May 2014 Feature Cecily McNeill A major factor among many in family violence is a lack of nurturing in childhood leading in turn to neglect of children compounded by poverty and lack of access to education and nourishment. American child abuse prevention experts Randell and Sandra Alexander toured New Zealand in February talking to business […]
May 2014 Feature Fr James Lyons Why young people are emerging from Catholic schools without a committed relationship with Jesus Christ is ‘the highest priority issue for all involved in Catholic education.’ This concern is made clear in a message from New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops to all delivering ‘Catholic education in Aotearoa New Zealand’ – […]
May 2014 Opinion Fr James Lyons On 27 April, in the brightness of Easter joy and before one of the largest crowds to gather in St Peter’s Square, two new saints were added to the universal Catholic calendar, both former Bishops of Rome. One was pope for less than five years, the other 27 years […]
May 2014 Reflection Veronica Lawson RSM Luke 24:13-35 Extraordinary things can happen if we open ourselves to the presence of a stranger or ‘foreigner’ on the road of life. That seems to be a key element in today’s gospel passage from the well-known and well-loved Emmaus story. Imagine two dejected disciples (Cleopas and possibly his […]
May 2014 Scripture Kieran Fenn fms Pope Francis ends his 2013 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, with a prayer to Mary as mother of evangelisation. In her presence with the disciples in the upper room (Acts 1:14), praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit, the pope sees the beginning of the great mission to bring […]
May 2014 Schools Ioana Manuele On Friday 20 March, a special assembly was held at St Claudine Thévenet school, Wainuiomata. Everyone had been told that the principal Ms Sue Jury had made a decision to shave her head for ‘Shave for a Cure’ to show her support for two members of our school community who […]
May 2014 News St Patrick’s Day on 17 March was an occasion for celebration for the Caring Companions of St Peter Chanel parish Hastings. The companions hold a social afternoon on the second Thursday of the month for anyone who feels that they would like a bit of company. In March the group celebrated St […]
May 2014 News Tricia Kane Finding God in everyday life as developed in the exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola was brought to the New Zealand context in March when representatives of Christian Life Community groups in Wellington and the Manawatu met at the Home of Compassion in Wellington. A recent CLC gathering in Australia […]
May 2014 Feature Bridget Taumoepeau On the commuter train from Waikanae to Wellington recently a dear little boy caught my eye and reminded me of Pope Francis in his exchanges with children. This two-year-old was with his mother and grandfather and whooping with delight at the excitement of tunnels and railway stations and opening and […]
May 2014 Feature Cecily McNeill Acceptance is assured for the controversial Liberation Theology born from reflection on the gospel in light of the poverty and oppression of many communities in Latin America in the 1960s after one of its key architects spoke in the Vatican in February. Pope Francis received Gustavo Gutierrez last September but […]