The new sets of envelopes for the community giving system have arrived and will be available for collection after Masses on the weekend.
The various ways to donate here at St Mary’s include:
1 A cash donation is placed on the collection plate,
2 A numbered envelope is used where amounts can be written according to the contributor’s wishes,
3 A quarterly/half yearly contribution can be given and apportioned according to the members wishes using a plain envelope with details and amount enclosed,
4 Community members may wish to use their own internet banking system to transfer an amount weekly, monthly or quarterly to the St Mary’s account or approach their own bank to arrange a periodic payment to BSB 064-131 Account number: 10332933
Increasingly more members are choosing this fourth option and a form for this purpose is available giving the details of St Mary’s Commonwealth Bank account. If you are not using prenumbered envelopes we ask that you consider joining this scheme and leave your name and address on the sheet provided at Mass so that appropriate receipts can be issued for the tax deductible portions that are given.
Here at St Mary’s we have only one collection time during the mass. This collection time is just after the Homily and before the Prayers of the Faithful. One amount is given by the those present to cover the traditional first and second collections.
Following on from the PETER KENNEDY book launch in Rockhampton there has been considerable media coverage. This coverage must be considered from the perspective of the media’s wish to attract the interest of its wider audience however it has begun much discussion between people of that area and your comments will further continue this discussion.
NOEL PRESTON -LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Editor
The Morning Bulletin
Rockhampton.
Notwithstanding the views of your correspondents (Robert Mills and Ivan Jones, Letters, 20 Feb.) readers of this newspaper are entitled to know that Father Peter Kennedy is not a lone voice crying in the wilderness. The contributors to the book launched during his recent visit to Rockhampton are testament to that. Indeed one of the contributors, former Catholic priest Michael Morwood says of this challenge to conventional Christianity: “What we see here is not so much the tip of an iceberg but rather the flaring of a volcano.”
In fact after Easter in Melbourne there will be a large national gathering of those who share this quest just as in a modest way the so called Seekers group are a local manifestation of this global phenomenon. Key characteristics of this movement include taking seriously the biblical gospel message together with a commitment to sustaining life on this planet, as well as emphasising the importance of how we live rather than conformity in belief, while cultivating a spirituality that is not dependent on an interventionist God.
Twenty first century knowledge and experience, evidenced in the decline of church attendance in Australia, guarantee that questions about the future of Christianity and the church will not go away.
The key question is to what extent this future can be shaped within traditional religious institutions.
That is, to use the time honoured imagery of the church likened to a ship: to what extent can we stay on board and rock the boat by honestly questioning some aspects of faith, or will we only be moving deck chairs on a sinking vessel? is it inevitable that those who seek a spirituality, informed by the Jesus way but stripped of unbelievable dogma, must either jump ship or risk being pushed overboard?
As for St Mary’s in exile, I have participated in its life on and off during the decades Peter Kennedy has been its priest. There is something very attractive and authentic about hearing the Gospel when you are surrounded by those who have been excluded elsewhere, like gay and lesbian people, divorcees, married priests and others who have suffered marginalisation. This inclusiveness goes hand in hand with an emphasis on social justice. Social justice is a hallmark, not only of the preaching, but also of the actions associated with St Mary’s. There is another important emphasis. In the past decade the community has embraced what might be called an eco-theology – one that focusses on the environment and life’s interconnectedness. All this comes through in the way the liturgy is expressed.
Our society desperately needs more religious communities like St Mary’s- in- exile.
Yours faithfully
Noel Preston
Frenchville
(20/2/10)
BISHOP HITS BACK AT RADICAL VIEWS
Adam Wratten | 16th February 2010
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au
CATHOLIC Bishop of Rockhampton Brian Heenan yesterday expressed surprise at the anti-church convictions of his lifelong friend and rebel priest Peter Kennedy.
Bishop Brian Heenan has a different opinion about the Catholic Church than his lifelong friend and former priest Peter Kennedy.
CATHOLIC Bishop of Rockhampton Brian Heenan yesterday expressed surprise at the strong anti-church convictions of his lifelong friend and rebel priest Peter Kennedy.
In Saturday’s The Morning Bulletin Mr Kennedy, a priest for 45 years before the Catholic Church evicted him from his Brisbane parish at St Mary’s because of his unorthodox practices, said he no longer believed in the priesthood, the virgin birth or the infallibility of the Pope.
Mr Kennedy, who was visiting Rockhampton to launch his new book, said he doubted Jesus existed and no longer prayed “because there’s no one to pray to”.
Bishop Heenan said many of the church’s Central Queensland community were talking about Saturday’s story and were saddened by it.
