Christmas boycott at St Mary’s Cathedral in Perth after dismissal or musical director

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Church leaders say Western Australia’s largest Christmas mass will go ahead as planned despite a growing boycott by choristers and musicians at Perth’s St Mary’s Cathedral. The walk out was sparked by the recent departure of the Cathedral’s long standing musical director, with many parishioners expressing their concerns over her removal.

Transcript

00:00For 23 years, parishioners at Perth's St Mary's Cathedral have marked Christmas Mass to the

00:12sound of Jacinta Jakovsevic's masterful touch of the church organ, but there'll be a new

00:18set of hands on the keys this year, following the shock departure of the highly renowned

00:23musical director.

00:25Has there been a genuine, really a genuine redundancy?

00:29The question, that's the question for me.

00:32Ms. Jakovsevic was dismissed in late October after a review of the Cathedral's music program

00:37recommended she be made redundant, but choristers and parishioners have questioned the nature

00:42of that review.

00:44Bena Masbate, among those who feel the Cathedral's dean, Father Sean Fernandez, hasn't adequately

00:49explained the decision.

00:51Who are the experts that you've consulted with?

00:55Who did you reach out to?

00:56In protest, she's walked away from her roles in the parish, while her children are among

01:00at least 13 members of the choir to boycott the Cathedral.

01:04Frustrated choristers have taken to the internet to voice their displeasure after their efforts

01:09to speak to the dean were rebuffed.

01:11It does make me personally feel very dejected and not really important in the situation.

01:20They say the decision to boycott St Mary's is a moral necessity and one that comes at

01:25a financial cost.

01:27It's been relatively severe, particularly at this period where there would be a lot

01:31of masses, a lot of services coming in to be paid.

01:37Parents of young choristers have also withdrawn their children.

01:40You know, without Jacinta being there, it's been very hard to even think of the future

01:44of our family, continuing as parishioners there.

01:48Ms. Jakovsevic declined to speak to the ABC and is understood to be considering legal

01:53action.

01:54In a statement, St Mary's said it would not comment on the circumstances of individual

01:57employees and it's assured parishioners its Christmas masses will go ahead as planned,

02:02with music featuring both long-standing and more recent choristers and musicians.

02:08But for the growing number of exiled parishioners, their faith in the purpose of the church has

02:12been shaken.

02:13To protect the least of your brethren, what happens to faith, hope, charity, love, if

02:19we were not to stand up for that?

02:22It happens to justice.

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