Bohemia Village Voice

St Peter’s Road Resident writes (Sep 2009)

Dear Sir, ‘Judge not, lest ye be judged . . . ‘ I have known Father Alex as a priest and a friend for twenty years; he baptized my children and was responsible for my confirmation. He is a true Man of God whose calling was not merely to a profession, but also a way of life.  If there were a conflict between the laws of the land and the Law of God, he would not waver in following what he believed to be the right course of action.  He would always help disadvantaged people within our community and worked tirelessly towards relieving suffering wherever he encountered it.  Unimaginable suffering is a constant fact of life to people who were born in less fortunate areas of our world, and as a Christian, Father Alex would have wanted to relieve such misery, and would never have acted for personal gain or glory.  It is highly likely that he acted in all innocence, not thinking he was contravening any laws.  If that is the case, and it seems the likeliest scenario, the most he can be accused of is naivety, believing other people to be as honest as himself. He will be missed by his parishioners as an inspiring human being and an example to us all of living Christianity, and that is how most of us will remember him.  It has been a privilege to know him.

St. Peter’s Road Resident

Paul Rummery writes (Sep 2009)

Dear Sir, my contact with Father Alex has primarily been through the yearly book sale but over the years we have had quite a few chats about many subjects.  His caring nature and ready intelligence mean that I count him as a friend.  I was hit hard by the news of his arrest and especially by the media scavenging that followed. Scandalmongering is a despicable occupation and the so-called journalists who clamber over each other to print their second guesses and lies should be ashamed of themselves (fat chance I know). I fully empathise with him over the position he finds himself in. I can only imagine what it’s like to have both acquaintances and strangers condemning you; to have your life paraded in the newspapers with hardly concealed glee; to have your past career/life trampled over without a thought or care about the damage this creates. I have no facts about what he is accused of and do not feel any urge to conjecture. Father Alex needs all the friends he can get and I would like to say that he can count on me as one – whatever the result of the courts.

Paul Rummery, St Peter’s Book Fayre.