Jocelyn Franklin, who died on 3 October aged 93, has been described as a legend in the Catholic Diocese of Auckland and indeed throughout the country, having worked tirelessly for the Church for nearly 70 years. She converted to Catholicism at the age of 20 and was chosen by Bishop (later Cardinal) Reginal Delargey in the Read more
On Sunday February 14 TVNZ’s Sunday programme featured an interview with Maria Hall. Hall was described as an ex-nun. After spending 8 years as a member of the Palmarian Catholic Church she suffered a mental breakdown and walked away. “I probably had to lose my mind in order to lose my faith,” Maria Hall told the Sunday Read more
Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report briefly profiled the New Zealanders who are in the process joining communities of religious. One woman and two men briefly spoke about their motivation and about their experience of living in a community. The report noted that while there are not lot of people opting for religious life these days, Read more
Two Kiribati women, Tuata Terawete and Juniko Toaua, were professed as Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict during a ceremony earlier this month. The Rite of First Profession took place during Eucharist at St Thomas Aquinas Church in Springwood, NSW, Australia. Both women were born and raised in the Republic Read more
After growing up in Nigeria and being named the youngest bishop in the world at the age of 32, Cardinal Francis Arinze attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council. Following his elevation to cardinal by Pope John Paul II, he was appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, a position he Read more
The Missionaries of God’s Love are marking the year of Consecrated Life with an animated guide to discernment. The guide’s creators created the resource targeting young people. The four-part ‘Discernment for Dummies’ animated series, focuses on helping those seeking to know where to begin in the process of discerning their vocation. The resource seeks to explain what discernment Read more
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Consecrated Life, I am writing to you as the Successor of Peter, to whom the Lord entrusted the task of confirming his brothers and sisters in faith (cf. Lk 22:32). But I am also writing to you as a brother who, like yourselves, is consecrated to God. Together let us Read more
Pope Francis is counting on religious to “wake up the world” throughout the Year of Consecrated Life. “This (waking up the world) is a priority needed right now,” the Jesuit Pope wrote in his letter to mark the November 30 start of the year. However to be so bold, Francis is urging religious communities to Read more
The six missionary Holy Spirit Sisters (SSpS) on the staff of Divine Word University (DWU) in Madang will celebrate 115 years in Papua New Guinea on 8 December. Two of the early teaching sisters, Sr Inez Strobl (now at Alexishafen) and Sr Edith Thies (Malala) will be special guests of honour, along with Sr Heline Read more
The Association of Diocesan Clergy of the Archdiocese of Agaña, (Guam), recently held a Mass of Thanksgiving for Consecrated Life at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Toto. Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, was the presider and homilist for the Mass. Concelebrants included Monsigñor Brigido Arroyo and Palé Mike Crisostomo, officers of the clergy association. Read more