Fire in presbytery, claims of demolition by neglect

Three people were sleeping in the presbytery at the time but nobody was hurt in the blaze, believed to be started by a candle.

“Outside it looks the same but in the back the roof and the second floor has been destroyed,” said Father Clesio, St Vincent’s parish priest. 

The presbytery, which remains unused with no water or electricity, will now be further walled-off to prevent homeless people from using it as a shelter. As long as almost three years ago, the heritage building had a tarpaulin as its roof.

“Sadly the fire is part of the continuing demolition by neglect of this building,” says Councillor Philip Black, a former South Sydney Heritage President. 

According to Sydney City Council the presbytery is a heritage building which may make the Catholic Archdiocese liable for a fine for demolition of a heritage site by neglect.

The presbytery and adjoining buildings have been the source of growing tension between the church and the neighbouring Aboriginal Medical Service.

Speaking on behalf of the AMS, Head staff-person Naomi Mayer said she believes the buildings would be put to better use if sold and wants to buy the presbytery, car park and clinic at the back of the church in which it has been operating for the past twenty years.

The AMS clinic which has a paediatric and aged-care section has operated through St Vincent’s church for over twenty years under the patronage of the highly respected priest, the late Father Ted Kennedy.

After Father Kennedy’s retirement in 2002, the Catholic Church appointed priests from the conservative Neocatechumenal Way to reinstate orthodoxy on what was seen as the unconventional parish, much to the consternation of locals. 

The AMS fears that the unfettered access they have enjoyed to the church may be threatened with the new church leadership.

“I think it’s a reasonable fear. We don’t have any real security of tenure. Our lease expires this year. We don’t know if it will be renewed,”says John Daniels, AMS Medical Director.

“We want title of the building at the back. We need to be able to use the car park at the side of the building. If that were to be taken from us then ambulances could no longer get into the clinic.”

“We have nowhere else we can put them. That [clinic] building is vital to our operations. That was the one that was promised to us by Ted Kennedy,” says Mr Daniels.

Mr Daniels says that the AMS approached Cardinal George Pell with an application to buy the property or be granted a life lease but was repeatedly denied.

He believes the Church is operating on a profit basis and ignoring the social service aspect the Church serves.

The AMS is the largest Aboriginal medical service in Australia and treats thousands of patients every year. 

In case the Church decides to sell, Daniels fears the future of the AMS would be in serious jeopardy.

“If there are not many Catholics attending mass in Redfern they might see reason to sell the property. That’s a realistic fear,” says Mr Daniels.

The Catholic Church’s media representative failed to provide a comment by deadline.

Photo: Ali Blogg - St Vincent’s Presbytery - photo taken in 2005

Photo; Andrew Collis - Caption: Fire damage inside the presbytery