Rohan West, an expat New Zealander, has released his debut novel Broken Vows, inspired by his maternal grandparents’ romance, which began when they met at Mt St Mary’s Seminary in Taradale after the the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake. “Napier, Hawke’s Bay and the earthquake play a significant part in the book,” said West. His grandfather, Read more
Four Kiwis who went to last year’s synod on the family have welcomed Pope Francis’s wide-ranging new apostolic exhortation on marriage and the family. In a statement released through the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Cardinal John Dew, Bishop Charles Drennan, Dr John Kleinsman and Sharon Cole spoke on Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love). Read more
Priests and chiefs in early Pacific cultures, including New Zealand, used ritual human sacrifices to reinforce their power, a study has found. Research involving two New Zealand universities has discovered such acts were used by social elites to maintain their power, the Stuff.co.nz website reported. The study came from researchers from the University of Auckland, Victoria University Read more
The suitability of a Catholic MP to chair a parliamentary select committee’s inquiry into ending one’s life in New Zealand has been questioned. National MP Simon O’Connor is chair of the Health Select Committee, which is considering the issue in response to a petition by former MP Maryan Street and others. Mr O’Connor once studied for Read more
New Zealand’s bishops have produced a pastoral letter on Mercy in which Catholics are asked to give themselves generously to the sacrament of Reconciliation. The letter, titled, “Be Merciful“, notes the interest in the jubilee Year of Mercy throughout the Catholic world. The bishops state that “as a way of life, mercy directs our outlook Read more
Kiwi actor Cliff Curtis has described playing the role of Jesus in a new film as a very special experience. Curtis plays Jesus in the film “Risen”, which opened in New Zealand last week. The Kiwi actor was raised as a Catholic, but lapsed in his teens. “It’s a role I have jokingly always wanted,” Read more
A Rotorua Catholic school has had to cut back on teacher training after its decile rating was raised early last year. St Michael’s Catholic School lost $15,000 in funding annually as a result of its being changed from decile three to decile four. It was one of many schools hit by a decile review starting Read more
St Thomas More Catholic School in Mt Maunganui was evacuated on March 10 after it received a bomb threat. The school was one of 13 schools around New Zealand to receive a bomb threat that day. The calls came between 11.20 am and midday. These came after 27 schools around New Zealand received bomb threat Read more
Peter Beck, the former Christ Church Cathedral dean and Christchurch city councillor will move to New Plymouth in April to take over the role of dean of Taranaki Cathedral. St Mary’s cathedral in New Plymouth was closed in January because it meets only 15% of the new building standards. The Bishop of Taranaki, Archbishop Philip Read more
The launch of the cause of sainthood of Fr Antoine Marie Garin SM will take place with a Mass on the 14th April 2016, at St. Michael’s Church, 6 Beatrice Rd, Remuera Auckland at 7-30 p.m. The launch, sponsored by an Auckland lay group is taking place there because Fr Garin founded the parishes of Howick and Read more