A Wellington parish priest is calling into question the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s decision to limit the number of people in churches to ten people. “It is strange that bars and restaurants can open but churches are limited to just ten people”, said Fr Pete Roe the Parish Administrator of St Francis of Assisi parish Read more
The New Zeland Catholic Bishops have suggested that parish priests consult with each other and with their parish councils about how they can provide the sacraments and pastoral care when COVID-19 Alert Level Two is announced. The bishops believe that each parish will need its own approach to ensure continued the safety of both the Read more
Dr Kevin Shore has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of the NZ Catholic Education Office. (NZCEO) Shore will be Chief Executive of both NZCEO and the Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools (APIS). APIS serves a network of 70 non-Catholic “special character”, faith-based schools – private schools that have been integrated into the state Read more
Five people nominated for their outstanding work in Catholic Youth Ministry are winners in the 2020 Delargey Awards The Delargey Awards are named in honour of Cardinal Reginald Delargey (1914-79) who was noted for his work for young Catholics. They are presented by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference every two years to recognise outstanding Read more
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern encouraged people to use restaurants that did their own food deliveries instead of using Uber Eats. Uber Eats continues to charge high commission rates. When the country moves to Alert Level 3 the problem for some may well be to decide how their restaurant meals will be delivered. But Read more
Father Maurice Carmody met the funeral directors — at the required social distance – by the roadside outside his home, which is close to the parish church, to conduct a simple funeral rite. Standing near the open rear door of the hearse, he said the prayers of final commendation while the family watched and prayed Read more
This week Thomas is present when Jesus appears in the Upper Room. Thomas, as we know was not there the previous week and had refused to believe the other disciples’ account of them seeing the risen Lord. Traditionally, Thomas gets a bad rap for what is described as his disbelief; he had not seen so Read more
In the Catholic tradition, 14 ‘stations’ represent Christ’s journey to the cross. Many artists have depicted Christ’s journey to Calvary. These depictions portray Jesus’ final hours and particularly come to the fore during Lent. Called the Stations of the Cross, or the Way of the Cross, ‘the Stations’ are part of church life. On the Read more
Some Australians, including many victims of child sexual abuse, revile George Pell. Others hold him in high esteem. Neither of these groups will have their minds changed about Cardinal Pell, regardless of what any court might determine. The majority of Australians fall into neither camp. Victorian Police In the midst of controversy and with allegations Read more
This week’s reflection comes from the parish of Holy Name Church, Dunedin. It is ironic that in these times of isolation when people replace cars around the streets, people are meeting more people than they used to. All the while keeping their social distance and remaining in their bubble. People seem to have slowed down. Read more