Screenshot from The Border Mail
CATH NEWS REPORT: A priest in Wodonga, Victoria, has defended a Congolese refugee who felt snubbed by fellow parishioners, and was almost reduced to tears while speaking about the importance of acceptance at a weekend Mass, reports the Border Mail.
Mr Nkoranyi told Father Crameri of his hurt at instances of people changing aisles to avoid being served communion by him at services at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.Father Dennis Crameri said there was no place for racism after relaying the story to stunned church-goers on Sunday about how Yves Nkoranyi felt parishioners were bypassing him for communion, in his role as a special minister, because of the colour of his skin.
The family has also been abused in a supermarket car park since moving to Wodonga nearly three years ago, but he was more upset by the treatment of some fellow churchgoers.
"I was seeing people jumping from my line and jumping onto other lines," he said yesterday. "For that to happen in the church was really bad. Maybe they don't like to be served by my black hand."
Father Crameri said he rejected Mr Nkoranyi's offer to stop serving communion if it was making it people uncomfortable. The priest spoke at the weekend services about the importance of acceptance, the report said.
"It may be human nature to fear what we don't know or to fear being challenged by difference," Father Crameri said.
"But as a Christian community we have to be above human nature, we are kingdom people and it should never be levelled at a Christian community that they were in any way selective or non-accepting of difference.
A Sacred Heart parishioner at the 10.30am mass on Sunday said: "The fact there was a spontaneous round of applause at the end of his sermon suggested that the congregation was in support.
"It's not something you see every day, but it obviously struck a chord with people."
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