Author Archives: cmadmin

As Father Ted Kennedy was laid to rest today in a service in the Block, Redfern, in the presence of many Australian dignitaries, some were asking whether Fr Ted might become Saint Edward of Redfern.

Saint Ted Kennedy of Redfern, people’s priest, prophet and poet, today (24 May) was loudly and spontaneously proclaimed as a saint by thousands of people gathered in Sydney beneath a vast blue and white marquee hoisted on a patch of ground restored to Aboriginal people by Gough Whitlam.

They don’t need the Vatican to tell them he’s a saint.

Their proclamation, with cheers, applause and … Continue reading →

ABORIGINAL activist and Catholic priest Ted Kennedy has been farewelled by about 700 mourners at a funeral service in the Sydney suburb of Redfern.

Fr Ted, who spent more than 30 years supporting Redfern’s Aboriginal community, died at Concord Hospital on May 17 aged 74.

Long-time friend Chris Geraghty told the gathering at The Block that Fr Ted had lived to serve the people he loved.

“Our Fr Ted comes before you with a life poured out for all with empty pockets and dirty hands,” he said.

“He was a living treasure, compassionate, a pebble in the comfortable boot … Continue reading →

Fr Ted Kennedy, former parish priest of St Vincent’s Catholic Church in Redfern who died last week, will be remembered as one of the most fearless advocates for Aboriginal rights in Australian church history. This week we remember Fr Ted.

Program Transcript

David Rutledge: Tomorrow, 26th May, marks the beginning of National Reconciliation Week, and so it’s entirely appropriate that yesterday was the funeral of former Redfern Catholic parish priest, Father Ted Kennedy.

A troublesome priest for some, Father Ted lived a life of poverty and devoted himself to working alongside indigenous Australians. He preached reconciliation against … Continue reading →

There was no need to canonise Ted Kennedy, Sol Bellear said at the old priest’s funeral service, the Aboriginal people had already acclaimed him a saint.

Others among the congregation of more than 1500, such as Tom Hammerton, who had lived with the priest and his Aboriginal parishioners in the Redfern presbytery, saw Ted as a mate.

Danny Gilbert, the lawyer, quoted Patrick Pearse, a leader of the 1916 Easter Uprising in Ireland: “Splendid and holy causes are served by splendid and holy men.” Father Kennedy’s life cause, the liberation of the human spirit, was splendid and holy. So was … Continue reading →

About 50 people gathered at St Mary’s Church South Brisbane last night to grieve the death of Ted Kennedy and to celebrate his life and ministry.

As well as spoken tributes and recollections we had the music of Dermot Dorgan who has written songs from his days with Ted in Redfern. We used some of the texts from the Funeral Service including the Gospel: Luke 6:17-23 and the music of Peter Kearney. I composed the opening prayer of the service using some of Ted’s own words from his book, “Who Is Worthy?”

Opening Prayer

God of Ancient Days,
We … Continue reading →

Possibly the most honest and forthright, if not bluntly enraged, voice of progressive Catholicism in Australia passed into silence on May 17 with the death of Ted Kennedy, long the priest of St Vincent’s church in the Sydney inner-city suburb of Redfern.

Kennedy came to St Vincent’s in 1971 committed to a radical vision of Christianity that was centred on the struggles of the poor. When he arrived with a small band of other progressive priests, the outgoing priest left a comfortable rectory complete with leather furniture and shagpile carpets. Kennedy sold the expensive furnishings and installed beds for the … Continue reading →

Thank you for the many times at Mass at St Vincent’s Redfern when your honesty and courage touched me deeply.

You gave me a hunger for authenticity in our Church.

Your spirit continues to disturb me from my comfort.

Narelle Mullins, St Mary’s Community South Brisbane

TED

When the telephone alongside my bed at Quirindi Presbytery woke me out of a fitful sleep at 6:30 last Tuesday morning, I sensed, even before she spoke, that it might be Marnie, with the news that Ted had died.

To you, so loving an elder sister, Marnie; to those many nieces and nephews of “a wonderful uncle”; and to the aboriginal people of Redfern and elsewhere, I express a word of heartfelt sympathy.

These days, whenever I enter St. Mary’s Cathedral from the south doors, and gaze along the main aisle, I seem to hear still the sound of … Continue reading →

There are too many things to say about this man called Ted Kennedy. Somehow my brain has already wiped the pain of the last few years away. Glimpses of the 40 plus years of knowing Ted keep swirling past my eyes at all times of the day and night.

Ted the 31 year-old when I first met him. A young priest, inspired by the worker priest movement in France, inspired by Dorothy Day’s soup kitchens for the poor in New York, inspired by the priests and bishops living with and for the poor in Central and South America. Inspired by … Continue reading →

Many years ago, Redfern was a bad place to go into.

Many Kooris had to fight tooth and nail to claim a bit of land that is ours from the start.

Eora, Redfern, home of the Kooris, we were losing the battle and our dignity. When all of a sudden two powerful minds came together to be as one : Mumma-Shirley Smith and Fr Ted Kennedy.

Mumma-Shirley already knew the trouble we were in. But Fr Ted was shocked in the way Kooris were treated. Just going home from the pub was hard. Many police from all local stations come … Continue reading →