WelCom is the monthly newspaper of the Archdiocese of Wellington. Print copies of the eight-page newsletter are free and available in parishes, and sent to parishes and schools in PDF form. The archive contains WelCom stories published from 2007 to 2026 (May).
WelCom July 2020: Fr Ron Bennett At midday on Sunday 7 June, over 80 leaders and members of faith groups in Wellington stood on the steps of St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, in an expression of inter-faith unity against racism. This was in response to the tragic death of George Floyd at the hands of police […]
WelCom July 2020: Monsignor Gerard Burns How did you experience the Coronavirus lockdowns? Was it positive, was it difficult, what happened to you? In the last few months because of the Covid-19 pandemic and consequent lockdown in New Zealand we have tried to be part of a national solidarity to stop the spread of the […]
WelCom July 2020: A message from Chris McLeod, National Aboriginal Bishop, Archdiocese of Adelaide, Australia. ‘The Week of Prayer for Reconciliation’ (The National week for Reconciliation) did not go quite as we planned. Not long after it commenced we were all, I am sure, appalled by the death of George Floyd in America. It seemed […]
WelCom July 2020: This article appeared in the National Catholic Reporter, USA, June 13, 2020, and has been reprinted in WelCom with permission of National Catholic Reporter Publishing Company. NCRonline.org Dr Alexander Mikulich PhD is a Catholic social ethicist. A man was lynched yesterday. The NAACP raised this sign from its Fifth Avenue office in […]
WelCom July 2020: Pope Francis spoke out against the sin of racism in a speech about George Floyd’s death that was broadcast around the world. After an eighth night of protests across the United States, Pope Francis addressed Floyd’s death during his weekly Angelus prayer at the Vatican on Wednesday, 3 June. The Pope called […]
WelCom July 2020: Police Commissioner Andy Coster and the abolition of the Armed Response Teams – a principle-based decision. Police Commissioner Andrew Coster announced, 9 June 2020, that Armed Response Teams (ARTs) will not be part of the New Zealand policing model in the future. Lay Pastoral Leader in the Catholic Parish of Wellington South […]
WelCom July 2020: Te Hīkoi Ngātahi me ngā Whānau i roto i te Aroha, te Manaaki me te Arahi Pope Francis’ Prayer Intention During the month of July 2020 Pope Francis’ Universal Prayer Intention is: Our Families– We pray that today’s families may be accompanied with love, respect and guidance. The Fourteenth Ordinary General Assembly […]
WelCom July 2020: Catholic social agencies have been helping women’s refuges, foodbanks, whānau in remote regions and many others with a $25,000 special Tindall Foundation grant aimed at relieving hardship caused by the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Siobhan Dilly, Executive Officer of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, says Catholic agencies have been distributing the extra […]
WelCom July 2020: Following our feature last month about education leadership and pastoral care for Catholic secondary school students in our two dioceses during Covid-19 lockdown, this edition primary principals and teachers share their stories about returning to school. St Teresa’s School, Featherston Jennifer Muth, Principal Lockdown highlighted the power of teamwork in our small […]
WelCom July 2020: Lisa Beech During Covid-19 lockdown Te Tai o Marokura social services – a community organisation of the Takahanga Marae in Kaikōura – partnered with the Archdiocese of Wellington and Sacred Heart Parish Kaikōura, to support families with warm homes and food. Takahanga Marae is one of the marae in the Archdiocese with […]