Category Archives: Uncategorized

A sampling of links to miscellaneous websites carrying tributes to Fr Ted Kennedy:

Death of Fr Ted Kennedy, RE Online

LisaJ’s Homepage – Blog

Micah Projects Inc

NSW Synod – Uniting Church in Australia

Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart

Mission and Justice

Fr Ted Kennedy’s strongest message was “his understanding of the primacy of the poor in Jesus’ teachings”, says his sister, Sr Marnie Kennedy.

Fr Ted, parish priest of St Vincent’s, Redfern, for more than 30 years and dear friend of the country’s indigenous people, has died after a long illness. He was 74.

Tributes and letters have poured in to honour a champion of the poor and marginalised and defender of the indigenous people; a man who read and thought deeply and lived what he preached.

The Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal George Pell, said that Fr Ted was a “good … Continue reading →

From time to time the Church Mouse receives fan mail, offering finely honed theological arguments in support of the Way.

Here are some examples, reproduced in full:

—–Original Message—–
From: francis mcdowell [mailto:australia28@optusnet.com.au]
Sent: Wednesday, 25 May 2005 10:22 PM
To: mail@church-mouse.net
Subject: slander & distress

You did your best to wreck something that came from the heart of the church. Fortunately you didn’t succeed and the way still brings hope to many people who do not share your sorry views which are based on an inadeqaute understanding of the catholic faith.

put this on your … Continue reading →

Dedicated to Ted Kennedy who was buried yesterday

Charles Curran, the first recipient of the John Courtney Murray Award of the Catholic Theological Society for distinguished achievement in Catholic theology, recently reflected on his disappointment at the election of Benedict XVI. This was not so much an expression of concern for the state of the church or its future, but it recalled the decision of Ratzinger who concluded a seven-year investigation of Curran’s theological writings in 1986 with the judgment, approved by John Paul II, that “one who dissents from the magisterium as you … Continue reading →

I visited your website today in an endeavour to get some feed back on the funeral yesterday of our friend. If ever there were a testament needed to the results of our friend’s work the content of your website and the courageous way that you are confronting the attempted further exclusion from the life of the church of Aboriginal people then this community website stands tribute. Alas your fight is reflected in many parishes around the country and the exclusion that many of us feel as catholics who believe in a gospel of inclusion, justice, charity and hope – the … Continue reading →

More than 1,000 mourners have turned out to farewell a former Sydney priest renowned for his social justice work for the Aboriginal community in Redfern since the 1970s.

Father Ted Kennedy presided over Saint Vincent’s Parish for more than 20 years, retiring in 2002 due to ill health.

His funeral combined Catholic ritual with a traditional Indigenous smoking ceremony and Catholic hymns with didgeridoo music.

Richard Green, who gave the Indigenous welcome at the funeral, said Father Kennedy was much loved for his open style of preaching.

“He got down with everybody, he spoke to everyone, he ministered to everybody … Continue reading →

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 →