Category: Uncategorized

The Pope’s Astronomer and Observatory Director to visit New Zealand

WelCom March 2019: ‘Our God is too small’ Annette Scullion Internationally acclaimed astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory, Br Guy Consolmasagno SJ, will be visiting New Zealand from 25 April to 9 May this year, with support from the Catholic Enquiry Centre. Br Guy Consolmasagno’s visit will take in a trip to Tekapo’s University of […]

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‘Significant changes’ needed to Tomorrow’s School’s discussion document

WelCom March 2019: The Ministry of Education published a report last November written by Tomorrows School’s Independent Taskforce, entitled: Our Schooling Futures: Stronger Together – Whiria Ngā Kura Tūātinitini. The Taskforce, appointed by Ministry of Education Hon Chris Hipkins in April 2018, was charged with undertaking the biggest review in 30 years of the way our […]

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Te Rā o ngā Whāea o te Ao 8 Maehe 2019 – International Women’s Day 8 March 2019

WelCom March 2019: ‘Better the balance, better the world’, is the theme for International Women’s Day, Friday 8 March, supporting women’s advancement and celebrating women’s achievements while calling for a more gender-balanced world. The inspiration of Mary among women is reflected in the following articles. NZ Sister supporting women in London Cardinal John Dew stopped in […]

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Call for conversion

WelCom March 2019: In his Letter to the People of God, 20 August last year, Pope Francis wrote to all Catholics about the crises within the Church and of the deep wounds and pain caused to victims of sexual abuse. Pope Francis calls on us to bring about change, a ‘conversion’ within the Church, and to […]

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Respect, Memory and Gratitude

WelCom March 2019: Fr Michael Gormly Retired Filipino professional couple, Drs Carmenciita and Leonardo Fulgado from New York, visited Wellington in late January. They came with some purpose. They hold a long memory and deep respect for a New Zealand Columban missionary, the late Fr Arthur Price who spent close to 60 years in the Philippines. […]

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Manus Island – depression, self-harm, suicide attempts

WelCom March 2019: Manus Island detainees must be released. Mental illness among those incarcerated on the island are rife, says the bishops conference of Papua New Guinea. The general secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of PNG, Giorgio Licini, wrote at the end of January to PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill saying PNG leaders should negotiate […]

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Papal trip ‘wrote a new page in history’

WelCom March 2019: Pope Francis travelled to Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, 3-5 February this year, to participate in an international interfaith meeting. Making the first ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula the aim was to demonstrate the importance that Pope Francis gives to inter-religious dialogue. His theme was ‘Make Me a Channel […]

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Catholic Thinking – A Bridge between Rome and Beijing

WelCom March 2019: Catholic Thinking Series presents articles about theology, morality, ethics and faith heritage written for WelCom by lecturers from New Zealand’s Catholic Tertiary Education Providers: Good Shepherd College – Te Hēpara Pai; and The Catholic Institute of New Zealand – Te Pūtahi Katorika ki Aotearoa. Here Fr Tim Costello sm of Good Shepherd College […]

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Befriending the Old Testament

WelCom March 2019: Dr Elizabeth Julian rsm As a child growing up in the 1950s and early 60s, I listened to the same two readings at Sunday Mass and feast days every year. There were few Old Testament readings. All this changed dramatically with Vatican II and the introduction of the three-year liturgical cycle in 1969. […]

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Gospel Reading: Sunday 3 March 2019

WelCom March 2019: Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C. Luke 6:39-45 39 Jesus told his disciples a parable, ‘Can one blind person guide another blind person? Surely both will fall into a pit? 40 No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained every disciple will be like his teacher. 41 Why do […]

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