The tragedy of St Vincent's Redfern...

There were further major developments at the Catholic parish of Redfern on the weekend. This received significant media coverage on Monday and led to much comment on the CathNews discussion forum which reflects the deep divisions in the institutional Church at the moment on much wider issues as to how the Church is to be re-evangelised. Cliff Baxter lives close to Redfern and has been watching the developments in that parish with growing alarm...

The late Fr Ted Kennedy [Photo: Church Mouse website]

When Father Ted Kennedy died on 17 May 2005 it broke the hearts of Sydney's Aboriginal Community.

In fact, the whole of Australia grieved and former Governor-General Sir William Deane and Father of the Labor Left Tom Uren, both in bush hats, were among the hundreds who gathered on The Block in Redfern under a huge marquee to mourn his passing.

It was the biggest turnout of Sydney Catholic clergy in contemporary history.

Ted Clancy, former fellow seminarian and later cardinal and Sydney archbishop, was there too, even though Ted Kennedy had said Clancy was boring in the seminary and also later as a prelate.

An honest man is the noblest work of God (Burns).

His Eminence, with a wry smile, had to honour the man who spoke the plain truth as he saw it with kindness.

Part of the huge crowd at Fr Kennedy's funeral [Photo: www.cathnews.com]

Mum Shirl, the legendary Aboriginal woman, was not there. She was dead.

	Fr Ted and Mum Shirl [Photo: Church Mouse website]

Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney had a previous engagement.

It was Cardinal Pell who replaced Father Kennedy with the 'Neocats', the Neo-catechumenal Way, to take over St Vincent's Parish, Redfern.

There has been nothing but trouble since.

Items of sacred significance to the community, including a table, have been destroyed.

There have been confrontations between congregation and clergy and on one occasion police were called.

St Vincent's church is a sacred place to Aboriginal people because many people have died there. They do not want carpets to cover the place of death.

Cardinal Pell has taken the side of the Neocats, not the congregation.

The Neocats' failure (some would say cowardice) to make their spiritual presence felt during the Aborigines versus Police Riots in Redfern caused one priest in Parramatta Diocese to ban them from his parish, but the Cardinal was undeterred.

Instead, Cardinal Pell blames 'the troubles' on a small group.

On 23 May 2006, Cardinal Pell wrote to a parishioner:

	The full text of Cardinal Pell's letter can be found on the Church Mouse website

When Father Ted Kennedy resigned as parish priest at St Vincent's Redfern he was replaced by Father Peter Carroll MSC.

Despite receiving Father Kennedy's blessing prior to his appointment, Father Carroll was driven from the parish by a small group, most of whom were not locals and none of whom were indigenous.

During Father Carroll's time at the parish, and during the latter years of Father Kennedy's administration, only four indigenous people came to Mass.

Following Father Carroll's departure, the priests of the Neo-catechumenal Way were appointed to care for the parish. They are Catholic and orthodox and there is also in addition one missionary family living and working in the parish with them, soon to be joined by a senior resident missionary family.

The priests continue to be strongly opposed by a small rump, but they have no problems with the local people, both indigenous and non-indigenous. They undertake regular door-to-door visits within the parish and the relationship between parishioners and the priests, seminarians, and families of the Neo-catechumenical Way are basically very good.

I am sorry that this side of the story at Redfern is not conveyed by the media, but I hope that it offers some clarification and reassurance.'

Well, Your Eminence, I would suggest that the information you are receiving is a lot of rubbish.

The stories I hear from Redfern are of violence, intimidation, harassment, irregular liturgy that has brought criticism from Rome itself, and what might be described as violent evangelism allied with uncharitable legalism.

There are plenty of witnesses to these claims:

For example, 'Aunty' an Aboriginal elder, went to Communion with a tiny child. The child asked for a piece, so she gave it to the child. The priest put on an embarrassing performance. 'This is the Catholic Church', he said, ' You know the rules.' An official apology has been demanded from the Neo-Cat priest. I have heard other Aboriginal people have been challenged regarding their baptism before being permitted to receive Communion.

Is this persona Christi? I do not think so.

I have spoken to the priest in charge of Redfern, Father Gerry Prindiville, and I discovered that, kind and holy man he is, he knows nothing of 40,000 years of Aboriginal spirituality.

I tried to explain to him Aboriginal Knowledge, of the inter-connectedness of all things.

I suggested he and other Neo-Cats undertake a course in Aboriginal Studies.

I walked away from him at the Festival of Faith as a failed missionary. I think he thought I was talking about animism or pantheism, not the sort of orthodox, muscular Christianity he and his fellow Neo-Cats promote.

Missionaries have to listen as well as preach!

Perhaps he could listen to the words of John Bede Polding, Australian's first Catholic bishop.

Polding was called before a colonial parliamentary committee and asked what he thought about indigenous people.

Why would they not accept Christianity?

Polding explained that they would not accept the 'religion of the murderer, the rapist and the land-grabber.' These actions, he continued, were proceeding as he spoke.

The Benedictine colonial bishop went on to explain that vast tracts of valuable land should be left for Aboriginal people to develop in their own way.

Nobody listened.

The killings, the rapes and the land-grabbing continued.

This from British people who had not been sent to 'terra nullius', the empty land, but had been commissioned by the House of Commons to purchase land from the inhabitants.

Polding was a lone voice.

Back to Redfern...

All is not lost to the Neo-Cat evangelists.

Last Saturday some 'message stick' activists came into the Church and spent several hours painting.

On the back wall they painted the message from Pope John Paul II in Alice Springs concerning Aboriginal spirituality.

The new mural painted on the weekend at St Vincent's, Redfern [Photo: Church Mouse website]

It stands there as a testimony.

The next morning there was a Mass with activist Father Frank Brennan SJ.

So the sooner the Neo-Cats move from Redfern the better.

There's got to be a place for them. Opposite Hillsong, maybe?

Links:
The Church-Mouse website blog has an extended coverage of the events on the weekend, including photos and the story which appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald on Monday morning.
Sydney Morning Herald story
Neo-Catechumenal Way Australia website

What are your thoughts on what is happening at Redfern? Please voice them in our forum.

Cliff Baxter can be contacted at:
Cliff Baxter <cliffbaxter@catholica.com.au>

©2006 Clifford Baxter

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