Category Archives: General

What can you do when your parish is subjected to the unwelcome attentions of a group like the Neocatechumenate?

Here are a few ideas drawn from the Church Mouse’s observations of the St Vincent’s experience.

Update from the Good Shepherd Parish in Kelmscott

Excerpts from a message received May 30, 2005:

Last week one of our parishioners was asked to visit the Parish priest with a view to discussing the use of the Parish hall (which is now very difficult to access because of the Neocat services). When he fronted, he was ambushed by the Parish priest and his assistant in that they wanted to know who the leader of this dissenting group was, where did we all meet, what was spoken of and so on. When he refused, he … Continue reading →

Is the Neo-Catechumenate Way Compatible with Religious Life?

Updated version of an article first published in Religious Life Review, Ireland, Jan-Feb 1994 , Vol.33, No.164 by Gerald A. Arbuckle, sm

Gerald Arbuckle, sm, Ph.D., is a graduate in social anthropology from Cambridge University, a former assistant-general of the Marist Fathers, Rome, and professor of pastoral anthropology at the East Asian Pastoral Institute, University of Manila, Philippines. He is currently a co-director of the Refounding and Pastoral Development Research Unit, Sydney. Of his ten published books, four have received awards from the Catholic Press Association of the United States. … Continue reading →

An open letter to the local Neocatechumenate communities at St. Nicholas of Tolentino, Bristol, England

by Karen Anderson, Spring 1992

NEOCATECHUMENATE COMMUNITY – Archdiocese of Melbourne – Report of activity in one parish

by Paul Cooney, sm

post 1990

1. The Neocatechumenate was invited into the parish in 1977. At its peak there were five communities with about 100 adult members. Eventually in 1990 after two and a half years of prolonged discussions and attempted dialogue, the Parish Priest of the time withdrew permission from the four itinerant catechists of the Neocatechumenate from Italy to conduct activities in the parish or with groups from the parish.