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).
February 2016 News Last year, the US National Science Foundation, which manages the US Antarctic Programme, ended its support for Catholic priests’ services through New Zealand’s Catholic Diocese of Christchurch’s Antarctic Chaplaincy Programme. This was due to a decline in church-going at US Antarctic stations and it ended to a 57-year relationship between the Diocese […]
February 2016 News Maria Noonan, CSS Community Organiser Last year we witnessed, on our television screens and in other media reports, thousands of refugees from Africa and Syria streaming into Europe. This brought into sharp focus the plight of all refugees, including those already in camps, and many fleeing destruction of their homelands and oppressive […]
February 2016 Education Annette Scullion Paul Ferris QSM has been appointed chief executive of the NZ Catholic Education Office. Starting 1 February 2016, Mr Ferris replaces Sir Br Patrick Lynch KNZM, QSO, who announced his retirement last year. Ferris said following Br Pat Lynch’s 22 years of outstanding leadership would be an exciting challenge and […]
February 2016 News Sharron Cole, QSO, MA, DipEd, DipCBEd, CEO of the Midwifery Council and Chair of the Boards of Parents Centres New Zealand and Rethinking Crime and Punishment, was one of New Zealand’s four representatives at the Synod on the Family in Rome last October. Attending as a Lay Auditor, she was invited to […]
February 2016 Reflection Part four in a series of Fr James Lyons’ writing about grief. ‘Good Grief’, the title of this chapter, is first the title of a book featuring Charles Schultz’s cartoon character, Charlie Brown. Things rarely went right for Charlie; even when they did there was likely to be some unforeseen consequence that […]
February 2016 Reflection Fr James Lyons Joy and gladness fly high on the banner of Christianity but they come at an enormous cost: the passion and death of Jesus of Nazareth. God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, the Gospel of John tells us, and the obedience of this Son gave […]
February 2016 Reflection Arama Jason Pou is a former pupil of St Bernard’s College, Lower Hutt who is now a second-year student at the University of Waikato studying for a Bachelor of Arts in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori. He offers this personal reflection for Lent. Tēnā koutou katoa, anei tētahi pātai hei whakaaroaro […]
February 2016 Feature Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for Easter. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, 10 February 2016, and lasts for six weeks until Easter. Caritas works with communities both here in New Zealand and around the world to reduce poverty and injustice. To enable us to continue working […]
February 2016 Homily Charles E Drennan, Bishop of the Diocese of Palmerston North, preached this homily on the occasion of the opening of the Holy Doors for the Year of Mercy 2015 3rd Sunday of Advent, Year C – 13 December 2015. Recently I have been on holiday in India and Laos. My passport and […]
February 2016 Opinion Cardinal John Dew I was lucky enough and privileged enough to spend the first few days of this year walking often by the sea, swimming in the sea and being overawed at times by the size of the ocean and all its wonders. When Pope Francis spoke of an ‘Ocean of Mercy’ […]