Wreckonciliation

This report has been assembled rather hastily in the interest of exposing the latest unpleasantries at St Vincent’s. Given that a detailed submission regarding the restoration of the Baptismal Font was lodged with Cardinal George Pell earlier last week (and copied to Mendes), a question needs to be asked: Was this an act of revenge?

Sunday Mass-goers yesterday were saddened to find that the church had been defaced.

The Neocats had acted to remove Jim Considine’s iconic words chalked across the front of St Vincent’s church:

crucified on every city sidewalk
the aboriginal Christ should be free
in … Continue reading

Assistant PP replaced

On Sunday pp Mendes introduced his new assistant, Fr Miguel Zavarese, at the 10am mass. The community wishes Fr Miguel well – please God he will find peace and happiness at St Vincent’s.

Is it just the Neocat way of doing things, or an indication of Mendes’ regard for the community, that nothing was said regarding the circumstances of the newcomer’s predecessor, Joe Pelle, nor about Zavarese’s background. The community was disappointed that they were denied the opportunity to say their goodbyes.

After mass Mendes’ pastoral skills really shone forth when he bustled his new assistant out of the church, … Continue reading

Mass aborted yet again!

Sunday 2 August 2009

The Prayers of the Faithful were kicked off by Clare, who read from the back of an envelope a reflection inspired by the proximity of Hiroshima Day (6 August, also the feast of the Transfiguration). Before she could finish, the celebrant, Mendes, rudely interjected. Clare nevertheless persisted, reading the fourth and last sentence of her prayer.

Then Ann, driven by her recent visit to Central Australia, tried to offer a prayer and Mendes spat the dummy. The letters/emails tell the rest of the story.

This is not the first time that Sunday Mass has … Continue reading

Priests – special?

The following Prayer for Priests by St. Therese of Lisieux has appeared in the last few St Vincent’s church bulletins. It seems to be sufficiently divorced from reality to strike a chord with the Neocat clergy.

0 Jesus, eternal Priest,
keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart,
where none may touch them.
Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Your Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied their lips, daily purpled with your Precious Blood.
Keep pure and unearthly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Your holy love … Continue reading

Good shepherd or dead sheep?

Predictably, the community was admonished today over last Sunday’s celebration.

Mendes seized upon the theme in today’s readings asserting the quality of his shepherding skills, as he has on other occasions, and that last week’s priests are  not just bad shepherds but wolves masquerading as shepherds, hungry to devour any misguided sheep that might stray within their reach.

(Ed: Neocat clergy, of course, do not register on the Church Mouse’s Good Shepherd Scale – not even somewhere below dead sheep.)

Lest anyone in the small congregation was struggling with the intent behind his good shepherd/bad shepherd pronouncements – his … Continue reading

Easter Sunday

Date: Sun, Apr 12, 2009 at 1:08 PM
Subject: Today – Easter Sunday
To: stvinred@bigpond.net.au

Dear Clesio,

After much prayer, reflection and soul searching I am writing to you.

It is not easy for I strongly believe what transpired after Mass today especially being Easter Sunday was wrong.

Throughout Mass today decorum together with spirituality should have been observed.

Shaming a long time parishioner of the church for the benefit of ‘newbies’ is cheap theatrics [‘theatre’ was a much used word during your Maundy Thursday sermon] and to suddenly decide to stop the ‘Prayers of the Faithful’ because … Continue reading

Holy Week Worship Schedule

Easter at St Vincent’s was once something greatly anticipated by the community – a time of reflection, thanksgiving, renewal and celebration. People would come from far and wide to be part of it.

Why then was yesterday’s (Holy Thursday) ceremony attended by barely two dozen members of the community?

Since their arrival in 2004 the Neocat clergy have fought to strip away the traditions of this parish and unilaterally impose their own alien ways of doing things. Try using this site’s search facility for "easter" and you’ll quickly get a picture of what’s been happening over the years.

This … Continue reading

Altarations(sic)

Way back in March 2005, A little bit of paint goes a long way appeared on the old Church Mouse Journal. It was a brief report on the DIY antics of the Neocat clergy who preceded the current pair at St Vincent’s. For your convenience, gentle reader, the item is reproduced here:

Gripped with Easter fervour, Prindiville and Sudla have this week indulged themselves in a little church redecorating. Their redoubtable DIY skills may be admired, not so much on the wall behind the altar where they focussed their attention, but in the paint splashes and smudges … Continue reading

Destroying the temple

It seems that the Neocats, not content with their constant attempts to destroy the St Vincent’s community, are now diverting some of their energies to the destruction of the church (building) and its furnishings.

Several weeks ago the church foyer was given a makeover – rough patches to damaged plaster, sloppily applied paint (traces of which may still be found on Ted’s portrait), and a brand new notice board (lockable, no doubt to protect the offensive notices so dear to the Neocat heart).

It appears that p.p. Mendes co-opted an inexperienced Neocat teenager from northern Australia to do much … Continue reading