How the decision to reduce class sizes from will impact state-integrated schools is currently unknown, says Catholic Education Office CEO, Kevin Shore, (pictured). On April 17, The Minister of Education Jan Tinetti announced class ratios in Years 4 to 8 will be reduced from 1 teacher to 29 students to 1 teacher to 28 students. Read more
It’s all hands on deck at Vinnies in New Plymouth. Staff – including volunteers from Sacred Heart College – say Vinnies has never been busier. Founded in France with the aim to help anyone in need, the Catholic charity makes a difference, not only to the lives of the people it helps, but to those Read more
The former head of Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church’s charitable arm, has accused the Vatican of a “brutal power grab” in an open letter published just days before the organisation’s General Assembly. Aloysius John, who was removed from his position as secretary-general in November 2022, alleged that his ousting was a result of the “deliberate Read more
During a recent show, a Jewish French-Moroccan comedian Elmaleh gently poked fun at Catholics for their lack of religious pride. French Jews and Muslims, he pointed out, are a lot more public about demonstrating their religious identity. But if you ask a Catholic about their affiliation, he said, you’re likely to get a more evasive Read more
The Earl Marshal of England is little known and rarely seen, but he oversees the world’s biggest spectacles. Queen Elizabeth’s funeral last year is reported to have attracted more than 4 billion viewers, making it perhaps the most-watched event in history. This was the finest moment for the current Earl Marshall, Edward Fitzalan-Howard, more formally Read more
Thousands of people gathered in St Patrick’s Cathedral on Friday to say their final goodbye to Father Bob Maguire, a beloved Australian priest who spent his life fighting for the marginalised and disadvantaged. Maguire, who passed away on May 8 at age 86, was remembered as a tireless advocate for social justice and a beacon Read more
The Vatican, Friday, announced Cardinal John Dew’s resignation as Archbishop of Wellington last Friday. Dew (pictured right) explains “Canon law requires that bishops offer their resignation to the Holy Father when they reach 75 years of age, and yesterday I reached that age.” Pope Francis has accepted his resignation. “It is with sadness that I Read more
Anyone paying attention to religion in America has heard about the trend, especially among young Americans, toward disaffiliation with institutions, including the Catholic Church. So I arrived at a recent talk on “Seeking Common Ground Across Generations” prepared for dire and depressing statistics. But I walked away with hope, thanks to speaker Ellen Koneck, executive Read more
Leaders of the conservative wing of the Anglican Church have declared that they no longer recognise England’s Archbishop of Canterbury as first among equals. They are calling for a complete overhaul of how the global denomination is led. The primary cause of the rift among Anglican leaders is their differing opinions on homosexuality and same-sex Read more
In his April 26 message, the Pope emphasised the importance of listening to the experiences and perspectives of those on the margins of society. He stated that doing so enriches the Church’s life and ministry. “For the church is like a rich tapestry, made up of many individual threads that come from various peoples, languages Read more