Margaret Harrod and her twin brother were inseparable as children and together they took vows and gave their lives to the Catholic Church. Then Margaret discovered her brother’s terrible secret, and her honesty and courage helped put him behind bars. Sue Smethurst reports.
There’s a special bond twins share, an unspoken connection, an intuition that can’t be easily put into words, a togetherness even when apart. Margaret Harrod shared that bond with her twin brother, Michael Aulsebrook. As toddlers they were inseparable, “joined at the hip” their mother would say. At primary school they sat side by side, as teenagers they shared the same friends and at 22, they gave their lives to the Catholic Church. Margaret became a nun and Michael a priest, bonded to God and one another for life.
Margaret cherishes those carefree memories because today her brother is in jail. Father Michael Aulsebrook is a convicted paedophile and the unlikely whistleblower was his courageous twin sister, who has spent the last decade fighting the Church and her family to bring her brother and other paedophile priests to justice.
The former nun has paid a heavy price, losing her faith, a brother she adored and her family who can’t accept their loved one’s crimes, but her only regret is that she didn’t find her voice sooner.
“Speaking up was the right thing to do – it was the only thing to do,” says Margaret, who is sharing the extraordinary story in her memoir, Blood on the Rosary. “It haunts me that if I’d spoken up when I first suspected something was going on, maybe I could’ve spared others abuse. I’ll live with that for the rest of my life, but at least I know he can no longer hurt anyone else.”
In March 1987, at age 31, Michael Aulsebrook was ordained in a lavish ceremony at a local church in Engadine, Sydney. Guests came from all over Australia to witness the weekend-long celebrations of dinners, special mass services and ceremonies. No expense was spared for the occasion and Michael was the pride and joy of his family.
This story is from the February 2019 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2019 edition of The Australian Women's Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Hitting a nerve
Regulating the vagus nerve with its links to depression, anxiety, arthritis and diabetes - could aid physical and mental wellbeing.
Take me to the river
With a slew of new schedules and excursions to explore, the latest river cruises promise to give you experiences and sights you won’t see on the ocean.
The last act
When family patriarch Tom Edwards passes away, his children must come together to build his coffin in four days, otherwise they will lose their inheritance. Can they put their sibling rivalry aside?
MEET RUSSIA'S BRAVEST WOMEN
When Alexei Navalny died in a brutal Arctic prison, Vladimir Putin thought he had triumphed over his most formidable opponent. Until three courageous women - Alexei's mother, wife and daughter - took up his fight for freedom.
The wines and lines mums
Once only associated with glamorous A-listers, cocaine is now prevalent with the soccer-mum set - as likely to be imbibed at a school fundraiser as a nightclub. The Weekly looks inside this illegal, addictive, rising trend.
Jenny Liddle-Bob.Lucy McDonald.Sasha Green - Why don't you know their names?
Indigenous women are being murdered at frightening rates, their deaths often left uninvestigated and widely unreported. Here The Weekly meets families who are battling grief and desperate for solutions.
Growing happiness
Through drought flood and heartbreak, Jenny Jennr's sunflowers bloom with hope, sunshine and joy
"Thank God we make each other laugh"
A shared sense of humour has seen Aussie comedy couple Harriet Dyer and Patrick Brammall conquer the world. But what does life look like when the cameras go down:
Winter baking with apples and pears
Celebrate the season of Australian apples and pears with these sweet bakes that will keep the midwinter blues away.
Budget dinner winners
Looking for some thrifty inspiration for weeknight dinners? Try our tasty line-up of low-cost recipes that are bound to please everyone at the table.