He said while the Catholic Church wasn’t perfect, he didn’t agree with his friend’s new beliefs or his thoughts that the Catholic Church would disappear.
“I know him very well, he’s a lifetime and dear friend of mine,” said Bishop Heenan.
“Reading the article in the paper I was a little surprised.
“They are very strong statements.”
“While I respect him, I do not agree with his position because these are the very foundations on which my life is built.”
He said he had always admired Peter’s strong commitment to help marginalised people, before going on to point out the many Catholic and Christian groups, such as the Sisters of Mercy, St Vincent de Paul, Centacare and Anglicare, who also help the disadvantaged.
“Good friends are allowed to differ and we differ very much now in our beliefs,” said Bishop Heenan, who didn’t get a chance to see Mr Kennedy on the weekend because of commitments in Bundaberg and the mining towns.
Meanwhile, Bishop Heenan also said the church was in the process of organising visas for three Indian priests who he hoped would move to Central Queensland to help make up for a shortage of local clergy.
Having recently returned to Australia from India, he said the new priests would be welcomed across the region.
“One of the challenges now is getting visas, even temporary visas, and this could take most of the rest of the year,” Bishop Heenan said.
“We are happy to go through that process.”
He said priests in India underwent a longer training period than in Australia, with many studying for more than 10 years.
While the new priests speak perfect English, the church will support them with speech classes to help overcome any accent barriers.
“I think our parishioners will be very welcoming, they have supported me in going down this path,” Bishop Heenan said.
Asked if he felt under pressure from the challenges facing the church, Bishop Heenan said he felt blessed to serve the people of Central Queensland for many years whose faith was alive and hope filled.
Peter Kennedy, in Rockhampton to preach and promote his book, says he doesn’t pray any more and doubts that Jesus ever existed. MEGAN LEWIS
DON’T call me Father, says Peter Kennedy.
And it soon becomes clear why the man, who was a serving priest for 45 years before the Catholic Church evicted him from his parish in Brisbane, no longer wants the title.
He doesn’t believe in the priesthood anymore, nor the virgin birth, nor the infallibility of the Pope. In fact, he doubts that Jesus ever existed and although he is the spiritual leader of a 500-strong Christian community, he says he no longer prays because there’s “no one to pray to.”
“We have made God in our own image. I can’t believe in a God that grants some people miracles but punishes others, but I do think there is something more, but what it is, I have no idea.”
The controversial and charismatic ex-priest, who made headlines last year when he refused to leave St Mary’s as instructed by his Bishop, will preach tomorrow at All Saints’ Anglican Church in Simpson Street, North Rockhampton.
Last night he launched his book – Peter Kennedy. The Man Who Threatened Rome – at the same venue, as part of a nationwide promotional tour which will include Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne later this month.
Although he has not been excommunicated, he finds himself at odds with virtually every attitude and teaching of the Catholic hierarchy.
He was ousted, he said, not so much for his progressive and increasingly challenging beliefs, but for straying from the straitjacket of conformity in the Catholic Mass.
His services at St Mary’s attracted huge congregations by today’s standards and he celebrated Mass with women preachers and former priests who had left to get married.
“We welcomed the homeless and alcoholics and I preached about social justice. I welcomed non-Catholics and gay and lesbian worshipers who were shunned by other churches. It was just too unorthodox for the hierarchy,” he said
And while his congregation flourished, others dwindled, leading him to conclude that the Catholic Church was finished in Australia.
“Today only 13% of people who call themselves Catholics go to Mass on Sunday. Church is becoming more and more irrelevant to modern society because it is still medieval in its doctrines while the real world had changed so much.”
He said he could not believe in the divinity of Christ and it was no longer tenable to believe in the virgin birth.
“Modern science has changed all that. We know that man evolved and was not created separately.”
But questioning the pillars of organised religion does not make him any less spiritual, he argues.
“I don’t think what you believe is important. It’s what you do that matters.”
He says he stopped wearing a priest’s vestments when he realised that members of his congregation had been sexually abused as children by priests and they were traumatised by the robes.
“There are still elements in the church who think what happened to those children was a sin – and can be absolved in confession – but not a crime,” he says.
“Celibacy is madness for priests. Of course they should be allowed to marry and have children and normal relationships. Celibacy is not normal, although there are, of course, many who choose to be chaste.”
Perhaps most controversially of all for a man who served Christ for more than four decades, he says he doubts Jesus ever existed.
“There is not much corroborative evidence,” he says. “I don’t wear a crucifix because it’s just a symbol of Roman oppression. There were many men crucified for their beliefs and daring to challenge the authority of Rome.”
