An 82-year-old daredevil has completed her second wing walk in seven years to raise money for a local youth organisation of St Francis de Sales Catholic Church. As part of her charitable challenge, she even completed a loop-the-loop. Teresa Dykes, of Rupert Road in Newbury, completed the thrilling wing walk on a biplane at the Read more
A person from the rainbow community is calling out ads for a Brian Tamaki Destiny Church event showing a boy carrying a severed head – an apparent reference to David and Goliath – and bearing the tagline “Time to kill”. Members of Tamaki’s Destiny Church have recently been charged for destroying rainbow crossings in Gisborne Read more
Nearly a year after the Vatican blocked an Italian theologian’s candidacy to become the dean of an influential German and Italian academy due to his progressive writings on sexuality and gender, the Vatican finally approved of his appointment without comment, according to the theologian. “The reasons why the decision was revised were not communicated,” said Read more
Hayley Donaldson is what anyone would call a Kiwi battler. A sole parent and mum of two under five, the 25-year-old is now a first time home owner, too. When she left school at 18, Donaldson moved south to try her hand at farming and discovered she loved it. Moving up to the Waikato a Read more
The Diocese of Brooklyn said that a Vatican-ordered investigation into a retired auxiliary bishop has ended, concluding that allegations against Bishop Raymond Chappetto are unfounded. Chappetto, a now-retired auxiliary bishop who was vicar general of the Brooklyn diocese, was accused in 2021 of administrative negligence, namely failing to disclose appropriately that a Brooklyn priest was Read more
On Monday, the Vatican issued norms for obtaining the traditional plenary indulgence during the upcoming Jubilee of Hope, emphasising individual and group pilgrimages to holy sites. Holding the theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” the jubilee is set to open Dec 24, and will formally close on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany, in 2026. In Read more
The sacred liturgy is a personal and communal encounter with God; Pope Francis marvelled as he received professors and students of the Athenaeum University of Saint Pacian of Barcelona in the Vatican on Friday. In his remarks, the Holy Father underscored the incredible value of the liturgy and recalled his, having declared this year ahead Read more
There is a lack of education, data and definition in the fight against child trafficking in the Pacific, a human rights advocate says. Shamima Ali, of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, said child rape is rife and rampant in many parts of the Pacific. “But as far as trafficking is concerned, it should be of Read more
“While I reaffirm the inalienable right to self-defence, war is always a failure of humanity as a whole and not just of the individual parties involved.” All wars are in contradiction with human dignity and “are not destined by their nature to solve problems, but rather to exacerbate them.” The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Read more
Taupō district youngsters have put their thinking caps on and produced creative designs for this year’s ‘design your own helmet’ competition. Road safety co-ordinator Sarah Wraight said there were 324 entries from “some very talented tamariki” representing about 20 schools. Choosing the five winning entries for the Taupō District Council competition was tough, but the Read more