Author Archives: cmadmin

7 July 2005

Bishop Fisher,

I appreciate the fact that you have only been an auxiliary bishop of the Sydney Archdiocese for just under two years and that we have not met.

I have been a priest of the Archdiocese for over 47 years and have had appointments in a great variety of parishes and much pastoral experience; assistant priest in Eastwood, Annandale, Penrith, Liverpool – where I was also ministering as an army chaplain during the Vietnam War and managed the Catechetics for eighty state school classes each week – Castle Hill, Kogarah, St Mary’s Cathedral; I was Director … Continue reading →

Redfern Reconciliation Bridge Walk

Candle Light Vigil

Tonight: THURSDAY 9TH JUNE 6.30-7pm

Meet at 6.00pm
in front of Redfern Waterloo Authority office,
Regent St & Lawson Sq (old TNT building)

Support Aboriginal housing on The Block

This land was given to the Aboriginal people for housing by the Whitlam Labor government
It’s time that the housing was built
Until recently the Carr Labor government supported this vision
The state government’s Redfern Waterloo Authority no longer supports Aboriginal housing on The Block
Take the next step for reconciliation in Redfern

Organised by Redfern … Continue reading →

The Church Mouse received the following letter from an abused Good Shepherd parishioner, with a request that it be published here. The Good Shepherd Parish in Kelmscott, Perth, Western Australia has also been damaged by the Neocats. You can read more about it here.

8 June 2005

Archbishop Barry Hickey
Bishop’s House
25 Victoria Avenue
PERTH

Your Grace

I must report to you about the most offensive behaviour of Fathers Richard Tomelty and Melvin Llabanes.

On 18 May, I was invited to visit Father Melvin so as to discuss the dates available for … Continue reading →

Perhaps it was the sheer numbers who came for Fr Ted Kennedy’s funeral. Perhaps a riot was brewing. Whatever it was, the Sydney Archdiocese has authorised the pp to call the police on his community.

A few days after last month’s funeral of former Redfern parish priest Ted Kennedy, NSW Deputy Premier Dr Andrew Refshauge paid tribute to the great man in State Parliament. Referring to the “fast track to sainthood” that Pope Benedict XVI is using to expedite the cause for the canonisation of his predecessor … Continue reading →

Redfern Police Chief Ian Moore says that the ongoing tensions at the Aboriginal Catholic church at Refern sound ‘like a bit of a domestic’ and that the Church should ‘sort itself out’ instead of threatening to call the police on one another. Commander Moore was responding to questions following a letter written by Sydney Auxilliary Bishop Dr Anthony Fisher, to the parishioners at St Vincents, Redfern, in which he said he had directed the parish priest, Fr Gerry Prindiville and his assistant, Fr Denis Sudla, to contact the police ‘if there are any further disruptions to the Mass.’ Bishop Fisher … Continue reading →

—– Original Message —–
From: Anne Webb
To: letters@smh.com.au
Sent: Tuesday, June 07, 2005 3:37 AM
Subject: The disease of clericalism

The disease of clericalism is out of control in Redfern. Had Auxiliary Bishop Anthony Fisher consulted with the community of St Vincent’s Redfern (Priests call in police: SMH 6.6.’05,p.3) he may have learnt that not only are his ridiculous assertions unfounded in fact but that the police were called to the church on 29 May, 2005, by the perpetrator of the violence, assistant priest Denis Sudla, who smashed the Aboriginal cross and smashed into … Continue reading →

I am unable to sit up here in Federal and remain silent. For many, many years priests have abused parishioners. How long did it take for someone somewhere to recognise and admit that many priests have sexually abused parishioners. This is not the only form of violence being inflicted on parishioners by priests. How long will it take for someone somewhere to recognise this, name it and deal with it?

Since the arrival of Peter Carroll at Redfern the faith community of Redfern have had to tolerate insults, abuse and physical violence from people who are totally unsuited for the … Continue reading →

Dear Church Mice,

Thank you very much for sharing all the photos of your Father Ted’s funeral.

It’s amazing to see what a tiny, tiny church St. Vincent’s really is. So big an impact on the Communion of Saints from such a small building!

All of your priests and bishops in your nation should look at these pictures, especially the pictures taken at St. Vincent’s itself. Men can lie with language but the Baptized and the non-Baptized came together in a community at St. Vincent’s and it is very visible in the pictures.

“There are many different gifts, but … Continue reading →

The rhetoric:

The reverse side of this invitation to attend a series of “short presentations about the Catholic Church” by luminaries Pell, Porteous and Fisher carries the heading:

Do you have issues with the Catholic Church?

The reality:

Priests call in police

Catholic priests in Redfern have called in the police in an attempt to quell disruptions to their services, only days after the funeral of the suburb’s much-loved priest, Father Ted Kennedy.

Yesterday, parishioners were handed a letter from Bishop Anthony Fisher, the Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney; warning them he had directed the parish priests to seek police help in the event of any further disruptions.

Having to resort to police in­tervention was very disappoint­ing, Bishop Fisher said.

“For a small inner city parish it’s a very distressing step to have to take but I wouldn’t imagine it’s unprecedented, ” … Continue reading →