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 […]
WelCom November 2021 Michael Fitzsimons talks with Ireland’s first resident Ambassador about the strong ties which still bind Ireland and New Zealand. I am standing at the window with Irish Ambassador Peter Ryan on the 10th floor of a high-rise in the heart of Wellington. The Embassy of Ireland, Te Aka Aorere o Airangi, has […]
WelCom November 2021 Catholic and Lutheran churches in Aotearoa New Zealand have approved a statement recognising the unity of each other’s baptisms. The statement – Baptised Together in Christ – will be especially helpful for families wanting to baptise their child where one parent is Lutheran and the other Catholic. The baptism agreement is the […]
WelCom November 2021 “The poor will always be with us, yet that should not make us indifferent, but summon us instead to a mutual sharing of life.” – Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of the Poor 2021 Lisa Beech The Fifth World Day of the Poor will be observed on 14 November 2021. […]
WelCom November 2021 For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission Pope Francis has invited us all to embark on a journey together – to evaluate, discuss, think and dialogue so we can determine the direction forward for the Church. On Sunday, 17 October 2021, Cardinal John Dew celebrated the Opening Masses for the Synod, […]
WelCom November 2021 On 22 October 2021, the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced a plan ‘to help all New Zealanders stay safe’ from Covid-19 into the future. Similar to the current Alert Level system, a new framework will be introduced that will have three settings – green, orange and red. Under the new Covid-management system, […]