Pope Francis, the bishop of Rome and the leader of the Catholic Church (2013–present) is the first pope from the Western Hemisphere, the first from South America, and the first from the Jesuit order. He was elected Supreme Pontiff on 13 March 2013. The 10th anniversary of his pontificate will be celebrated on 13 March 2023.
The Australian Catholic University has awarded Br Peter Bray fsc an honorary doctorate for his commitment and inspirational work with students at Bethlehem University. Br Peter, from Waitara in Taranaki, recently undertook a speaking tour of Aotearoa New Zealand’s six Catholic dioceses.
Social pressures in New Zealand are rising, according to the Salvation Army’s sixteenth annual ‘State of the Nation 2023’ report.
These pressures are hitting people from several directions.
In last month’s WelCom, this photo from the story about the whānau coming together in Wairoa for the unveiling of Richard Tiki Te Aroha Puanaki’s headstone, was inadvertently replaced with a duplicate of another photograph from the same article. Here is the correct photo and caption. We wish all the whānau in Wairoa and beyond […]
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand appointed Nina Tu’i late last year as its new head of programmes to lead international development and humanitarian work. Announcing the appointment Caritas Chief Executive Mena Antonio said, ‘Nina brings 15 years’ of experience leading international development projects in the Pacific and developing relationships with diverse stakeholders to achieve joint objectives. […]
Rebecca Taylor-Hunt has been appointed to the new position of Director of the Catholic Enquiry Centre. CEC is the agency for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference dedicated to evangelising in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Last month’s WelCom featured an article by David McLoughlin, entitled ‘Bethlehem University: an oasis of peace’, about Br Peter Bray’s recent national tour of New Zealand on behalf of the Catholic bishops. Brother Peter was speaking about issues in Palestine today. David Zwartz ONZM, a member of the New Zealand Jewish Council and a founding member of the Wellington Interfaith Council, has written the following response.
Southern Star Abbey or Kopua is a Cistercian monastery tucked away in the rolling hills of Tararua in Central Hawkes Bay. Seclusion is part of the monastery’s nature and purpose.
Recently our community celebrated the ‘change of stability’ to Kopua Monastery of three brothers.
More than 120 people attended the annual Waitangi Day Mass at St Mary of the Angels Church, Wellington, on 6 February. In his homily, Cardinal John Dew said the Mass was ‘to pray for this land and all who dwell here under the guardianship of the Treaty’.
‘What is the relationship between ecology and evangelisation?’ Pope Francis asks in The Letter – a message for our Earth, a recently released film about climate action leaders who journey to Rome to meet the Pope to discuss with him his encyclical letter Laudato si’.