WelCom April 2019: E īnoi ana mātou mō ō tātou tuākana, tēina – E te Ariki, whakarongo mai ki a mātou In the wake of the shooting attacks at two Christchurch mosques on Friday 15 March 2019, in which 50 people lost their lives and 50 were injured, prayers, flowers, drawings, tributes and financial support have flowed […]
WelCom April 2019: Te Wā o te Reneti, te Aranga me te Aranga Ake ‘May our Lent this year be a journey … bringing the hope of Christ also to creation, so that it may be “set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Rom 8:21). Let […]
WelCom April 2019: From Bishop Charles 16 March 2019 Ngā mihi kia koutou The shocking events in Christchurch, with tragic and senseless loss of life, are impacting on us all. It’s tempting to think the killers were deranged, yet all was meticulously planned and calculated. Our reactions while varied probably carry a common element too. One […]
WelCom April 2019: Cardinal John Dew Archbishop of Wellington Much has been written and spoken over the last few weeks about the Vatican ‘Summit’ on sexual abuse, on ‘cover-ups’, on what must be done to protect children and vulnerable adults, and much has been written about the sentencing of Cardinal George Pell and Cardinal Philippe Barbarin […]
WelCom April 2019: In February this year Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad el-Tayeb met together in the United Arab Emirates for an international interfaith meeting. During the two-day visit Pope Francis and the Grand Imam Al-Hazar, signed a declaration on human fraternity in front of a global audience of religious leaders from […]
WelCom April 2019: Annette Scullion On Friday 15 March 2019, 1.5 million school students took to the streets in 123 countries in a protest about fear for their future, love for the planet, and anger at leaders’ failure to act on climate change. The school ‘strike’ for climate was launched by 15-year old Swedish student, Greta […]
WelCom April 2019: Mary Eastham On Sunday 17 March, two days after the horrific massacre at the mosques in Christchurch, nearly 400 people gathered at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Palmerston North to grieve, mourn and pray. Celebrants were from the Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, Baha’i, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities. Having leaders of the […]
WelCom April 2019: Joe Green is the Lay Pastoral Leader at Wellington South Catholic Parish. As a police inspector he managed arms control 1998–2013. He suggests an evidence-led approach, reflecting Dame Sian Elias’ comment, ‘legislation should be based on solid research, not pious hopes’. We know ‘it’s not us’ because our history tells us so. The […]
WelCom April 2019: Fr Brian Fennessy The first Anzac Day was observed in 1916, one year after the Landings at Gallipoli, during WWI. New Zealand society wanted to remember and honour her sons who had fought and died at Gallipoli. April 1916 was an interim period between the Evacuation from Gallipoli and the arrival of the […]
WelCom April 2019: On Friday 1 March, Bishop Charles Drennan, Bishop Peter Cullinane and staff from the Palmerston North Diocesan Office, made a visit for the first time to the mana whenua at Tānenui-ā-Rangi Marae, Maxwell’s Line, Palmerston North. Rangitāne are the iwi. Their hapū and whānau hold historical and current residency and traditional authority over […]