience has been a very unhappy one for all concerned. It is clear to us that the priests, particularly Father Prindiville, are suffering under the strain. We are also suffering, a fact which is clear to the many Priests of your Archdiocese and Religious Sisters who remain a presence and support in our faith lives.

The chasm between the Priests of the Neocatechumenal Way and ourselves, and the Aboriginal people who count St Vincent’s as a sacred place, is large and growing larger. We, all of us, are suffering a terrible burden.

There are numerous examples of what we consider, at best, to be inappropriate behaviour. No doubt Father Prindiville has strong criticisms to make of us. These outcomes are somewhat understandable and inevitable when two different, incompatible groups are brought together in tension.

It seems that the Neocatechumenal Way cannot live their faith in a way which embraces us and that we cannot live our faith in a way in which embraces them. They would seem to be unable and unwilling to try to understand the faith of the late Father Ted Kennedy who as recently as last Sunday, on the occasion of the anniversary of his death, was described by Bishop Cremin as a priest who loved the Church notwithstanding his many criticisms of it.

When Father Ted Kennedy resigned you said, in the presence of Ted, Danny Gilbert and the late and much loved Sister Maureen Flood, that you would continue his legacy at Redfern. After several years and two failed appointments, that has not happened. We are a Catholic community whose faith has been nourished and developed by the practice and faith of Father Ted Kennedy. We wish to continue to develop that faith in the knowledge that we are supported not only by the Bishops and Priests who regularly offer us support, but by you as well.

We would like to enter into dialogue with you about this matter. We are extremely grateful for the kindness of Father John Usher in his discussions with us over the past year. We urgently look to you, our Bishop, for help.

The sermon on the wall versus rigid dogma

2006-08-01T08:31:00.000+10:00

Letters & Opinion
Sydney Morning Herald, August 1, 2006

Griffo and friends, what a beautiful work of art you have made in St Vincent's ("A break-in immaculately conceived", July 31). What a shame that nowhere in the article was that recognised by Father Prindiville. He was quoted as being more concerned with the congregation's failure to "accept any sort of authority" than with the beauty of the words, art and artists in St Vincent's. Perhaps he should try walking with the people as Christ did (and clearly Father Ted, too) rather than on them.

Josephine Carroll Revesby

This is a wonderful story, to see that mural turn the words of John Paul II back on the hierarchy of the Australian church. Too long have Cardinal Pell and the hierarchists of the Catholic Church tried to "own" God through rule and ritual. Local churches are just that, a local community celebrating their faith, not a franchise to be dictated to by "head office".

Michael Mulhern Kellyville

There are some things that make me ashamed at having been born a Catholic and Cardinal Pell's attitude to the Aboriginal parishioners in Redfern is one of them.

John Poleson Kingsford

Hats off to the authors of "the great St Vincent's break-in". In the present conservative climate that has done wonders for keeping lapsed Catholics like me away from the fold, it warms the heart to see the true faithful asserting their values as a community.
As for Father Prindiville's comment that "I have the support of the Cardinal, so that helps me", I somehow doubt it.

Will Noonan Ultimo

I can sympathise with Father Gerry Prindiville. He must feel as though someone had come and pulled the rug out from under his feet. Just like the original owners of the land must have felt when the white men came and took it from them.

Fred Jansohn Rose Bay

Sounds like Father Prindiville is just another whitefella telling blackfellas what's best for them. He could have learnt a lot from his predecessor, Ted Kennedy.

Kevin Williams The Hill

Message Stick comes to Redfern

2006-07-31T23:10:00.000+10:00

On October 1, 2006 the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Pope John Paul ll's visit to Alice Springs and his address to the Aboriginal People. The Message Stick Pass it On relay was launched nationally by none other than Cardinal Pell on 1 May 2005.

The Message Stick is a call from the Church to come together united in friendship, fellowship, spirituality and respect, to commemorate this anniversary and recommit to the message of the late Pope.

On Sunday the Message Stick was welcomed at St Vincent’s Redfern with a special Mass celebrated by Fr Frank Brennan SJ and the blessing of a magnificent mural commemorating the late Pope's words back in 1986.

The mural, which seems to have appeared miraculously overnight (see SMH article), overwhelmed the community. Comments such as "When I walked into the church and saw it, I was fighting back the tears" and "This is our church - we should have done it earlier!" were to be heard over and over.

The image below is an attempt to record some of the joy and emotion of the occasion.

Frank Brennan's homily is reproduced below.

