April 2016 Diocesan News Annette Scullion Music and choral director for Wellington’s Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Michael Fletcher, is taking a two-month sabbatical from July to September this year. He will visit UK and Paris to learn first-hand about their Cathedral choirs, repertoires and school music programmes. Michael will attend the international summer school […]
April 2016 Profile Mike Martin The Catholic Parish of Hastings recently honoured one of its best-loved identities on the occasion of his 100th birthday, with a morning tea after 10am Sunday Mass. Jim was born in Hastings, February 1916, the youngest of three siblings. His father died when Jim was only a year old. He […]
April 2016 ANZAC Day Reflections Many New Zealanders observe ANZAC Day on April 25, which commemorates the landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Gallipoli, Turkey, during World War I in 1915. This event remembers all New Zealanders who served their country in wars and conflicts. One hundred years on since […]
April 2016 Holy Reflections Fr James Lyons Mary Magdalen’s intention in approaching the tomb after the Sabbath was to grieve the loss of Jesus. The energy and commitment she’d given to the cause of Jesus’ mission had drained from her. She came to weep among the dead. She had no expectation of finding life. When Peter […]
Te Whetu o Te Moana, Star of the Sea Parish – Inaugural Mass Belinda Vavaso, parishioner It was a beautiful summer’s day with the cicadas noisy in the trees on Sunday 14 February 2016, as a large group of people gathered in the grounds of St Mary’s Catholic Church in Blenheim for the inaugural Mass […]
Nā Arama Pou. Greetings to you all. This year, we – the Church – are focusing on mercy and how we can lead merciful lives. Mercy is a broad term and a recurring theme in the Gospel readings this month and during this season of Lent. Through the readings, we come to know what mercy […]
March 2016 Reflection Fr Patrick Bridgman The Lenten season draws to a close; the reception of Ashes one Wednesday now seems long since, and our Lenten practices, which were a mix of going without and doing something positive for others have been of variable success. Palm Sunday dawns and we enter the week known as […]
March 2016 Education The Teachers’ Commissioning Mass for teachers and staff of Catholic Schools in the Lower North Island areas of the Wellington Archdiocese was celebrated at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart on 16 February 2016. Cardinal John Dew gave this homily. A reporter recently asked the question: ‘Why in your opinion, is humanity […]
March 2016 Reflection Cardinal John Dew I have recently been reading Pope Francis’ book, The Name of God is Mercy. Actually, it isn’t a book you read, it is more like a book you pray with, ponder on, meditate and reflect on the profound words of this amazing Pope we have been gifted with. I […]
March 2016 News Lesley Hooper, Director, Catholic Social Services, Wellington Over the last two months the team at Catholic Social Services has worked alongside the Anglican Diocese and Red Cross to prepare to welcome about 90 refugees – mainly from Syria – to their new homes in Wellington, Porirua and Lower Hutt. A call went […]