Category Archives: Our pastors

Prindiville dashed any glimmer of hope that there might have been for co-existence at St Vincent’s and left the Community feeling mortally wounded when he refused to allow Sr Marnie Kennedy to distribute Communion at the Easter Vigil Mass on Saturday.

Up till that point, the Community had been relieved that its efforts to meet Prindiville’s demands for conducting the Easter liturgy without compromising its integrity had proceeded more or less without incident. There was some tension when Prindiville refused to accept any Eucharistic ministers from the congregation on Holy Thursday and again on Good Friday. Several people tried to … Continue reading →

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 →

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 … 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 →

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 →

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 →

Dear Sr Dom

How are you? It has been a long time without having news from me. Time flies, and does it very quickly so that I have already been in Spain for a whole year.

I hope you may accept my apologies for not having written you sooner. However, it comes as a consequence of my return. Many people diverged from my decision of staying in Spain. Many other people wanted to know the reasons for me to change seminary. Thus. I opted to keep silence, disappear and, leave time to run its course. In the … Continue reading →

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 →

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.

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.