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).
The Institut Catholique of Paris (ICP), the largest French-speaking faculty of theology in the world, has appointed the first-ever layperson to be dean of its famed Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. Anne-Sophie Vivier-Muresan, a 45-year-old theology professor and mother of two, was elected by her peers to the three-year post.
The Most Reverend John Lewis Adams was ordained and installed as the third Bishop of Palmerston North in a vibrant and prayerful, 130-minute Mass on Saturday, 30 September 2023. Around 700 people attended the Mass in a crowded Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Over a thousand more tuned in remotely to watch the livestream.
He hōnore he kōroria ki te Atua, he maungarongo ki te whenua, he whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata kātoa. Tihei mauri ora! Honour and glory to God, peace upon the land, and goodwill to all people. Ki a tātou, ngā mokopuna o te Atua, ngā ākonga o te Ariki, to all the children of God, followers of Christ. Tēnā ano tātou kātoa kei Aotearoa. He mihi tautoko tēnēi. Greetings to all the people of this land.
The 2023 New Zealand general election will be held on 14 October 2023 to determine the composition of the 54th Parliament of New Zealand. In preparation for the upcoming election Ian Munro, a member of the Archdiocese of Wellington’s Ecology, Justice and Peace (EJP) Commission, encourages us to reflect on which policies can deliver for the common good.
The first Vatican assembly for the global Synod on Synodality will begin in October bringing together clerics and laity alike for nearly one month of discussions. Here is what you need to know writes Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency, Rome, September 2023.
The Catholic Enquiry Centre is the New Zealand Catholic bishops’ agency for evangelisation. The CEC has provided information and support to enquirers into Catholic faith for over 60 years. Rebecca Taylor-Hunt became its new director in January this year and reflects on her first few months into the job.
World Mission Sunday is held on the second-to-last Sunday every October with Mass celebrated especially for Catholic missionary activity worldwide. It was created by Pope Pius XI in 1926 as the day of prayer for missions and is held in every Catholic community.
I have a little litmus test when I meet someone who wishes to discuss the Catholic Church. I tend to start off by saying something like, ‘I believe the Roman Catholic Church, has been, is now, and will continue to be a tremendous force for good in the world.’ I then look and listen carefully for their response. My experience too often is that even those who profess a strong Catholic faith baulk at this statement – it appears to be too bold a statement.
The 16th century Litany of Loreto contains several titles given to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. These are being explored by Fr James Lyons for WelCom. This month we meet two kinds of dwellings, house and ark.
The month of October each year is dedicated to the Holy Rosary. The liturgical feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is celebrated annually on 7 October. Senior contributor to Crux Catholic media, Fr Jeffrey F Kirby, a US Catholic priest, moral theologian, and Papal Missionary of Mercy, explains the importance of the Rosary as a prayer method.