A CATHOLIC priest has used his sermon to rebuke his congregation after a Congolese refugee was driven out of his church by cruel racial snubs.

Devout Catholic Yves Nkoranyi missed his first service in two years after racial intolerance from members of his parish came to a head, making him feel no longer welcome.



Mr Nkoranyi, a special minister at Wodonga's Sacred Heart Catholic Church, said he was shocked when some parishioners changed aisles to avoid being served Holy Communion by him. He believed it was because he was black.

Listen to Yves and Father Crameri describe intolerance in their parish below



"I saw people start jumping from my line to another line, and the other line was very full," Mr Nkoranyi said. "There was a dozen people ... maybe they don't like to be served by me because of my colour."



The father of two said while he had suffered numerous racial taunts since he arrived in Australia in 2009, the church snubs had left him feeling ashamed and embarrassed for his family.



"I was feeling bad because it was in a church ... if it was outside I would understand (but) in a church we are supposed to be in union with each other."



Mr Nkoryani, who fled his war-torn homeland and spent a decade in a Kenyan refugee camp before coming to Australia, said he had told parish priest Father Dennis Crameri he would no longer serve at masses.



"I will go to church but I am trying to insist to stop anymore serving because I don't want to offend anyone. I want everyone to feel free to receive Eucharist in the church.



"There are people who don't feel free to be served by me ... so I will stop."



Mr Nkoryani said he was keen to stress there were also "good people" among the parishioners.



Father Crameri said Mr Nkoryani was a "deeply spiritual and gentle" man who the Congolese community had come to rely on for his community work.



"I was taken aback and surprised it would happen. I think it is a bit of human nature to fear the unknown ... things we don't understand," he said.



Father Crameri said his sermon last Sunday, which drew a round of applause from the congregation, was aimed at the wider community too.



"The church only reflects the community it lives in (and) if it's happening here you can bet your boots it will be part of the bigger community," he said.



deerys@heraldsun.com.au

Originally published as Refugee stung by Catholic parish poison