Perth’s weekly Catholic newspaper, The Record, has been running a Neocat promotion with full blown articles and pictures.
Dismayed and angered by the questionable representation of the Way, some of the Mirrabooka parishioners wrote the following letter to The Record‘s editor.
Here is part of an email message from Mirrabooka:
Still its a blessed relief to celebrate Mass in a neighbouring parish among friends who have preceded us from St. Gerards.
10.7.05
The Editor
The Record
Dear Sir,
The sad fate of St. Patricks Bunbury was a natural disaster caused by the ravages of time and weather. The slow painful destruction of St.Gerards Mirrabooka, which began over ten years ago, is a man-made disaster, with the uninvited arrival of the neo-catechumenate movement and their elitist, secretive and divisive attitude of “Join the movement or be damned.” I have always believed I was born into the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church – now, I wonder. This unwanted group of zealots has driven a wedge between their clique and foundation members of the Parish, which is widening every week. As a result, each Sunday there are more and more ‘new refugee faces’ at a neighboring church celebrating Mass in a loving caring faith gathering.
The fact that some members of the hierarchy extol the activities of this evangelizing movement does not excuse the groups’ unholy and arrogant manner when speaking to the converted, especially women. Let them feel free to exercise their zeal elsewhere and leave us to pray the Rosary in peace and grant us a Parish Priest who can preach the Gospel as Christ intended from His sermon on the mount.
From the happy pioneering days when the then Fr. Quinn said Sunday Mass in a school classroom, St. Gerards grew into a vibrant multi-cultural Parish. It is now two churches; one, a group of disillusioned elders seeking shelter elsewhere; two, the emerging catechumenate overlay striving to leave its mark in the name of “Mission”. This should not be. Where is the Oneness and holiness in this?
Hopefully, the Catholics of Bunbury will have a new Cathedral in two years time, to worship as before. Meanwhile, many Mirrabooka Catholics are angered at having their church usurped and being left wandering in a spiritual wilderness.
Yours in Christ
Patrick Miller