Sudla must go

The Community was shocked and outraged today.

Dennis Sudla’s behaviour, especially towards women, is despicable. That he also purports to be a Catholic priest makes it infinitely more so. Today he attacked Sr Marnie Kennedy, one of the most loved and respected members of our community, and sister of Fr Ted Kennedy.

Marnie decided to take Sudla, assistant parish "priest" at St Vincent’s to task over his display of "humour" at the expense of the parishioners of Kelmscott, WA:

"He said it was nice to see so many females at church … … Continue reading

Thoughts Christmas 2004

Thoughts for the Month

The Jesus I know is no cold, hard Iron-Christ; nor does Jesus deserve to be reduced to smug, glib and uncompassionate irrelevancies when the real meaning of His love is what people need so desperately.

“Who is Worthy?” Ted Kennedy To the millions who have to go without two meals a day the only
acceptable form in which God dares appear is in food.

Mahatma Gandhi

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Christmas Spirit

The rear of the church beneath the choir loft was decorated, and hampers, donated by numerous Sydney parishes, were carefully arranged at the other end of the church after Sunday’s mass, in readiness for Tuesday’s Sharing the Meal Christmas mass and luncheon. In deference to the parish priest, the volunteers placed the 200 or so Christmas hampers [photo 1, photo 2] out of the way, even though the average priest would have been overjoyed with such an offering to the poor around his altar.

The spirit of Christmas

Which parish priest blew his stack on Monday morning because he felt that the church was in such a mess he couldn’t say mass there, and would not do so until it was tidied up? Probably the same one that angrily declared there would be no more Christmas parties for the poor in "his" church, or the one that was too busy "having his lunch" to discuss what on earth he was on about.

Sharing the Christmas Meal 2004

Preparations for the special Christmas luncheon were buoyed by the news that the Charitable Works Fund has had a welcome change of heart – its $200 a week contribution to the Sharing the Meal initiative is to be re-instated. Fr Gerry’s announcement of the decision at the end of Mass today (19 December 2004) drew a hearty round of applause from the congregation.

Many parishes – especially from Northern Sydney – have contributed hampers for distribution to the needy who attend the Sharing the Meal. Organisers Mary McMahon and Kate Gavan and the rest of the St Vincent’s community … Continue reading

Sad News

Subject: Sad News

Dear small voice of Redfern parishioners,

I have been receiving your emails all year. To be frank they have made me concerned and at times wondering what was going on at St Vincent’s. I have met and spoken to the priests at Redfern and so I have both stories. Yet I cannot help but be disappointed by the angry tone of your emails. All you do it would seem to me is complain about how bad you’ve got it. How you hate change and how you hunger for the past. May I suggest respectfully, move on.

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Thoughts December 2004

Thoughts for the Month

The Jesus I know is no cold, hard Iron-Christ; nor does Jesus deserve to be reduced to smug, glib and uncompassionate irrelevancies when the real meaning of His love is what people need so desperately.

“Who is Worthy?” Ted Kennedy

This month we prepare for Christmas

The world distracts us from what this time is really about. Consumerism and commercialism seem to go mad. Here are a few thoughts to encourage us to reflect quietly at this time.

The following reflections were complied by the Missionaries of the sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre and the … Continue reading

Come back to Redfern

Adeste Fideles!

Dear All,

It is time to re-issue the call to come back to St Vincent’s.

Over the last few years, we at St Vincent’s have been challenged to reconsider our faith in unexpected ways ever since a gracious Cardinal recommended to an ailing Ted Kennedy that it might be time for him to retire, with an assurance that the fruits of three decades of priestly labour would be respected.

Redfern today is the site of … Continue reading

Update from Kelmscott

The parishioners of Kelmscott finally had a visit from Aux Bishop Sproxton last Tuesday (28 Sept 2004). Sproxton is a Neocat and along with Archbishop Hickey promotes the Way. They have planted as parish priest the Neocat Fr Melvin, who has Little by Little tried to implement the Way through stealth, cunning and deceit, creating division, conflict, disharmony and mistrust, and causing several parishioners to leave the parish.

[CM October 2012 – After a little over a year, members of the St Vincent’s community have not found Fr Melvin to be their ideal priest, but he is making a consistent … Continue reading

Information update

The following was distributed to Kelmscott parishioners after Sproxton’s disappointing visit

Information Update – Good Shepherd Parish

Good Shepherd Parish Mainstream Parishioners

Dear Parishioners,

Firstly, thank you for your ongoing support and interest in our Parish.

As you know Bishop Sproxton visited the Parish on the 26th September after accepting an invitation from us (made on the 28th July). Below is a recap of events.

Unfortunately, His Grace did not address any of the concerns we had raised with him previously on the 28th July at the Cathedral office. As such, the issues remain … Continue reading