New pastor of Australian parish to ‘move forward’ after schism

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Fr. Ken Howell / Fr. Peter Kennedy

Brisbane, Australia, Apr 23, 2009 / 01:49 am (CNA).- A priest who is the new pastor of an Australian congregation whose last pastor led hundreds of parishioners into a breakaway sect has pledged to sustain the parish and to “move forward” in its “unusual” situation. The previous pastor of St. Mary’s Church in South Brisbane was Fr. Peter Kennedy, who allegedly denied the divinity of Jesus Christ and was on record denying the Virgin Birth.

According to the Courier Mail, he also allowed a Buddhist statue in the Church.

The priest has begun a community called “St. Mary’s in Exile” based at a nearby Trades and Labour Council building.

Archbishop of Brisbane John A. Bathersby replaced Fr. Kennedy with Fr. Ken Howell, Dean of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

In a message to St. Mary’s Church, Fr. Howell said he looked forward to his first Masses at the parish on Saturday and Sunday.

“Whenever there is a new pastor there is always a sense of apprehension,” Fr. Howell wrote in a statement. “Given the events that have led to this change of pastors, everyone can wonder what will happen. All I know is that as we gather to celebrate Eucharist a new chapter in the life of this great parish begins. The content of that chapter will be what we together, priest and people, will compose as we share faith and life.”

According to the Courier Mail, he said he wanted to see the parish “sustained as a parish.”

"There's been a great number of people who have worshiped there in recent times and I have no reason to believe that's not going to be the case into the future. I think the numbers will be surprising in a positive way, not just a handful of people."

"Usually when you move to a new parish, there's a fair amount of certainty of who will be there. But this situation because of what has happened, it's a little bit unusual, that's for sure," he said, saying it will take time to form the new community.

"We're not into contests between ourselves and the TLC building... I've always had good relations with Father Kennedy," he told the Courier Mail. "We could start discussing what's happened and how it's happened, and would it have been better if this had happened, but that's life. We deal with the reality as it is and move forward.”

Comments: 8

Subscriber comments:

Published by: alli
australia 05/25/2009 07:04 AM EST

considering the new testament was written in 70ad one can only imagine the many times it must have been re written between then and now to preserve it, not to mention the old testament, written even earlier...
who were the re-writers of the original text over the last few thousand years and what was their political or religious agenda?
i think the original message has been lost like a game of chinese whispers.

Published by: H.J.D'Cruz
Karachi 04/28/2009 05:23 AM EST

Another sign of the anti- christ activities.Let us see how long his distorted guidence to his flock and the the new founder of the church last.Liers and deceivers never prosper.

Published by: MarkF
Falls Church, VA 04/26/2009 11:30 PM EST

Vynette, what you said is so untrue. In today's second reading, we heard the apostle Peter tell the crowd that they had killed the "author of life" when they killed Jesus. The author of life is only God. Now, if you try to say the the book of Acts was poorly translated from its original Aramaic to its present day Greek, I'd have to say that is something that cannot be proven as we have no copy of the Book of Acts in Aramaic.

Published by: Jimmy Baldwin
Vancouver, WA 04/26/2009 10:24 PM EST

Yet another Arius or Luther if you prefer.

Published by: Seth
United States 04/25/2009 12:23 AM EST

To those who deny Christ's divinity and the Virgin Birth, and think that it was all made up by the "Hellenist-Latin Fathers," need to pick up their nearest Bible, get a Catechism of the Catholic Church, get a book fo Christian History, get a book of ALL the Church Fathers and READ THEM! Then they will all see that their hersey fall to the Truth, THAT CHRIST IS DIVINE AND HE WAS BORN OF A VIRGIN WHOM WE CALL our Blessed Mother Mary! IF they still do not believe it, then maybe they are better sutied for a Mosque or the Unitarian UNiversalist CHurch, where they also deny the divinty of Christ. May all Heretics come back to the true Church!

Published by: emil
brisbane 04/24/2009 05:49 AM EST

Father Kennedy should not use catholic religion if he have other belief in his old head.He completely lost his mind and shame.If he is a good person who supposed to preach the word of God, He should not challenge father howell to rent a crowd in his first mass.This is not a contest..HELLO?.Sorry but he sounds like a desperate attention seeker im disgusted!!!!

Published by: vynette
Brisbane 04/23/2009 06:45 PM EST

Rate: Bad

Father Kennedy is quite correct when he denies the divinity of Jesus and the Virgin Birth.

Neither of these doctrines can be found in the New Testament.

They are purely inventions of the Hellenist-Latin fathers who had no understanding of Hebrew thought patterns or terminology.

Published by: Seth
United States 04/23/2009 01:47 PM EST

This is disgusting! I am sorry but for a priest to not believe in the Divinty of Christ or the Virigin Birht, in my opinion, should be excommunicated and defraulked! He should not be allowed to say Holy Mass because he is only defiling it because of his grave unbelief! He is taking a whole parish into grave heresey and could potentially cause them their souls! I pray God will be with this new Priest and help them back into the truth. And i hope this new Priest brings back the lost faithful that the previous rengade priest took with him!

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