Not holding a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care hearing in Dunedin is a “repulsive slap in the face” for Southern survivors, says the Network of Survivors in Faith-Based Institutions. According to the ODT, the South and Dunedin in particular are considered one of the country’s epicentres for child sexual abuse in the Read more
Brian Tamaki of the Destiny Church has used an online sermon to tell followers to “do away with the masks” and take a stand against a lockdown he describes as “home detention”. Tamaki went live on social media with the video message this morning, using the sermon as an extended promotion for a nationwide protest Read more
Covid lockdown has prevented the auction of a rare 19th century portrait in oils of Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier. The portrait was due to be sold on September 11. Due to the current Delta variant of Covid and the resulting lockdowns the auction is postponed until Saturday October 9th. The portrait image went online on September Read more
An Auckland Catholic priest who supported US emergency services in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attack is clear: people of all ethnicities and faiths should be honoured at all times. We shouldn’t wait for the anniversary of a terrorist attack to do this, East Coast Bays Parish priest Father Emile Frische (pictured) says. Frische Read more
When 1 October arrives, 215 families in Monte Cecilia transitional housing will have nowhere to go. Until now, Monte Cecilia and similar places have used a “redirect contracts” initiative to house families. In this, they find private landlords willing to lease their house for at least a year, then create an agreement where the tenants Read more
The new parish priest of the Marlborough is live-streaming a Sunday parish Mass from Sydney. Fr Giltus Matias is stranded in Sydney and because of Covid-19 has not been able to get to New Zealand. Stuff reports Mathias live-streams a vigil Mass each Saturday evening at 5 pm, while the priest in residence, Fr Jacob Read more
The Migrant Action Trust has condemned a proposal by a diversity academic calling for a New Zealand nation-building course before people are granted permanent residence or citizenship as “dangerous” and “discriminating”. “This proposal is dangerous. It is dangerous because it comes at a time when the world — including Aotearoa — has demonised a religion Read more
An Auckland man and his family from the Māngere community, including four children aged under 12, are trying their best to get by after three weeks in quarantine as they recover from Covid-19. The family, whom Stuff has agreed not to name, are among the cases linked to a Māngere church and have been at Read more
Food parcel demand is surging in Hamilton as Covid lockdown restrictions start to bite across the city. At St Vincent de Paul (Vinnies) Hamilton, demand for food parcels has increased fourfold since the start of level 4 restrictions, general manager Mike Rolton says. “Normally we’d do 20 family food parcels per day on average but, Read more
Parish churches and church event organisers are ‘off the hook’ after the Government, Tuesday, backed down on their forcing people to sign in to church events. Churches no longer have to police and enforce the ‘sign-in’ law. If someone refuses to scan in, there is no expectation or requirement for the business or location to Read more