In December, the Archbishop of Perth, Timothy Costelloe, removed the meritorious Rev. Michael Rowe from his long-standing role as rector of the Roman Rite Church of St Anne in Belmont/Perth, Australia.
Under Fr Rowe, St Anne's has grown from 30 parishioners in 1996 to 850 today.
In the wake of Traditionis Custodes, Costelloe wanted Reverend Rowe to sign a statement on the liturgy that contained factual errors in order to be allowed to continue at St Anne. Father Rowe was honest enough not to do this and Costelloe punished him for his honesty.
But this was not the end of the story.
On the morning of Tuesday 2 January 2024, Rowe went to St Anne's to collect the last of his personal belongings and liturgical items.
At the church door he met one of his former parishioners who had switched sides, a very furious lady who was escorting Daniel Lynch (Executive Director of the Archbishop's Office), a locksmith and two other maintenance staff from the Archdiocese to the church to change the locks. …More