Author: wmc

Research into submissions on what has become known as the anti-beating or anti-child violence bill, passed last month, suggests that a significant proportion of society views children as not yet human beings.

The uniforms were immaculate, the nerves were raw and the tension palpable among the staff and parents. The 61st O’Shea Shield was in full swing. Students from the 17 colleges of the Palmerston North and Wellington dioceses gathered over the weekend of 5 and 6 May.

I left for the Spirit of Adventure on 28 February. Ten days, 40 people I had never met before, cramped living space and no showers until the last day – it was amazing. The Spirit experience was one I will never forget.

Members of religious orders living in the community draw little attention today but in the early 1970s this practice was a novelty and sometimes frowned on in the Church. A trailblazer in this practice, Jacq Dromgool, has spoken for the first time of her experiences as part of a group of four Sisters of the Sacred Heart who moved out of their convent in Island Bay to live in the old Newtown fire station.

Two new lay appointments have been made as the archdiocese continues to break new ground in its administration and pastoral care. A third lay pastoral leader and a senior chaplain have been appointed as well-qualified people move into formal leadership positions in the archdiocese.

A parent’s quest for something to amuse her four-year-old has led to a fellowship in Washington DC for a St Mary’s College student. Anne Kim has been selected to participate in the Kennedy Center/National Symphony Orchestra National Trustees’ Summer Music Institute next month (July). Anne was also recently awarded a prize for the best Shakespearean comedy actress at the Sheilah Winn Festival for her portrayal of the character of Portia in The Merchant of Venice.