His removal drew much media attention and the majority of his 700 parishioners left with him to form an independent congregation known as "St Mary's Community in Exile".
[citation needed] Since the removal of his faculties, Kennedy and his community have operated out of the Trade and Labour Council Building in South Brisbane.
[5] Aboriginal activist Sam Watson was among those parishioners who expressed wholehearted support for Kennedy during the St Mary's controversy.
"[citation needed] In 2011, a feature documentary was made about Kennedy and the exiled community and their conflict with the Catholic Church, entitled The Trouble with St Mary's.
[9][10] In 2016, a play, St Mary's in Exile, was written by David Burton about the events that led to the removal of Kennedy as parish priest.