Delivery of the Message Stick
St Vincent’s Church
30 July 2006
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time
John 6:1-15

I don’t know how many of you were at Alice Springs twenty years ago when the Pope came. Like this mass, the ceremony started quite late – but not because Frank Cain was outside organising a smoking ceremony or the arrival of a message stick. Pope John Paul II was running late. His specially imported Mercedes Popemobile had broken down. It could not cope with the hellishly hot Central Australian conditions. As a last resort, they even tried throwing ice on the engine. But in the end the pope arrived in Blatherskite Park in a plain white Australian Ford sedan. As it should have been!

I was there with the Kununurra mob. They had come to me and said, “Us mob don’t have our own priest, and you don’t have a mob. So you’re our priest, and we will be your mob.” They gave me a red T shirt depicting their dreaming. We all wore yellow headbands. Along the dreaming track, the Pope walked, accompanied by Kaye Mundine, and greeting each mob. We were just next to the Daly River mob. The vestment I wear today comes from Daly River. It was worn by Fr Ted at Mum Shirl’s funeral, and by Bishop David at Ted’s funeral.

The church officials planning the pope’s visit had made it clear that he was not allowed to wear the Aboriginal colours. Just before he reached the Daly mob, someone reached out from the crowd and placed a crocheted beanie and stole on him – in the telltale colours of red, black and gold. Our Polish pope was the consummate media performer so he did not remove his new apparel. That was left to a monsignor some minutes later – and not before Louise Pandella, the sister of Miriam Rose Ungunmerr, the artist of this vestment design, stepped forward and presented the pope with her newborn son, Liam. We have all seen that iconic photo. I was in the United States when John Paul died. The US networks featured the photo in much of their funeral coverage. Last month, I was back at Daly River and asked Louise if she was going to pose for a new photo lifting Liam, nicknamed Pope, to the sky. She thought he had grown a little too much for that.

Three weeks ago, we welcomed the Message Stick at the Reconciliation Church, La Perouse. We are privileged to have Elsie Heiss, a leader of that church community, present the message stick to your community leader, Frank Cain. How fitting that Elsie was married here in the St Vincent’s Church in 1960 with her first daughter being baptised here in 1965, even before the time of Fr Ted at Redfern. Elsie told me this morning that a lot of things have changed in this church. The altar used to be situated against the eastern wall. Now a fresh mural proclaiming the pope’s message is on that wall. Much has changed, but also much remains the same.

Before the scripture readings this morning, we heard local Aboriginal reflections on the Pope’s message, including his words, “The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.” That contribution can be received by the rest of us, only if we are in relationship.

I know she will be a little embarrassed and I hope she will forgive me for naming her. Just before mass, while we were waiting and then waiting a little longer, Louise Campbell approached me, introduced herself, and gave me some of the splendid religious art painted by her brother Richard from Bowraville – there were stations of the cross, the resurrection, and the evocative tree painting entitled, “When my Brother Cried”. What a gift to be able to receive such spiritual blessings from a family you have never met.

Some years ago, I visited Merrepan Arts, the Women’s Arts Centre at Daly River. One of the women showed me her dot painting of today’s gospel, Jesus feeding the five thousand. In the centre of the painting was a large red dot. The Aboriginal People in that part of the world were evangelised by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart for many years. So being a typical white fella, I jumped in and asked if the red dot represented Jesus and his Sacred Heart. “No”, she corrected me: “That is the small boy with his five barley loaves and two fish.” Without the boy, there is no feeding. Without his barley loaves and fish, there is just no food.

A visitor to this church, I look around and wonder, “This big mob, how can they be fed? This big mob, how can they be reconciled?” This community is emblematic of modern Australia. Before mass, I met some of the seminarians from the Neocatechumenate – new arrivals in Australia, from Spain, Croatia, Korea, Italy, Brazil, and the Philippines. Then there are those of you descended from the first inhabitants of this land. You two groups are like the two book-ends holding together the rest of us who are the books on the shelf of modern Australia. We hold together as a society and as a church, all of us being connected, from the land’s oldest inhabitants to the newest arrivals.

How can we feed each other? How can we be reconciled? All it takes is five barley loaves and two fish. I invite you, the young Aboriginal students here from St Scholastica’s and St. Vincent’s, Potts Point, to look around you. As you contemplate your world and our church, you know there are many problems. You will often think: “How can we do it?” Just remember the small boy in today’s gospel. All it takes is five barley loaves and two fish. But here is the catch. The boy gave everything he had. Only then was Jesus able to feed everyone with sufficient for there to be leftovers. Only then will he be able to reconcile us. We must give and share all we are and have.

At the end of his speech in Alice Springs, the pope took a large gum branch, reached into a Coolamon and blessed us all. At that very moment the skies opened and the rain came down. Everyone present was convinced that grace and nature were one in that place and at that time. It was now cool enough for the Popemobile to run. As the pope departed with Bishop Ted Collins, he told the bishop, “I think the people prefer meeting me rather than listening to me. But I had to say it all because otherwise it could not be published.”