Below are some of the responses to this article in the Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. You may wish to add to them via the URL above or you may wish to leave a comment on this website.
Posted by blackdog from Uki, New South Wales
13 February 2010 12:30 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Peter Kennedy is my hero!
Posted by Albinus from Newtown, Queensland
13 February 2010 3:40 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Fantastic bloke! He has over the years taught that loving and helping fellow man is the way to spiritual fulfilment, not being scared by threats from a fairy tale book to make “believers” conform. Peter Kennedy is a true example of how people can live their lives to the fullest.
Posted by qwert1 from Lammermoor, Queensland
13 February 2010 6:55 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
the most profound thing i have ever heard a priest say.
thank god someone is making sense!!!!!!!
Posted by tonyryan from Maroochydore Bc, Queensland
14 February 2010 12:56 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Historical evidence indicates Peter Kennedy is right.
The history of ancient Greece, Rome and more the more recent Christianity was nearly lost with the collapse of Rome, but was rescued by the Irish Monks.
Far from being repressive, the Christianity as proselytised by the Monks (4th to 8th centuries), was based on a much more democratic society than exists anywhere now; and one third of Monks were women.
Many hold that the most famous Monk of all was a woman, and it would have been rare in those times to find a Monk that did not have a spouse and children.
The Irish Monks were philosophers and scholars, and spent much of their time traveling and recording the cultures of other peoples. For example, they described in detail the democratic kingdoms of Finland, in which kings administered the decisions of the people; very similar to government of Ireland in those times.
In the 8th century, a homosexual-dominated and misogenist cabal controlled Rome, and expanded its power rapidly, eventually forcing celibacy on all Christians, including the people of western Europe.
Thus commenced the true Dark Ages: 1100 years of repression, enforced ignorance, the disenfranchisement of women, mass poverty, torture, ritual execution; and internecine war.
To discourage scholars from studying what was really an era of enlightenment, Rome described this as the Dark Ages and destroyed as many surviving books as possible. Three decades ago books describing the ancient democracies disappeared from our libraries.
Little wonder Kennedy’s seeking of the truth is exciting so many; especially as a new era of repression is darkening the horizon, heartily supported by the current Pope.
Posted by RogerFI from Brisbane Region, Queensland
14 February 2010 1:39 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
How unsuprising. Predictable in fact. Mr Kennedy is obviously a victim of reading too much Spong, Borg and other boffins from the Jesus Seminar. At least these ultra-liberals believe Jesus existed.
It seems Mr Kennedy has slide down the slippery slope of liberalism and syncretism, right out the back door and into the steaming dung-heap of apostacy and unbelief.
Posted by Lorelei from Yandina Creek, Queensland
14 February 2010 2:18 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
What refreshing honesty! More strength Peter! Years ago some of my friends sought out St Mary’s as they were comfortable there and, I thought, became better people for their attendance at your church.
I call myself an a-gnostic now because I am in awe of the universe and this planet and whatever it is that allows life, spirit and breath in such wealth but I do not pretend to know its origin. I know and love many good people who live by beliefs as they have them presented by parents, culture, friends and Churches. They will go to their death believing all sorts of articles of faith and sometimes I envy them their simple trust…but not for long.
I feel free now to live as my reason informs me, always trying to love instead of to hate. I can recommend this life after 65 years of service in a Christian denomination where I was devotedly busy and I don’t regret a minute of that either except it wasn’t very considerate to family! A rigorous course of Theology and Biblical study after learning Ancient Greek, Latin and Hebrew set me to rights about the origins of religions and left my reason free to choose my present path.
Posted by mikejoc from Kawana, Queensland
14 February 2010 6:38 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Peter Kennedy is not a Christian. And sadly, in denying the person and work of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Bible has himself managed to become irrelevant.
He comes to Rockhampton to preach nothing but himself no wonder he doesn’t believe in God he has managed to replace God with himself.
Rev. Mike O’Connor
Rockhampton Presbyterian Church
Posted by Fair-Dinkum from Noosa North Shore, Queensland
14 February 2010 7:06 p.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
I agree with Kennedy re the catholic Church and nearly all of its doctrines. So many are man made. However, I disagree with him concerning Jesus. There is so much more evidence that he lived that cannot be denied.
Jesus really left us with only 2 decisions concerning himself.
If you read the Bible for yourself, the only two conclusions that you can come to is; that Jesus was, who he said he was, the Son of God, or he was a madman!
There are no other choices!
