Tension over new priest

SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2019 themercury.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS 1300 696 397 A RETIRED Melbourne bishop will conduct an investigation into the Meander Valley Catholic parish in the state’s North where tensions have arisen since a new priest took over last month.

Bishop Peter Elliott yesterday said he would conduct the investigation into the parish and could not comment further, other than to say he would be in Tasmania for one week and it would be “a process of listening”.

Fr Nicholas Rynne was appointed Meander Valley parish administrator early last month.

The Hobart Archdiocese said it was “aware of tension within the parish following the appointment of a new priest”.

“Archbishop [Julian] Porteous has asked retired Bishop Peter Elliott to conduct a visitation to the Meander Valley to clarify the situation,” an archdiocese spokesman said.

“Bishop Elliott will spend five days inquiring among the community; listening to parishioners and to all parties concerned.”

Bishop Elliott is expected to arrive in Deloraine on Monday.

“Bishop Elliott will provide an assessment of the situation and make recommendations to Archbishop Porteous based upon his inquiry.

“His Grace’s primary responsibility in this situation is to ensure the pastoral care of all concerned in the Meander Valley parish.

The Mercury understands all of the allocated interview times with Bishop Elliott have been booked and some parishioners who missed out have been asked to join with a parishioner who already has an appointment.

Fr Rynne has introduced a Latin mass to the Westbury church in addition to the standard mass celebrated at Westbury and Deloraine.

There is a Facebook page — Holy Wounds Latin Mass Guild — that promotes the Westbury Latin mass.

A letter from Archbishop Porteous to parishioners has been published on that page.

“While I have received many letters of complaint, I have also received letters expressing appreciation for the ministry of Fr Nicholas,” Archbishop Porteous wrote.

Fr Rynne left the Sydney archdiocese at the end of last year.

“Fr Rynne is a relatively young priest who expressed a desire to move to Tasmania for experience in another diocese,” a Sydney archdiocese spokeswoman said.

“Hobart, being a small diocese, which at times has been short on priests, was only too pleased to take him. The secondment is for 12 months.”

The Hobart archdiocese spokesman said Fr Rynne did not wish to comment.