February 2015 Reflection Sr Margaret Anne Mills Pope Francis proclaimed 2015 as a year dedicated to the promotion of consecrated life. He has asked the church’s religious sisters, brothers and priests to ‘wake up the world’ with their testimony of faith, holiness and hope. He also asked the laity, who share with religious the same […]
February 2015 News Trish Bullard Winifred Scahill, parishioner with Ss Peter and Paul Church Lower Hutt and the Archdiocese of Wellington for 66 years, turned 100 on 19 December 2014. Surrounded by children Peter, Michael, Tony, Trish and Anna along with 35 other family members and friends, Win celebrated with a high tea at Nelson’s […]
February 2015 Education Over 30 adult students of The Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand ‒Te Pūtahi Katorika ki Aotearoa (TCI) received study awards at a colourful end-of year graduation ceremony on 27 November last year. Held at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Wellington the evening ceremony was filled with supporting families, friends […]
December 2014 Feature Tereska Lepionka-Carroll This year marks the 70th anniversary of the arrival and settlement of New Zealand’s first invited refugees to our country. On 1 November 1944, 733 mostly orphaned Polish children from World War II conflicts arrived with 102 adult guardians at the port of Wellington on the USS World War II […]
December 2014 Feature Annette Scullion A United Nations report released in October says New Zealand’s child poverty and inequality rates are ‘stagnating’. Prior to the 2014 general election, the appalling rates and effects of child poverty were of deep concern to New Zealanders and remain so. The Government now in its third term has undertaken […]
December 2014 Insight Archbishop John Dew On Christmas Day this year we celebrate 200 years of the preaching of the Christian message in New Zealand. On that day in 1814, at Oihi Beach in the Bay of Islands, Reverend Samuel Marsden chose this biblical text for his sermon: ‘Listen, I bring you news of great […]
December 2014 Feature Family and community The Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops convened by Pope Francis on marriage and family during October begins a year of deep reflection for the Church. This reflection will continue in the lead-up to part two of the Assembly in October 2015. Advent and the Christmas celebration […]
December 2014 Feature Fr James Lyons In a circle of love a heart that was never supposed to beat pumped blood and a life that was never meant to be took hold and lived. As dawn announced a new day on 26 October, an infant cry announced a new birth, giving Emma and Roy their […]
December 2014 Feature Wel-Com recently interviewed Bishop Charles Drennan on his reactions to the Synod. What follows is a summary of his response Yes, I’ve read the comments attributing to the synod seismic shifts in thinking. Having been in both the Christchurch earthquakes I’m a little wary of the comparison but a stirring of viewpoints […]
December 2014 Feature Lt General Tim Keating, MNZM Following Wel-Com’s feature on leadership last month and a focus on family in this issue, we have invited prominent New Zealand leader, and Catholic, Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Tim Keating MNZM to contribute his thoughts on these two themes. In my view, you never stop learning […]