Matekitawhiti Carr, Friday, was honoured for 65 years of community involvement. Carr, 95, better known as “Aunty Mate” or “Nan”, received recognition of her 35 years service to kōhanga reo and her 65 years’ involvement with Te Rōpū Wāhine Māori Toko I te Ora (Māori Women’s Welfare League). Tiahuia Abraham QSO, the league’s Aotea branch Read more
Religious education teachers in Catholic primary schools have a new curriculum document to guide their teaching. The guide supports teaching the mandated New Zealand Religious Education Curriculum in today’s school setting. The new document, published by the National Centre for Religious Studies (NCRS) is designed to be a practical way of teaching a 20 year old Read more
An Auckland woman has spoken out about her belief that her late father was a Catholic priest. Using the pseudonym ‘Kathleen’, the woman says her father had a high profile in the Auckland diocese. “He was a very good priest, a wonderful person, much loved, respected,” she says. ‘Kathleen’ says the journey of his priestly Read more
Pro-euthanasia campaigners say the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Hamilton East is trying to scare parishioners into signing a ready-made submission form. Submission forms printed for parishioners to fill in to oppose the bill say euthanasia could apply to people with gluten intolerance, arthritis and asthma. The End of Life Choice Bill, currently Read more
A Waihi priest is condemning thefts from St Joseph’s Catholic Church. Burglars took items, including a metal cross, two candles and two vases. “Some people have lost the sense of the sacred and what is appropriate … They’ve lost the sense of ‘me’ being part of something larger than themselves,” Father Aidan Mulholland says. Continue Read more
Isabella McCafferty of Wellington will represent New Zealand at the Vatican in March for an international youth gathering. Ms McCafferty works with the Church’s Catholic Youth and Young Adult Ministry in the Wellington Archdiocese. She is in the pastoral ministry and her work supports families and young people across 22 parishes. Ms McCafferty meanwhile also Read more
Caritas, as one of four organisations approved for the new Community Organisation Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) programme, will lead the coordination of a number of Catholic organisations who will support a refugee family to settle in New Zealand. The other organisations taking part are: Gleniti Baptist Church (Timaru), South West Baptist Church (Christchurch) and the Society Read more
The National Professional Standards Committee (NPSC) has appointed former Christchurch lawyer and mother of two, Virginia Noonan, to the role of Director, National Office of Professional Standards (NOPS). Noonan, who most recently worked as the inaugural safeguarding coordinator for the Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, took up this new role in January. NOPS sets out the Read more
The Bishop of Palmerston North is encouraging senior students in Catholic schools to get involved in the debate on euthanasia and to make submissions on the End of Life Choice Bill. Bishop Charles Drennan has sent out a letter to year 13 students in Catholic Colleges, suggesting they get involved in the discussion that is currently occurring Read more
For four days over the last weekend, I travelled with friends down from Auckland through the Waikato and King Country to Taranaki, seeking insights from history and hope for the future. Our journey was an early celebration of Waitangi Day, anguish, reconciliation and all. Our first stop was St John’s church in Te Awamutu, Waikato’s Read more