I want to be buried at this church

HAVING a special place I am connected to in a cultural, social and religious way is part of who I am. St Peter’s Church at Hamilton is that place for me. It is one of the oldest churches in Australia, and pre-dates the founding of Melbourne. It is where all generations of my family have celebrated their marriages, naming ceremonies and funerals.

My relatives, and relatives of the families that still live in the area, lie in the adjoining cemetery. Why do I have to pay a penalty — the loss of my church and access to the cemetery to visit my loved ones — to assist the Anglican Church pay compensation for the atrocities of its clergy? Don’t get me wrong. I applaud the Anglican Church on its redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse. The church committed these crimes over many decades. My family, my ancestors and I did not. We lose our local church and cemetery. The Anglican Church gets money. Some of the money goes to victims, but I understand the Anglican Church will make more money than the compensation required to use for other things I do not know about. This is wrong. Once St Peter’s is sold, my family and I will not have access to the holy place where over many years we have celebrated life’s milestones.

My wish to be buried in St Peter’s Cemetery possibly will be denied. I may not even be allowed to visit the graves of my grandparents (Gwendoline and Sydney Sonners). Even with The Burial and Cremation Act 2002 in place, there are no guarantees after 30 years that access and new burial sites will exist.