Bishop Denis Hart
P.O. Box 146
East Melbourne Vice 3002

Your Eminence,

As a way of introduction, let me explain my situation.

The Colla families, (there are many of them) live in and around the township of Meredith and Lethbridge. We are faithful Catholics that wouldn't think of missing Sunday Mass and go to weekday mass whenever it is available on weekdays. Our Catholic faith is deeply important to us and we are offended when people are irreverent in the house of God.

Our parish priest, Fr John Haines, has for a number of years ignored us, he refuses to speak to us and he refuses to answer our correspondence.

We have been called in front of the Parish council, and many accusations were made against us and yet we were not allowed to make a reply or given the opportunity for an explanation.

We were quite content to receive the daily humiliations that are heaped on us and to offer those in reparation for the offences committed in our own Church and around the world.

This latest offence though, is too much to bear.

Last week the pews in St Mary's church at Lethbridge were placed sideways, so that the people rather than face the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle, the people face each other. I was in NSW last week, but my family who went to church there last Friday was completely shocked. They as a group walked out of the church building and did not go to Holy Mass as a result on that day.

This morning we knelt on the floor facing the altar in the normal way, we did not make use of the pews. We knelt at the back of the Church and were not obtrusive in any way. At the start of Holy Mass father walked from the sacristy to the table, kissed it and then went to the entrance of the church where the Lectionary has been placed. He thereby blocked the entrance to the church, so that some latecomers could not enter.

After the introductory rites, father proceeded to tell us that if we did not behave as the rest of the community did, he would refuse us Holy Communion. Holy Mass now continued as normal. As we were not 100% sure of what he meant we came to Communion in the normal way. Father covered the Ciborium with his hand and gave us only a Blessing. Our response was to make the Spiritual Communion prayer in front of the priest and aloud. We then went back to our places without any fuss or irreverence. We made our thanksgiving in the normal way and went home.

Our plea is now with you.

1. What can we now do?

2. Why were we refused Holy Communion?

3. Why are we continually being ridiculed?

4. Is there something wrong with our actions?

5. Is not the focus of any Church the Blessed Sacrament reserved in the Tabernacle?

6. Is facing the Blessed Sacrament wrong?

Yours truly,