Category Archives: Latest

The banner in St Peter’s Square, as seen on ABC television’s Compass programme last night.

ABC iView screen grab from Compass Canonisation Special

Check out the Image Gallery for more pictures.

God speed to Ralph, Shireen and Linda as they head off today for Rome and the canonisation of Mary Mackillop.

They are taking with them the St Vincent’s banner.

The St Vincent’s banner, depicting Shirley Smith and Ted Kennedy – "saints" of Redfern – along with Mary Mackillop, against a backdrop of the church mural bearing the words of Pope John Paul II

Last Sunday the congregation at the 10am Mass was informed by the releiving priest that the parish priest and his assistant would be … Continue reading →

Emotional day … Linda Kemp cried as she was blessed by the parish priest
of St Vincent’s for her trip to Rome. Photo: Kate Geraghty, SMH

It took eight men to move it, but in doing so they lifted a spiritual weight from the shoulders of a congregation.

Parishioners at St Vincent’s Catholic Church in Redfern, inspired by the coming canonisation of Mary MacKillop, defied their parish priest and returned a baptismal font to its original place in the church baptistery.

The act … Continue reading →

The St Vincent’s Community is sending three of its members to Rome for the canonisation of Mary MacKillop.

On the last Sunday of this month (September 26) the community is hosting a ceremony to "Bless and Send Forth" three of its Aboriginal members, who will be travelling to Rome for the canonisation ceremony on October 17.

They include outspoken long-term parishioner Ralph Townsend, and artist, singer and former ATSIC commissioner Shireen Malamoo.

The trip has been made possible by community members Sr Esmey and Sr Mary, of The Gathering Place in Caroline St Redfern. In 2006 they unexpectedly … Continue reading →

The derelict St Vincent’s presbytery, next to the church, is to be given a new lease of life as a Jesuit school for Aboriginal children, it was announced during the week. The article in Province Express is reproduced below.

This posting by Danny Gilbert on CathNews expresses support for the initiative far more eloquently than the Church Mouse could manage:

The much loved Fr Ted Kennedy made St Vincent’s Redfern, especially the Presbytery, a place of welcome, refuge and unconditional love for the poorest of Aboriginal people. For many years, Ted shared his home with … Continue reading →

Timetable from the Church Bulletin

Come join us this Easter!

The book PETER KENNEDY: THE MAN WHO THREATENED ROME will be launched:

• in Sydney on Tuesday 23rd February 6pm at Glee Books, 49 Glebe Point Rd, Glebe by Phillip Adams (RSVP 02 9660 2333), and

• in Melbourne on Thursday 25th February 6:30pm at Readings Carlton, 309 Lygon Street, Carlton, Victoria by Martin Flanagan with Fr Bob Maguire and Michele Gierck in conversation with Peter Kennedy (RSVP 03 9347 6633 or events@readings.com.au)

In February 2009 Father Peter Kennedy, of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in South Brisbane, was sacked by his Archbishop for contravening aspects of … Continue reading →

Please check out the new Image Gallery.

All the pictures in the old Photos section have been moved into the Image Gallery, and a selection of pics taken at the 2009 Christmas Sharing of the Meal has been added.

The Image Gallery may be reached via the Contents menu at the top of the page.

Suffer the Little Children

A small miracle is taking place at “Sharing the Meal” every Tuesday at St Vincent’s Church, Redfern.

Community Services (formerly DoCS) agreed to allow an access visit between a grandmother and mother of two children – a 4 month old baby and a small 3 year old boy – while their custody case is being investigated. The Church is a familiar place especially for the little boy, and the environment is much less stressful for the family – … Continue reading →

St Aloysius’ College, Milsons Point is proposing to convert the old St Vincent’s presbytery next to the church into a special school for Aboriginal children. This article appeared in the South Sydney Herald, November 2009

The proposed redevelopment of an unused Redfern presbytery as an Aboriginal school has been met with some opposition.

The St Vincent de Paul Presbytery, a heritage building on Redfern Street, has been in a state of disrepair for a couple of decades, something which was made worse by last year’s fire. Confirmation of the Church’s redevelopment proposal is … Continue reading →