WelCom December 2021 Second Sunday of Advent – Gospel Luke 3: 1-6 1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene,2 during the high-priesthood […]
WelCom December 2021 Pope Francis published his Apostolic Letter, ‘Patris corde’ – ‘With a Father’s Heart’, on 8 December 2020, to commemorate the declaration of the 150th anniversary of St Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. Blessed Pope Pius IX, made this declaration on 8 December 1870, for St Joseph to become known and […]
WelCom November 2021 At the formal opening of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality on October 10, Pope Francis expressed his desire that it be an experience in which everyone in the Church participates rather than an ‘elitist’ exercise. The theme of the Synod is: ‘For a Synodal Church: communion, participation and mission.’ Pope Francis […]
WelCom November 2021 This article is an abridged version of a homily that Cardinal John gave at St Teresa’s Pro-Cathedral in Karori, Wellington, and at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Palmerston North, at the Opening Masses for the Global Synod on Synodality, on Sunday 17 October. Six years ago today, I was in Rome […]
WelCom November 2021 Catholic health professionals, chaplains and priests are being given guidelines and pastoral help to work with people who decide to die under the End of Life Choice Act, which takes effect on 7 November, 2021. Though the Church opposes the deliberate taking of human life, it cannot turn away those who choose […]
WelCom November 2021 A Pastoral Statement from the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference on The spiritual and pastoral care of persons contemplating assisted dying in Aotearoa New Zealand 1. aith sometimes leads us to places we might rather not be (cf. John 21:18; Pope Francis, Homily 14 April 2013, 2) Soon, in Aotearoa New Zealand, some […]
WelCom November 2021 Thige O’Leary sm Hayden Powick sm was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal John Dew at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Richmond, on Saturday 9 October. In attendance were Hayden’s parents Edward and Rachael Powick, his brothers and sisters, other relatives and friends, parish priest Fr Seph Pijfers and representatives from […]
WelCom November 2021 On 2 October, Alfred Tong, a seminarian at Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland, was ordained a transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of Wellington. Archbishop Paul Martin sm ordained Alfred along with Adam Kirkeby for the Hamilton Diocese, and Monty Bamford for the Christchurch Diocese. The Ordinations to the Holy Order of Deacons […]
WelCom November 2021 The Government has published a discussion document, 13 October, on Aotearoa-New Zealand’s first emissions reduction plan (ERP) and emissions budgets for 2022–2035: Te hau mārohi ki anamata Transitioning to a low-emissions and climate-resilient future (Discussion Document). All New Zealanders are being invited to have a say to shape the final emissions reduction […]
WelCom November 2021 After 10 years at the helm of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, Julianne Hickey is leaving her role as Director of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ agency for justice, peace and development. Since joining the agency in 2012, Mrs Hickey has led a team of some 20 people working on behalf of the […]