My response to a Catholic school asking me donate to their fete.

Dear Nicola,

Thank-you for your email asking me to donate a ‘voucher, product or service’ to the Holy Virgin Mary Primary School fete.

Unfortunately I am unable to help as, unlike you, I do not support wealthy powerful international child sex rings. Supporting a corrupt organisation that promotes misogyny, homophobia, racism, violence, discrimination, sex negativity, body shaming and hypocrisy is also something I find morally repugnant. But each to their own.

It’s curious you did not mention the words ‘Catholic’ ‘Christian’ or ‘religious’ in your email asking for donations. One would assume these core tenants of your school’s values would be proudly promoted, not excluded, in order to attract donations from businesses that align with abusing children, shaming victims, protecting child rapists and other ‘traditional Catholic values’.

Supporting an organisation that has systematically and unapologetically sexually, physically, emotionally and financially abused children and adults for thousands of years, and continues to, would damage my reputation and impact negatively on my business. Unlike the Catholic Church, I pay tax, rates etc and have not lied to the poor, manipulated the ignorant, stolen from the the powerless, and sucked up to the powerful in order to accumulate immense wealth.

May I suggest if you a running low on funds you approach the Melbourne diocese for cash. Despite grossly and intentionally undervaluing its property portfolio (under oath) to the
Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, the Catholic Church is valued at over $9 billion in Victoria, over $30 billion in Australia and more than $200 billion worldwide.

These figures are not surprising considering the average pay out to the handful of brave child sex abuse victims who have had the courage to speak out is only $45,800. As you know this pathetic and pitiful amount is due to skilled, expensive and determined lawyers (funded largely by people who pay Catholic school fees) and a victim blaming culture that has indoctrinated followers with culture of fear, shame and secrecy, which you enable and are asking me to support. I’m afraid it’s a no from me.

As a feminist I most definitely could not in good conscience donate anything to a school that bases it’s values around a book that considers women only virgins, whores, martyrs, slaves and incubators and instructs them clearly “Wives, submit to you husbands as to the Lord” Ephesians 5:22.

I won’t keep you because I’m sure you are busy tending for your dozen or so children as a consequence of not using contraception or fertility control keeping in line with the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Although it’s likely you have slaves to help you run your household considering not only does the the Bible approve of owning people but clearly instructs how slaves should behave, “Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel” – Peter 2:18.

I assume you don’t work either as I can’t imagine it would be easy to find paid employment when the Bible says “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, she must be silent – Timothy 2:12. But perhaps you work as a presenter on Channel Nine.

Your offer to promote “kind contributions through our Facebook pages, our newsletters (school and parish) and our sponsors’ honour board where business flyers and promotional material can be displayed” would bankrupt me over night.

As for your assertion that donating to your fete “is a great way to get your business’ name out there further in the local community! ” having my support would look great for you but would lead to a total collapse of my business and self worth. I rely on my values and reputation to run my business and sleep peacefully at night.

May I share with you one of my favourite psalms that I am sure, as someone who has read the Bible, you’ll be familiar with,

“Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks” – Psalm 137:9

Peace be with you.

Yours in the fellowship of Satan Prince Of Darkness,

Catherine Deveny