The quake-damaged Christ Church Cathedral has opened its doors to members of the public for the first time since the 2011 Canterbury earthquake. Tour parties are being invited to explore the historic Christchurch building. Once there, those on the tours (restricted to 25 people) learn about the cathedral’s architecture and the ongoing work to rebuild Read more
Filipino Fr Reynaldo Bunyi Getalado was ordained Coadjutor Bishop of Rarotonga on Saturday. In what is described as “a significant and deeply moving” ordination ceremony, the Catholic Diocese of Rarotonga, Cook Islands, witnessed the beginning of a new chapter. The ordination signalled the end of 53 years’ New Zealand leadership in the diocese. A sign Read more
Local organisations campaigning against fast fashion practices want more done in New Zealand. It was a global problem and New Zealand was no exception, with at least half of the 380,000 tonnes of imported textiles each year estimated to end up in landfill. Mindful Fashion chief executive Jacinta Fitzgerald would love to see regulation from Read more
Whanganui Camera Club is well into its Churches Project, with over 20 churches in the district now photographed. It’s quite a challenge – there are over 60 places of worship in the Whanganui area and the club hopes to include most of these, aiming to document the exteriors and the inside details of all of Read more
The End of Life Choice Act which governs assisted dying will be reviewed later this year. Health Minister Shane Reti (himself opposed to assisted dying) and the coalition partners are drawing up the review’s terms of reference. While Act Party leader David Seymour, who instigated the Assisted Dying laws, would like changes made to the Read more
A Meet a Muslim campaign sharing a message of peace and understanding is again touring New Zealand. The group is on a mission to educate people. For the past week, representatives of New Zealand’s Muslim community have been travelling to the South Island’s main centres. Wearing T-shirts that say: “I am a Muslim. Ask me Read more
Soaring insurance costs are leading Catholic churches in Otago and Southland to reconsider their options. Between them, the churches in the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin face a $240,000 insurance premium bill this year. It’s a lot of money. During the past 10 years the diocese has had just one significant claim as a result of Read more
Former members of a secretive sect under investigation by the FBI for historical child sexual abuse warn it is a highly controlling and insular group with many unwritten rules. The religious group has about 2500 members and 60 ministers in New Zealand, meets in homes and has no official name but is commonly known as Read more
It is up and atom to London for a group of young Timaru scientists as they fundraise to attend the 65th London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF). Among the 500 16- to 21-year-olds from 70 different countries attending are Roncalli College pupils Tobias Overbeeke, 17, Lily Holm, 17, Maximilian (Max) Hunt, 18 and Annie Henderson, Read more
One of Australia’s newest citizens is the auxiliary bishop of Sydney. He’s a New Zealander, born and bred. But Bishop Richard Umbers has become incrementally Australian over the 33 years he’s been residing in the land across the Tasman. He says he swapped Marmite for Vegemite a long time ago. He won’t say if he’s Read more