Comments 0
Paul King wanted to resurrect the roof and ceiling from Nazareth House Chapel into an earthquake memorial. King saved the Nazareth roof when he demolished the chapel last year. He says the ceiling, made of rimu, is the equal of the ceiling in the Arts Centre’s Great Hall and Christ Church Cathedral. It’s 23.5 metres Read more
Comments 2
A former Catholic parish priest who stole $149,000 from the church has won his appeal against sentence in the High Court and will serve his time on home detention. But Father John William Fitzmaurice, 57, was refused bail pending his appeal after the jail term was imposed in the Christchurch District Court on February 27, Read more
Comments 0
Christchurch’s Catholic Bishop, Barry Jones, says everyone who has been involved in the fraud committed by John Fitzmaurice have been extremely saddened. Bishop Jones expressed “disappointment” that his once-trusted priest had been jailed, having pleaded to the court for him to receive home detention. He was also saddened to lose the services of “a very able and Read more
Comments 0
Since the 2011 earthquake, Caritas has allocated more than $700,000 of earthquake recovery funds, to support projects such as emergency toilets immediately after the quake, thermal wear, and specialist trauma counselling and social work. Two years on from the February 2011 Canterbury earthquake, Catholic agency Caritas is still maintaining a commitment to long-term recovery in Read more
Comments 0
![fraud-triangle[1]](http://cathnews.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/fraud-triangle1-150x113.jpg)
John William Fitzmaurice pleaded guilty to five charges of dishonestly using documents and one of obtaining money by deception when he appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Monday. He committed the fraud while he was the parish priest at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament and at Addington’s Sacred Heart Parish. The charges relate to Read more
Comments 0
The Christchurch Diocese has been providing insurance cover for property to the value of $260 million, and this year’s policy to November 30 cost $379,000. The policy is with Ansvar and expires on November 30. Christchurch diocesan financial administrator Paddy Beban says the diocese was shopping around to see what insurance company and what policy Read more
Comments 0
A spokeswoman from St James School, a Catholic integrated school in Christchurch, said she did not envisage the proposed Christchurch shake-up of schools will have an effect because the school’s buildings were owned by the Catholic diocese. ”But we’re feeling very sorry for our colleagues down the road. We’re all in close proximity and it’s Read more
Comments 0
Over thirty projects have already received help from the Christchurch Diocese’s Earthquake Recovery Fund. Most recently assistance has been provided to the Parish of St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral for a project to identify and support parishioners who have been disadvantaged by the earthquakes and to continue to facilitate a sense of community post parish amalgamation and Read more
Comments 0
Earthquake prone churches in Temuka and Pleasant Point have become the latest earthquake victims with both churches now closed following engineering reports. The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, Bishop Barry Jones, after consultation with parish priest Father Brian Fennessy, accepted the structural engineers’ recommendations to close the buildings. The St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Temuka has Read more
Comments 0
A preliminary engineering assessment of St Mary’s Hokitika has revealed that the building is earthquake prone. Whilst engineering solutions are assessed the church is unable to be used. St Mary’s School hall has been suggested by engineers as a suitable alternative for the parish in the interim. The parish and school are working together to Read more
