Thankyou for your support and shared insights to what happened to you. The stories are running seamlessly together. It is a horrible experience and worse that George Pell is determined to impose the Neocats on us. They have been described by one of their followers who left as a "sect".
My friend Ted Kennedy said to me some time back "this is Pell's revenge on me". What a sad indictment on the church that we go from a' living spirituality' to this death and destruction where the Neocats abuse, denigrate and worse still use the Eucharist as a tool of desecration.
We are strong in our resolve to fight this mob but it has taken its toll and having support like yours gives us that extra courage in the knowledge we are guided by a loving and just God.
Yours in the struggle for peace and justice. Rhonda Ansiewicz
Your letter simply confirms what these people are up to.
Here in Perth, we too have had to withstand vicious lies and accusations.The Parishes in which they operate are divided and in disharmony. They are very SECRETIVE..DECEITFUL and CUNNING. Their Methodology encompasses the aforementioned along with a "You have been chosen by the Holy Spirit" and those who have not will criticize you. Oh! and by the way...if you decline this invitation to join the Neocatechumen Way.....Wait for it...."You are going to Hell".
Their clergy/leaders rubbish Theology and believe that theirs is the only way to Heaven. I can go on and on...
I salute you three for speaking out against the injustices being dealt to the suffering parishoners of Redfern. Hopefully more priests will follow your lead and do likewise!
As a parishoner of Kelmscott WA I can sympathise and empathise with Redfern parishoners as the problems are tragically oh so familiar. Intimidation, deceit and dishonesty are integral to the Neocat agenda.
Hence, I feel that with prayer and the support of good people like yourselves, the present situation will be changed.
Keep up the good work!
God Bless, Joan.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 12:00:00 am
I write to let you know that I support your endeavours during what has been a painful and challenging time for the Community at St Vincent's Redfern since the appointment of Neo-Catechumenate priests to that church.
As a priest, I worked from the beginning of 1994 to the end of 1996, in a parish in western Melbourne, where the Neo-Catechumenate had been asked to leave my predecessor because of a whole range of painful issues that had divided the parish community, caused heartache to so many and resulted in those entrusted with the leadership of the parish being "snubbed" by the Neo-Catechumenate as if they were a higher authority.
One would think that all had ended prior to my arrival in the parish in 1994 but far from it! Persistence and pressure from certain individuals of the Neo-Catechumenate for me to re-admit them to the parish community almost drove me to despair.
All sorts of promises were made, such as "Father, you will never have any financial worries once we are back in the parish", "we will do anything that you ask" and once absurd comment (due to my refusing to re-admit them back into the parish, "Father, how will you look God in the face when your judgement day comes!" And so it was that this sort of garbage and guilt was pushed by various members of the Neo-Catechumenate who were determined to 'get back' into the parish.
Fortunately, due to a wise old priest living in the community, and the encouragement of the other Parish Team members, we were able to resist their pressures.
There is so much that shows us, through local experiences (Australia) and overseas (UK and Wales), that sadly the Neo-catechumenate movement has caused more pain and division than unity or peace. They also seem answerable to no one, think of themselves as "the only way" and have no regard for the local parish community let alone the local parish priest.
Each one of you at Redfern, have the right to be listened to and to be allowed to have a say in the direction of your parish community, despite what these others (with power and money) might think.
Don't give up in your struggle
John G (Tasmania)
"Support from Tasmania"
3 Comments -
Dear Fr John,
Thankyou for your support and shared insights to what happened to you. The stories are running seamlessly together. It is a horrible experience and worse that George Pell is determined to impose the Neocats on us. They have been described by one of their followers who left as a "sect".
My friend Ted Kennedy said to me some time back "this is Pell's revenge on me". What a sad indictment on the church that we go from a' living spirituality' to this death and destruction where the Neocats abuse, denigrate and worse still use the Eucharist as a tool of desecration.
We are strong in our resolve to fight this mob but it has taken its toll and having support like yours gives us that extra courage in the knowledge we are guided by a loving and just God.
Yours in the struggle for peace and justice.
Rhonda Ansiewicz
Monday, June 20, 2005 1:30:00 pm
Hi Father John
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Your letter simply confirms what these people are up to.
Here in Perth, we too have had to withstand vicious lies and accusations.The Parishes in which they operate are divided and in disharmony.
They are very SECRETIVE..DECEITFUL and CUNNING. Their Methodology encompasses the aforementioned along with a "You have been chosen by the Holy Spirit" and those who have not will criticize you. Oh! and by the way...if you decline this invitation to join the Neocatechumen Way.....Wait for it...."You are going to Hell".
Their clergy/leaders rubbish Theology and believe that theirs is the only way to Heaven. I can go on and on...
Monday, June 20, 2005 11:15:00 pm
Dear Fr John Ford, Fr Peter Maher and Fr John G,
I salute you three for speaking out against the injustices being dealt to the suffering parishoners of Redfern. Hopefully more priests will follow your lead and do likewise!
As a parishoner of Kelmscott WA I can sympathise and empathise with Redfern parishoners as the problems are tragically oh so familiar. Intimidation, deceit and dishonesty are integral to the Neocat agenda.
Hence, I feel that with prayer and the support of good people like yourselves, the present situation will be changed.
Keep up the good work!
God Bless,
Joan.
Wednesday, June 22, 2005 12:00:00 am