Suspected Arson Attack at Third Melbourne Catholic Church with Links to Paedophile Priests
By Emma Younger
Another Melbourne Catholic church historically linked to a paedophile priest has been targeted in a suspected arson attack overnight. Fire crews were called to St Mary's Catholic Church in Dandenong at 2:30am (AEDT) by the parish's priest, Father Declan O'Brien, who lives in a detached building. Fr O'Brien said he was woken by the sound of smoke alarms. "I came out of my back gate and at the windows there I could see something reminiscent of the Towering Inferno," he said. The Country Fire Authority's Paul Carrigg said it was clear to firefighters that someone had broken in and set several areas of the building alight. "When they arrived they found a number of areas of the church on fire, extensive smoke damage in some areas," he said. "They found a fire in a storeroom area which burnt through the floor and another fire towards the altar. "It was evident to them that there was entry made near the front door." It took 40 firefighters an hour to bring the blaze under control. Fr O'Brien said he found it sickening. I can understand people being angry, I just don't get why even if they're angry it's justifiable that you'd attack a church. Fr Declan O'Brien, St Mary's Church "I'm trying my best to hold onto the Christian principle of forgiveness and at the moment as a human being it's very hard to do that," he said. "I can't understand the motivation of wanting to burn a place of worship." The church was one of eight linked to paedophile priest Kevin O'Donnell, who sexually abused children throughout his 50-year career in Melbourne parishes. Fr O'Brien said he did not know if the suspected arson attack was linked. "I can understand people being angry, I just don't get why even if they're angry it's justifiable that you'd attack a church building," he said. "I just can't comprehend that right now, I really, really can't." Some of the church's estimated 3,000 parishioners said they were devastated and angered by the suspected arson attack. Sharon Fonceca, who has worshipped at the church for more than 20 years, said it was the worst possible time for a fire, just days before Easter. "Terrible because they are attacking our priests - what for when some of them haven't done anything?" she said. "You find them [paedophiles] all over, they're not only the priests. "Why should they take it out on all the priests, it's not right ... some of them haven't done anything."
Police investigating links to other church blazes Police are investigating if the suspicious fire is linked to two others in Melbourne's east earlier this week. A blaze almost destroyed the heritage-listed St James Church in Brighton on Monday morning, where paedophile priest Ronald Dennis Pickering worked from 1978–1993. Another church where Pickering served, St Mary's in St Kilda East, was also set alight on the same night but the fire appeared to have extinguished itself with only the door damaged. But Detective Senior Constable Nic Hayes said the fires were being investigated separately and potential links between the three were not the focus. "They are just churches, there's nothing else to suggest they are linked," he said. "It's being treated as a one-off fire and this is the investigation that I'm conducting." Constable Hayes said he could not comment on the whether police were investigating if the fires were linked to the historical sexual abuse committed by paedophilia priests at each of the churches. But he said the Catholic Church's plan to increase security seemed appropriate. "In light of the fact that there have been three churches burnt that does seem like an appropriate course of action, but I cannot comment on that," he said. Any witnesses have been urged to contact Crime Stoppers. Regional Bishop for the South, Peter Elliot, has told Fairfax Radio he did not believe the fires were linked to anger over paedophilia, but were instead the work of a "very disturbed person".
"We've had phases of attacks on churches," he said. "If you go back about 15 years ago there was a spate of them in the Malvern, Camberwell area and then we had the case of the beautiful church at Chelsea nine years ago. "So I would suggest it rests in a very disturbed mind of some arsonist who likes burning churches." Bishop Elliot said he had received indications security would be stepped up at all churches across Melbourne. Hollywood actress and former St James' parishioner, Rachel Griffiths, said that church's destruction would be a relief to many because of its history of sexual abuse. "I was quite elated, like many of my generation, when I heard the news," she said. "It's always been a difficult building for us to drive past because there's been so much tragedy and complicated feelings, I guess. "We've all attended many funerals of boys that we now know were abused by [Father Ronald] Pickering ... and other perpetrators in the parish – at the actual church that it occurred in."
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