Petitioners seeking to stop the demolition of Collingwood's burnt St Joseph's church accused Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart of "disappearing out a side door" when he spotted them. One of the group, Helen Connors said the members of the group had filled the back two rows of a Mass at St Parick's Cathedral last month to present a petition on the fate of "St Joe's", The Age reported.
"He came down the aisle, saw us and did a U-turn, disappearing out a side door. It would be easier to meet the Pope than Archbishop Hart - they've never given us any explanation, never talked to us."
The 1861 church in Otter Street was gutted by fire in April 2007.
Last week the archdiocese of Melbourne applied to the Yarra Council to build a smaller chapel by the community hall and to use the church land for a playground for the Catholic school next door. The protesting parishioners want the church rebuilt.
"People don't want to see the remaining symbols in Collingwood disappear," said organiser Mary Fenelon.
"This was declared a missionary parish in the 1880s to serve the poor of Collingwood. There's still a lot of poor in Collingwood."
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