He can’t be “just a good moral teacher” because good moral teachers don’t go around calling themselves the Son of God! No, he really only left us two conclusions. It’s up to us to make our choice. He was the “Son of God” or he was a madman!
Posted by Jerry101 from Rockhampton City, Queensland
15 February 2010 10:15 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
If Peter Kennedy and his followers don’t believe much of what the Catholic Church teaches, then that’s fine, lots of people don’t believe what the Catholic Church teaches. But why did Peter Kennedy and his followers throw such a hissy fit when asked by the Catholic Church to vacate property which the Catholic Church owns?
The more I read about this man and his followers the less impressed I am: “Look at me everyone I don’t believe what the Catholic Church believes.” Mmmmm.
Somehow I think the Catholic Church will survive attack.
Posted by tonyryan from Maroochydore Bc, Queensland
15 February 2010 10:24 a.m. | Suggest removal » | Post reply »
Someone, above, missed the point:
‘Belief’ is not something to admire.
An objective definition of ‘belief’ is Adoption of a position or attitude in spite of evidence to the contrary.
This comes significantly close to a loose definition of insanity.
As to evidence about Jesus, the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal the only notable Jesus of that era was an Essene of a rebel cult that was forced to commit mass suicide rather than be captured by the Roman troops.
But around 360 AD, Emperor Constantine got fed up with the proliferation of religions, and designed a composite new religion made up of remnants of all those known. The prophet was named after the Indian Krishna (Christ) and the German god, Gesu; which later became Jesus when the letter J entered lexicon.
The old testament (of which there are four versions, not one), borrows liberally from Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Indian, and many other legends.
A reasonably knowledgeable person would be aware of all this, but religious people typically only read, what they hope, will reinforce their neurotic beliefs.
Christian-Judeans, particularly, have tortured and killed countless millions,and stolen vast lands, to force their fanatical beliefs on others. They are doing it right now in the Middle East and now want to do it to Iran.
If you would like to borrow a book from the library you need to:
• Email Marg margdoc2@bigpond net.au
• Fill in a request form from the library table
Your book, if available, will be delivered in a named Ziploc bag the following Sunday.
You are asked to make a donation when you collect your book.
Most books can be borrowed for a month, but a few popular titles, of which we have only one copy, will be ‘Fast Back’ and only available for two weeks.
Keep reading – it helps us to develop as a community, as we explore similar themes.
Book List
Armstrong Karen – THE HISTORY OF GOD
Anderson ‘Sailor’ Bob – WHAT’S WRONG WITH RIGHT NOW?
Arntz et al – WHAT THE BLEEP DO WE KNOW?
Braha James – LIVING REALITY
Campion Edmund – TED KENNEDY – PRIEST OF REDFERN
Charlesworth Max – DEMOCRATIC CHURCH
Fiand – AWE-FILLED WONDER
Fiand – FROM RELIGION BACK TO FAITH
Freke & Gandy – THE JESUS MYSTERIES
Harpur Tom – THE PAGAN CHRIST
Hodgens Eric – NEW EVANGELIZATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
Hollaway Richard – BETWEEN MONSTER AND SAINT
Holloway Richard - DOUBTS AND LOVES
Holloway Richard – GODLESS MORALITY
Holloway Richard - LOOKING IN THE DISTANCE
Holloway Richard – ON FORGIVENESS
Kung Hans – THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
Leloup Jean-Yves – THE GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALENE
Morwood Michael – TOMORROW’S CATHOLIC
Morwood Michael – FROM SAND TO SOLID GROUND
Morwood Michael – IS JESUS GOD?
Ogden Steven – I MET GOD IN BERMUDA
Oliver Patrick – THE FREEING OF GOD
O’Murchu Diarmud – CATCHING UP WITH JESUS
Pearce Joseph Chilton – THE BIOLOGY OF TRANCENDENCE
Pope John XXlll – IN MY OWN WORDS
Ranke Heinemann – EUNUCHS FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
Rohr Richard – WILD MAN TO WISE MAN
Spong John Shelby – A NEW CHRISTIANITY FOR A NEW WORLD
Spong John Shelby – ETERNAL LIFE: A NEW VISION
Spong John Shelby – THE SINS OF SCRIPTURE
Spong John Shelby – WHY CHRISTIANITY MUST CHANGE OR DIE.
Tolle Eckhart – PRACTICING THE POWER OF NOW
Tolle Eckhart – THE POWER OF NOW
Tolle – FINDHORN RETREAT (BOOK AND DVD)
Vosper Greta – WITH OR WITHOUT GOD
Walsch N.D – HOME WITH GOD
Wheeler John – AWAKENING TO THE NATURAL STATE
