WelCom December 2018: Linda Swayn of the Catholic Parish of Wellington South received a papal medal in October this year, presented by Cardinal John Dew, in recognition for her work supporting people living with disabilities. As a young adult Linda qualified as a special-needs teacher and has dedicated years assisting children and others with disabilities. Linda […]
WelCom November 2018: The New Zealand Catholic Bishops advocated the Day of Prayer to Respect Life with a letter to the Catholic community on the preciousness and fragility of life. Prayers for intercession and a poem were shared at Masses during that weekend. Respect Life Sunday pastoral letter 14 October 2018 Dear sisters and brothers in […]
WelCom November 2018: Pope Francis has decried ‘the inhumane act of violence’, in which a shooter, on Saturday October 27, killed 11 and injured six others, at the Tree of Life Jewish Synagogue in the United States city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, during a baby-naming ceremony. The shooter, Robert Bowers, is in custody, and according to the […]
WelCom November 2018: David Olivier Two years on since the 2016 Marlborough earthquake, the people of Kaikōura are continuing to rebuild their lives. Further north, the parishioners in Marlborough have supported activities to help bring together the Ward and Seddon communities, while community workers from the Blenheim-based Bread of Life ecumenical agency, reached several isolated families […]
WelCom November 2018: Mark 12:28-34 28 One of the scribes who had listened to them debating appreciated that Jesus had given a good answer and put a further question to him, ‘Which is the first of all the commandments?’ 29 Jesus replied, ‘This is the first: Listen, Israel, the Lord our God is the one, only […]
WelCom November 2018: Fr James Lyons The memorial notices in our papers invariably list the names of people close to the one who has died: partner, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, dear friends. It’s a litany of connection, announcing a life shared with many others – and a life that would have less value without them. From […]
WelCom November 2018: Amanda Gregan Almost 100 proprietors and principals of New Zealand’s state-integrated schools from around the country met in Wellington with the Education Minister Hon Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Hon Jenny Salesa, on Thursday 25 October. The gathering was a welcome call from the state-integrated school representatives to hear first-hand about the […]
WelCom November 2018: Amanda Gregan On Friday October 26, the ministerial briefing paper to the Minister of Justice on proposed changes to the abortion laws in New Zealand was released. The paper outlines three options on a policy shift to treat abortion as a health issue. On the day the report was released, Bishop Patrick Dunn, […]
WelCom November 2018: Fr Simon Story On Saturday 29 September at the Sacred Heart Church in Ponsonby, Auckland, three young men were ordained deacons. Vui Hoang, Martin Wu and Matthew Gibson. The now Reverend Vui will be ordained a priest for the Palmerston North Diocese in 2019. We look forward to his priestly ordination around June […]
WelCom November 2018: Bishop Owen Dolan recently celebrated his 90th birthday at a gathering in Palmerston North with fellow Bishops, priests, diocesan staff, parishioners and friends. Bishop Peter Cullinane paid tribute to this ‘great and lovable man’. ‘Those of us gathered here are representing many hundreds, indeed thousands, of other people who have known, loved and […]