By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
Detectives say there is no connection between paedophile priest church fires…
POLICE have played down links between convicted paedophile priest Kevin O’Donnell and a suspicious blaze that damaged one of Dandenong’s biggest churches last Wednesday.
The St Mary’s Catholic Church, erected in 1959, was damaged by two fires – one at the altar and one in the sacristy – about 2.30am.
Father Declan O’Brien said the blaze left him feeling “sick“.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Fr O’Brien said as he surveyed the damage with a group of stunned parishoners on Wednesday morning.
He said he felt he and the church were an “innocent victim” of the suspected arson attack.
“We’re not sure of the motivation of the person or persons behind this.”
The sacristy – an out-building storage area for vestments and silverware as well as a workshop and kitchen – was extensively damaged with flames burning through the floor.
Its roof was torn open by fire fighters in a bid to save the double-brick structure.
The fires closely followed suspicious blazes at two Catholic churches in Brighton and St Kilda East in recent days.
Accused paedophile priest Ronald Dennis Pickering had been a priest at both churches.
Last weekend’s Easter services, which normally attract several thousand worshipers, were moved to the nearby St Mary’s Primary School hall.
Greater Dandenong councillor John Kelly, one of St Mary’s 3000 parishioners and former altar-boy, said any vendetta theories were speculation.
“It’s bloody disappointing if it’s someone who physically lit it – it’s a low act.
“It will come back – the (structural) body of the church is saved and we have a fantastic priest and he’ll get it rocking and rolling again.”
Det Sen Const Nicholas Hayes, of Greater Dandenong CIU, said police had no evidence linking the “suspicious” St Mary’s fire to the two other church blazes.
“It’s going to be investigated to its fullest. There’s nothing to suggest the three are related at this stage.”
Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne spokesman Shane Healy – who confirmed an upgrade of security around its churches – said: “We’re not going to speculate on whether it’s a random arsonist or not.”
The late Father O’Donnell – who was the Dandenong parish priest between 1956 and 1969 – was convicted of indecent assault against 12 children in 1995.
Victims, boys and girls as young as eight, spanned his 50-year career.
One included a 15-year-old altar boy he molested in the Dandenong parish’s presbytery on the day its 24-metre white cross was installed in 1958.
Chris McIsaac, president of Broken Rites – a group that advocates for victims of church-related sexual assault – said it was a “great tragedy” if “iconic churches” were being deliberately burnt.
“You can’t deny people the right to seek justice but there are better ways to do that than burning iconic churches.
“There is anger that places of this nature are tainted with such sordid crimes.”
She said there was “deep” frustration at the Catholic Church’s ‘cover-up’ of its paedophile priests and its treatment of their victims.
Anyone with information about the fires is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
