Ram raids are down more than 80 percent for the month of April compared to last year. Police have identified 12 ram raids in April 2024, compared to 64 in April 2023. Provisional police data from April 2017 to April 2024 shows a downwards trend since the peak in August 2022, when there were 86. Read more
New Zealand
Erasing Marylands – place by place, hurt by hurt
Monday, June 10th, 2024
Christchurch’s Marylands Street and Marylands Park no longer exist. A renaming ceremony on Thursday saw a new street sign unveiled, Validation Place – and a new park sign, Validation Park. In time, no-one will know Marylands Catholic residential school for boys (which St John of God brothers ran from 1955 to 1984) ever existed. Marylands Read more
Drive-by shooting shakes Monte Cecilia transitional housing residents
Monday, June 10th, 2024
The Auckland Diocese’s Monte Cecilia Housing Trust residents and staff were left feeling shaken after a gunshot was fired at their transitional housing complex on Wednesday night. Police are still looking for those responsible. Just before 10.30pm, a gunshot rang out on Ahuwhenua Crescent in Onehunga. The bullet left a fist-sized hole in someone’s garage Read more
A humming and active Cathedral – seven days a week
Monday, June 10th, 2024
A packed Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington reopened on Friday with Archbishop Paul Martin leading a Mass of Thanksgiving. The Cathedral had been closed for six years for earthquake strengthening and extensive renovations and was a significant moment for the local church community. The Mass also marked three days of celebrations. Hope for the future Read more
Church parish ‘devastated’ after theft of sacred objects
Monday, June 10th, 2024A “devastated” Riccarton church community is appealing to the public for help after sacred objects worth more than $20,000 were stolen. The incident occurred about 11.30pm on Sunday, June 2, at St Teresa’s Church in Riccarton. Police said the intruders entered the sacristy and presbytery and stole tabernacles and chalices, along with a small amount Read more
Cardinal John Dew can resume public Church activities
Thursday, June 6th, 2024
A Vatican review has cleared Cardinal John Dew of an abuse accusation. He is now free to resume public Church activities. After reviewing the complaint dated back to the 1970s, the Vatican decided no further Church inquiry was required. The Vatican’s finding is similar to that of the New Zealand Police, which concluded earlier this Read more
Migrants and their pastoral care is key, say bishops
Thursday, June 6th, 2024
Migrants and their pastoral care throughout the Pacific and Oceania was a central discussion point last week. In Wellington that is, during the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conference of Oceania (FCBCO) meeting. Catholic Archbishop of Wellington Paul Martin and the Wellington Archdiocese hosted the three-day meeting. In recent decades migration has become the key to Read more
First Church farewell for Enere
Thursday, June 6th, 2024King’s High School pupils lead a haka in memory of Enere McLaren-Taana at a funeral held at First Church yesterday. The 16-year-old Trinity Catholic College and former King’s High School pupil died after being stabbed at Dunedin’s bus hub last month. About 80 vehicles lined the grass outside First Church as mourners left the service Read more