The St Vincent’s Christian meditation and Scripture reflection groups gathered again yesterday outside the Church’s locked doors. A hastily prepared notice had been delivered to the presbytery, and copies attached to the Church fence invited passers by to join in.
.
During the week the battered old door had been replaced with a new or refurbished matching one that is "much easier to lock".
Hopefully it will be opened more often than the "Holy … Continue reading
The “Woonjeegaribay” Aboriginal Film Festival is being held during National Indigenous Sorry Week 2007 and will commemorate the local initiation of the nation wide Sorry Books Campaign in 1997 and decade of Reconciliation in the Wingecarribee.
The three-day Film Festival is offering a one-day school program and four sessions that will screen a wide range of films including an inspiring new release “Kanyini”, a wonderful ‘season of shorts’, a ‘golden oldie’, “The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith” and several moving documentaries. This second local Aboriginal Film Festival will celebrate again the … Continue reading
From: usyd.uts@australiamail.com
Sent: Tuesday, 20 March 2007 4:53 PM
To: church-mouse@lanuera.com
Subject: Church Mouse: An Open Letter of Support
Dear friends at St. Vincent’s Redfern,
We have been observing and keeping our watch on all that is happening at your church, many of us had in different times visited the church and participated in some of the liturgies and fellowship alongside the common people of your community.
In all those events, we have not met any … Continue reading
It is a great tragedy that our community has been subjected to this oppressive and abusive behaviour by priests of the church. The closing down of our Friday meditation and gospel reflection is not about theology or spirituality but about power abuse.
Since Father Prindiville has come to Redfern he has not engaged with the community but rather seeks to impose his authority in ways that stifle any dialogue. He has not engaged with the Aboriginal community who continually protest at the way they are treated. His sermons are continually about death and sin even at Christmas Mass. There is … Continue reading
13 March, 2007
Father Gerry Prindiville
PO Box 1067
Strawberry Hills
NSW 2012
Dear Father Gerry
After our conversation on the phone last Friday evening, I hoped and prayed that you would reconsider your decision not to open our church on Friday late afternoon, a decision that effectively closes down two of the community’s spiritual gatherings. I pleaded with you then to think further about such a drastic decision.
With respect, I … Continue reading
For over 36 years a handful of Community members has been meeting on Friday evenings to discuss and reflect upon the weekend scripture readings, and for the last 3 years or so it has been preceded by a Christian meditation session.
Last Friday Prindiville unilaterally decreed that henceforth he would no longer open the Church for … Continue reading
Assistant pp Mendes was hamming his way through another inane and barely intelligible homily as a clearly unhappy J…e entered the Church.
She quietly approached a few of the regulars and told them that Mendes had insulted her and a group of Aboriginal friends by calling them heathens.
She asked why this should be so and added "you’ve got no idea how he treats us when none of you whities are around".
No one could answer on behalf of the one charged with her pastoral care, so, fed up with the shabby, abusive treatment to which she and her … Continue reading
Michael Gravener is talking to Spirituality in the Pub, North Sydney at an evening devoted to Human Dignity and the Justice System on Mon Mar 19. Speaking with him is Paul Flannery former District Court Judge. Each will talk for 10-15 mins and then there will be questions and discussion.
The Union Hotel, cnr Pacific Hwy and West St, North Sydney, 7.30-9.00pm.
Good cheap counter meals available before the evening begins.
Parking in street or at St Mary’s North Sydney.
Enquiries Michelle Kamper: 9958 5963.
From: alexianbros
Sent: Friday, 9 March 2007 10:49 PM
To: church-mouse@lanuera.com
Subject: Bro. Barry Butler
Dear Brothers & Sister,
I have read on the internet about the death of Fr. Ted Kennedy of Redfern. It may surprise you that I am writing from Ireland. I met Ted Kennedy in 1978, at a retreat given by Jean Vanier in Cork. He was with another priest from Sydney whose name I can not remember. I had spoken with Ted during the retreat and gone to confession to him. There were 174 people on the retreat, of these, four were … Continue reading
The Church Mouse was struck by an overwhelming sense of déjà vu upon reading the letter from the bishops of the Holy Land to the Neocats, and felt compelled to adapt it to the St Vincent’s situation by shifting the geographical context from Jerusalem to Redfern.
Redfern, March 08, 2007
Brothers and Sisters of the Neocatechumenal Way:
1 May the peace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always. We, ordinary Catholics of St Vincent’s Redfern, address this letter to you in Lent, in the context of the common pastoral plan for this … Continue reading