The 22nd Eucharistic Convention held in Auckland has featured strong Jewish themes.
Guest speakers included Jewish born American Roy Schoeman whose parents survived the Holocaust.
Initially, Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher was to speak this year, but due to an unforeseen event she couldn’t’ make it.
Auckland residents Bob and Freda Narev accepted the invitation to replace Inge, and shared their survivor stories.
Mrs Narev shared her experience hiding on a farm for three years, “living as a Catholic.” Eventually, her sister brought her to New Zealand to begin a new life.
Convention organiser John Porteous says: “Our Christian tradition grew out of Judaism, Jesus was a Jew. So was his Mother. The connection is enormously important to us.
“But we don’t have such a strong Jewish theme this year just because of the state the world is in. Our faith is outside of time, in that regard,” says Porteous.
In 2013, Pope Frances commemorated Kristallnacht at a mass in front of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, describing the Jewish people as the “big brothers” of his Roman Catholic flock.
The convention was held at Glendowie’s Sacred Heart College Auditorium in Auckland. Continue reading