HAVING been denounced by the Catholic hierarchy, the man
known in Elaine as the "bare-bottomed bishop" is believed to be plotting
some unlikely revenge.The sale last month of the historic Elaine Catholic Church was expected to be the end of an 150-year era of Catholic services in the small Midland Highway town.
But locals understand the divisive Bishop Rodrick Gow - who has made waves in the church and courtrooms - has an interest in the property and wants to reopen it as his own place of worship.
When contacted at his home, known as St Mary's House of Prayer, Bishop Gow was coy about the proposal, which would be a slap in the face to the Catholic Church that publicly denounced him.
"That's for me to decide if I'm involved ... I suspect you will have to wait, won't you, to find out. There is a lot of mischief in this town," he said.
"I have nothing to say to the Geelong Advertiser."
The Elaine resident has written to Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart to warn him of the plan.
"I can't believe they were so against him ... and now they have sold it to the guy they were dead against," Mr Dunne said.
"It doesn't make any sense.
"They have sold their soul for cash."
Bishop Gow was thrust into the headlines when then-Bishop of Ballarat, Peter Connors, had a letter to the editor published in the December 2009 edition of the Meredith and District News.
Bishop Connors denounced Bishop Gow and said he was not in communion with either the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne nor the Diocese of Ballarat.
"Catholics should not approach Bishop Gow for the administration of the sacraments, nor should they attend the eucharist celebrated by Bishop Gow," he wrote.
After being ordained as a Catholic priest and practicising in Washington, US, Bishop Gow returned to Australia and co-founded the Australian Catholic Church in the early '90s.
He describes the church as an off-shoot of the Brazilian Catholic Apostolic Church, which has been contentious in South America for its similarity to the Catholic Church.
Bishop Connors's intervention sparked a small-town holy war, with several residents starting proceedings for intervention orders.
The matter was settled in court with mutual undertakings to stay away from each other, but not before it was revealed the bishop gained his nickname by baring his backside on his veranda when applying talcum.
"I go to the back veranda with a shirt on and powder my backside after a shower so it doesn't get on the floor inside," he said at the time.
Outside the court, a resident said Elaine was not big enough for both parties.
"I'll give a year's supply of (talcum) powder to any town that takes him," he said. "I'll pay for it myself."
The Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne was contacted for comment yesterday but did not respond before deadline.