WelCom December 2021 Fr Neil Vaney sm Luke’s gospel presents a touching picture of Jesus’ birth, humble, hidden, surrounded, perhaps, by sheep and cattle. We can easily overlook what brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem – an imperial decree from the governing power, preoccupied with taxes and control. Matthew’s account goes further in highlighting the […]
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 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 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 Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard Many of us are now beginning to feel the creeping effects of this time of the new Delta Covid, its impact on our whānau, communities, friends and businesses. For us older ones we are reminded of the 1981 Spring Box tour where cracks and divisions landed in our homes. […]
WelCom November 2021 Joe Grayland Tedium, grief, and hope are the three words that sum up my experience of lockdown. Tedium is the tiredness that inhabits every day and every decision. We are living in the tedium of a car journey that won’t end where everyone, not just the children, is asking, ‘are we there […]