Not even the pope would have imagined that twenty years later, his words would be set on stone here with this splendid mural which we will now bless. Let’s spend a few minutes contemplating the words of John Paul II before us. Feel free to share your reflection after I recite each verse:

For thousands of years, you Aboriginal people have lived in this land with a culture that endures to this day, with an endurance that your ancient ceremonies have taught you. You are like a tree in a bush fire, leaves scorched, bark burned, but inside, sap still flows and roots are strong.
Always the Spirit of God has been with you. Your Dreaming is your own way of touching the mystery of God’s Sprit in you and in creation, with its animals, birds, fishes, water-holes, rivers and hills.
You have til the power to be born. The time for re-birth is now.

Let’s now stand and extend our hands towards the mural. We pray:

God our Father, Creator Spirit, we thank you for all your blessings. We thank you for the Pope who came and walked amongst us. We thank you for our mob. We thank you for the inspiration of these words and the sacredness of this place. Together with Mum Shirl and Father Ted and all the ancestors we praise you and ask your blessing on this mural of our Church. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At the end of this Eucharist, may the message stick leave this place for the gathering at Alice Springs with a strong word to all who receive the stick on its journey: the Pope’s words are at home etched in our hearts and in our Church.

The great St Vincent's break-in

2006-07-31T23:00:00.000+10:00

Graffiti in its glory...Father Frank Brennan, centre, at yesterday's ceremony, with the surprise mural behind him. At far left is Marnie Kennedy, the sister of the late Father Ted Kennedy.

Photo: Lee Besford

David Marr
Sydney Morning Herald, July 31, 2006

IT WAS a big day at St Vincent's Redfern yesterday, but Father Gerry Prindiville sat grim-faced through the celebrations.

He had come to Mass to find a huge mural had appeared overnight on the east wall of his church. As far as the embattled priest was concerned, this was not a miracle but a crime. "They must have broken in to do it," he told the Herald.

"It concerns me that someone can break into my church."

The place was jubilant. St Vincent's Catholic church is contested ground and the old crowd - the Aborigines and the social justice mob - were out in force congratulating themselves on this wonderful jape at the expense of Cardinal George Pell's man sent three years ago to straighten out the parish.

"We were reclaiming the church for the Aboriginal people," explained Griffo, one of the culprits. "We had to sort of sneak in, not let the priests know what we were doing." He insists entry was not forced. "One of the sisters came and climbed through the window."

Planning had been going on for weeks. Once the scaffolding was wheeled into place by 1.30 on Saturday afternoon, the black and white team of painters took six hours to do the tree of hands and the animals - Griffo did the emu - and the lines from Pope John Paul II's famous 1986 speech in Alice Springs: "For thousands of years you, the Aboriginal people, have lived in this land with a culture that endures to this day …"

The paint was dry for yesterday's Mass celebrating the 20th anniversary of that speech and Father Frank Brennan - one of its authors - was on hand for the occasion. When he called on the Redfern congregation to stand and bless this "permanent" memorial to Aboriginal spirituality, Father Prindiville's arms stayed tightly by his side.

The Mass was not brief. Smokers drifted in and out. Shireen Malamoo, still recovering from a bout of pneumonia, raised the roof singing Just a Closer Walk with Thee. Father Brennan preached on the loaves and fishes: "This big mob, how can they be fed? This big mob, how can they be reconciled?"

The visiting clergy were scrupulously polite, but the crowd supplied unscripted remarks about the cardinal and the priests he had sent to this freewheeling parish. "This is our church," Griffo explained. "Father Ted gave it to us. It's on our land. In memory of Father Ted we decided to paint the mural."

A photograph of the late Father Ted Kennedy, parish priest here for 30 years, hangs behind the altar. So does one of the social worker Mum Shirl, which Father Prindiville removed soon after he came to Redfern in 2003. After protests, walkouts and stories in the press, it went back on the wall. The new man seems grimly aware that he lives in Father Kennedy's shadow. He shrugs when asked how he plans to win his congregation over. Just wait it out? He nods. "The problem is that people won't accept any sort of authority. They have been used to doing their own thing for so long."

That's not part of his training as a missionary of the Spanish-based Neocatechumenal Way. Father Prindiville has brought to Redfern an unfamiliar faith in the rules - down to the smallest details. And though the "Block" is just round the corner, he doubts St Vincent's was really a black parish. "There were not many Aboriginals."

He is considering the fate of the mural. Of course, he agrees with everything the late Pope said in his Alice Springs speech, which is now all over the end wall of his church, but that's not the point. "I came in here and found this without any warning."

Father Prindiville does not feel alone in the difficult decisions he has to make. "I have the support of the cardinal, so that helps me."