The great communicators

On Monday, Michael heard from Trevor Davies of the South Sydney Herald that when asked to comment on the lockout, Gerry Prindiville stated that he would be reopening the church for the Friday evening meditation and reflection groups. This was subsequently confirmed by the paper’s editor, Rev’d Andrew Collis.

After Tuesday’s Sharing of the Meal, Kate G. asked Prindiville about Friday. He turned to assistant pp Clesio Mendes and asked if he had spoken to Clare M. as directed last Sunday. He replied that he had twice told her that the church would be open on Friday. Later that day … Continue reading

Lockout update

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.

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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

Another lockout letter

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

Letters regarding the Friday lockout

Several Community members wrote to Gerry Prindiville in attempt to stave off yesterday’s puerile lockout. A couple of them are reproduced here.

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

The Lenten Season of the ‘Way’: Double Penance, in Rome and Jerusalem

First the pope, and then the bishops of the Holy Land level two stern warnings at the Neocatechumenal Way.

Here’s how, and why.

Source: http://chiesa.espresso.repubblica.it/dettaglio.jsp?id=124623&eng=y

ROMA, March 5, 2007 – In the span of three days, the Neocatechumenal Way has received two weighty admonitions: the first from the pope, and the second from the bishops of the Holy Land.

The Neocatechumenal Way, founded in Spain in the 1960’s and directed by the laypersons Kiko Argüello (in the photo) and Carmen Hernández, and by Fr. Mario Pezzi, is one of the most flourishing Catholic movements. It counts 20,000 communities … Continue reading

Interesting reading

Some links to material on the Neocats:

Church Mouse has found that most of the sites offering support to the Way have very little to say, or simply regurgitate a superficial party line. The following sites offer most of what you will find out there.

Neocats in Mirrabooka Perth

MIRRABOOKA PARISH – The Neocats’ Australian "jewel in the crown" in Perth Western Australia St Gerard’s parish at Mirrabooka is the site of the Neocatechumenal Way’s introduction to Perth (and Australia). Don Sproxton, the parish priest at the time (some 10 years ago) was very active in consolidating the Way in the parish. Sproxton has subsequently been elevated to Auxiliary Bishop. Mirrabooka was strongly promoted as the Neocat jewel in the crown; it was presented to other parishes as a prime example of the Fruits and Joy that could flow from embracing the Way. When the people of St Gerard’s … Continue reading

From The Record

Perth’s weekly Catholic newspaper, The Record, has been running a Neocat promotion with full blown articles and pictures.

Dismayed and angered by the questionable representation of the Way, some of the Mirrabooka parishioners wrote the following letter to The Record‘s editor.

Here is part of an email message from Mirrabooka:

For reasons best known to themselves, the Record has not seen fit to publish the E-mail I sent them some weeks ago. Why am I not surprised? Later I learned that J…, a member of their editorial staff, is a staunch neo-cat in this area, … Continue reading