WelCom March 2019: Bishop Viard College students performed a heartfelt haka in support of Principal Rose Sawaya at last year’s end-of-year prizegiving. After serving the college since January 2015 Principal Rose was leaving to take up a teaching role in Titahi Bay. Vicar for Education, Jenny Gordon, thanked Principal Rose on behalf of Cardinal John Dew, […]
WelCom March 2019: Rangimoeroa Waikari-Panapa A pōwhiri was held on Monday, 4 February, at Sacred Heart Primary School, Thorndon, to welcome new tauira (students) and their whānau. Kuia from Te Ngākau Tapu parish in Porirua and from the Whanganui River supported the school with karanga. Whaikōrero (formal speeches) were given by Henare Howard, Declan Millin and […]
WelCom March 2019: Thomas Saywell On Thursday 14 March, the Palmerston North Diocesan Young Catholics (DYC) team is hosting the Diocese’s annual Pastoral Day. This year it is to be held at St Mary’s Parish Centre, Whanganui. The Pastoral Days offer a collective place of discussion for people from various ministries, communities, regions and walks of […]
WelCom February 2019: Pope Francis has convened the presidents of all the episcopal conferences throughout the world for a meeting in Rome in February this year to discuss the prevention of abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. The Holy See announced the Summit on Safeguarding last September. The meeting with the Pope and representatives of all […]
WelCom February 2019: John A. Cardinal Dew, Archbishop of Wellington Greetings to all WelCom readers and every good wish and blessing for 2019. On the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Sunday 13 January 2019, I read and ended up praying with, what to me was, a magnificent reflection for that day. Basically, the author was […]
WelCom February 2019: 1955–2018, RIP Annette Scullion It is with sadness that WelCom acknowledges the passing of Mark Edward Richards – long-standing leader of the Diocese of Palmerston North Pastoral Services team, Cathedral Parish member, highly-regarded academic, tertiary teacher and governor for The Catholic Institute of Aotearoa New Zealand, regular columnist to WelCom, and much-loved husband […]
WelCom February 2019: John Kleinsman Maryan Street recently claimed that ‘Parliament will pass Seymour Bill this year’ (Stuff, Jan 4, 2019). But, her arguments for that claim are based on little more than her wish for change. Contrary to what she states, the ‘clear trend’ overseas is that the vast majority of assisted death bills continue […]
WelCom February 2019: Annette Scullion At the launch of his new book As Good as Gold – Essays from a priest on the road, Fr James Lyons was described as a ‘Renaissance Man, author, writer, homilist, and poet’. Held at Sacred Heart Cathedral’s Connelly Hall, 3 December last year, Fr James was joined by many friends, […]
WelCom February 2019: Nicola McCarthy Anne Powell’s new book of poetry, The Edge of Things, was launched among 100 guests in Te Whaea Tapu o Kāpiti School Hall, Paraparaumu, on 1 December 2018. Many of the poems in this fourth book of Anne’s involve ‘the language of water’, parish priest Fr Michael McCabe said in his […]
WelCom February 2019: The New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Interfaith Relations has released a revised booklet promoting Interfaith Relations in Aotearoa New Zealand – Te Whakatairanga i te Nohotahitanga o ngā Whakapono i Aotearoa. The booklet provides guidance and encouragement for people to welcome and nurture relationships with those of other faiths. NZCBCIR chair Colin […]