Peter McCabe
Bishop John Harrower, born after the Second World War in Victoria , was indeed fortunate in that he did not live through that conflict but apparently does not comprehend the loss and anguish hundreds of Tasmanian families suffered in both World Wars. Though he says ‘the Church is all about people’ when 6,500 people asked him to postpone Closure and Deconsecration until at least the Hobart City Council’s Conservation Management Plan gave an accurate costing for stonework repairs, he ignored their petitions!
AS A Tasmanian living in exile on the Mainland I feel anguish for the situation at Holy Trinity.
All Australians and particularly the relatives of the 101 servicemen diggers from Holy Trinity Parish who died in WW1 should feel saddened by Dean Stoddart’s ‘Deconsecration (at the direction of absent Anglican Bishop John Harrower) of the Dechaineux War Memorial Window and Holy Trinity Church.
On Remembrance Day 11 November 2007, Holy Trinity Church will not even be open for a Remembrance Day Service for 101 of her gallant Sons, as the Returned and Services League would prefer for a War Memorial. In contrast in Villers-Brettoneux, and in many towns in France and in Belgium many will revere the memory of Australians who died and lie buried in French and Belgian soil, many with no known graves, There will be religious and Civic services for Australian War Dead led by Clergy and laity in buildings of historical beauty like Amiens Cathedral where there are Australian and Allied Memorials and in humbler village churches.
Bishop John Harrower, born after the Second World War in Victoria , was indeed fortunate in that he did not live through that conflict but apparently does not comprehend the loss and anguish hundreds of Tasmanian families suffered in both World Wars. Though he says ‘the Church is all about people’ when 6,500 people asked him to postpone Closure and Deconsecration until at least the Hobart City Council’s Conservation Management Plan gave an accurate costing for stonework repairs, he ignored their petitions!
This year there will be a silent, empty locked building whose Sacred aspect he has ‘DECONSECRATED’ if that were indeed possible (at least) in the Community’s estimation. The Bellringers can ring no muffled peal on Australia’s oldest purpose-built bells. The WW1 Honour Roll says of the 101 Diggers: Their Names are written in the Book of Life and are recorded here.
Australians (especially Tasmanians) what do the often repeated words ‘Lest We Forget’ mean to each one of us when the current Church Hierarchy by its Chief Pastors have closed down the ‘Sheepfold’ and forbidden the Parishioners and the general public to enter,worship. and pay tribute to our War Dead?
