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).
At the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, Governor Hobson affirmed, in response to a question from Catholic Bishop Pompallier, ‘the several faiths (beliefs) of England, of the Wesleyans, of Rome, and also Māori custom shall alike be protected’. This foundation creates the opportunity to reaffirm an acknowledgement of the diversity of beliefs in New Zealand.
There are not too many of us who think humans are made from clay or from a rib, and there are sound, but not proved reasons, to question whether there was only a pair of human beings or many at the origins of humanity, beginnings marked by the primitive, rather than as beings gifted with wisdom and perfection.
My crash to the floor brought Patricia and Barbara, two community members hurrying to the kitchen (even neighbours heard the noise). The 111 call centre operator gave CPR [cardiac pulmonary resuscitation] instructions after listening through the phone to my struggle to breathe. Two ambulances and a fire engine arrived within a minute of being dispatched. Suddenly there were six men and their emergency equipment in our kitchen. Although they applied the ‘paddles’ restarting my heart, the paramedics said it didn’t look good.
One of the corporal works of mercy, as anyone who remembers their penny catechism will know, is visiting the sick. It’s one of our basic responsibilities as followers of Christ. How we live out this important part of our common Christian vocation will vary considerably depending on the culture to which we belong. Is individual illness a private or public matter?
This is the first in a series of articles by Wellington Catholics about where and how they find themselves in the presence of God. Kitty McKinley’s participation in an eight-day pilgrimage of 15 Challenge 2000 young people to some sacred spots in the Wellington-Manawatu region inspired her to record her reflections.