The core purpose of Catholica Australia is not as a news reporting medium. Our prime role is in seeking to establish a community that reaches out to those who have become disenchanted with institutional Catholicism. From time-to-time though we do come across news stories that might require further investigation and since the demise of OnLine Catholics, which provided a source of independent reporting of matters relevant to the Catholic Church in this country, we have by default stepped up to the mark and reported what needs to be reported. The following story reached our ears some weeks ago and we believe it does raise issues of moment that deserve public attention and scrutiny.

The Bethel Covenant Community grew out of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal movement in the 1970s. It eventually established itself in the Perth Suburb of West Leederville as a Covenant Community with some form of canonical approval (i.e. official Church approval) in the 1980s under the previous Archbishop of Perth, the Most Rev William Foley. At its peak the community involved some 300 members many of whom purchased homes close to the centre of the community which was a converted factory and office block in the inner city suburb of West Leederville close to Subiaco Oval and opposite the West Leederville train station on Railway Parade.

In early April this year allegations of sexual impropriety, financial irregularities and disquiet over "cult-like activities" first began to reach more public attention through the complaints of existing and former members of the community. Some of these were aired on internet blogs. Complaints were made to the Archdiocesan authorities as well as to the police and to the Catholic Church's professional standards investigating authority (set up in the wake of the sexual abuse complaints the Church has been fielding in the last decade). Catholica understands that the investigations of what has happened are on-going and are being treated seriously by the relevant investigating authorities.

The Archdiocese of Perth website still lists the Bethel Covenant Community in its list of lay associations page but the Bethel website itself is no longer available on the net. Some members and/or former members of the community have established a blog site at www.bethelcommunity.vox.com which airs some details of the complaints and as late as last night was carrying fairly vigorous discussion between various parties. There have been a number of forced resignations of leaders of the community in recent months culminating in the resignation or retirement of the founding leaders of the community, Mr Kevin Horgan and Mr Frank Carr. Allegations have been raised on the website of a tardy response by the Church authorities when the allegations were first raised privately with them. Some of the original whitleblowers have also complained, Catholica understands from comments on public blogs, because of injustices inflicted on them through the tardiness of the official responses.

Here at Catholica we initially chose to sit on the story while awaiting further developments from the investigating authorities — both State and Canonical. It has been financial developments in the past week where allegations have been made that some valuable property has been placed on the market through one of the major daily newspapers in Perth that has prompted us to bring this disturbing matter to public attention. I should disclose that as Editor of Catholica, I know many of main players in the unfolding drama personally through my former roles working professionally for the Church in Western Australia. One of the principal people whom allegations have been made against was a friend of my late father and was held in high esteem by him. For that reason it has been very difficult knowing how to handle this story. The immediate cause for concern leading us to publish this story is that allegations have been raised that property might be being disposed of in the event that should any victims be identified in subsequent legal proceedings they would be denied compensation.

Google Map of West Leederville with the main Bethel Community building pinpointed. Subiaco Oval can be seen at the bottom left of the picture. CLARIFICATION: The main Bethel Community Centre indicated in this picture is NOT the property that has been put on the market. See the clarification note in our forum HERE.

The matter will be difficult and sensitive for Perth's present Catholic Archbishop, Barry Hickey, as the man at the centre of the allegations, the founder of the Bethel Community and its leader for so many years, Mr Kevin Horgan, is a member of a prominent Catholic family in Western Australia which was previously connected with the financial embarrassment the Catholic Church in Perth experienced in the early 1990s. Over the years, that friendship had been repaired and Kevin's brother the prominent Western Australia winemaker, Dennis Horgan, has in recent years been once again seen as a significant benefactor and friend to the Church in Western Australia. Dennis Horgan was also one of the original prominent individuals behind the establishment of the University of Notre Dame and in fact has been credited with the idea of creating a Catholic University in that State rather than the original proposal which was for a less ambitious teachers' training college for the Catholic education system on the Western side of the continent.

Here at Catholica we believe the matters require urgent and full investigation by the relevant State and Church-based investigating authorities. From the information that has been made available to us we believe the allegations are extemely serious and the welfare of individuals and families may have been transgressed in serious ways. If the allegations concerning the disposal of property of high value are true the need for the fullest investigation are all the more urgent.

Brian Coyne
Editor and Publisher
Catholica Australia

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