According to a Secular Education Network (SEN) survey of state primary and intermediate schools, 37.7 per cent offer religious instruction. The survey received 1663 responses from a total of 1833 state primary and intermediate schools. The SEN website has a resource that shows which schools received the survey and which of them responded to it. Read more
New Zealand
Building community bonds in Dunedin South
Thursday, August 10th, 2017
Dunedin South has its share of challenges. Last Saturday over 50 people gathered at the Mercy Parish community centre in Dunedin South to discuss how they could empower their communities to respond locally and ‘weave bonds of belonging’. They heard about what one participant described as an oncoming “demographic tsunami” of an aging population. Other Read more
Married for 63 years – died a few hours apart
Thursday, August 10th, 2017
Kevin and Madeleine Feeney married in Auckland in 1954, built their dream home in Takapuna in 1957, lived there for 60 years, and had a joint send off — their coffins side by side — at St Luke’s Catholic Church in Bayswater, on August 4. Last year they moved from Takapuna into a retirement village Read more
Bishops say housing the greatest issue facing New Zealanders
Thursday, August 10th, 2017
“Too many New Zealanders are facing real difficulties finding affordable, warm, secure housing,” says the Catholic archbishop of Wellington Cardinal John Dew. He was speaking prior to a housing forum organised by the Anglican and Catholic churches of Wellington. Approximately 600 people attended the forum in the Anglican Cathedral of St Paul on Wednesday evening. Read more
Warriors captain looks to his pastor for guidance about leadership
Thursday, August 10th, 2017Roger Tuivasa-Sheck admits his first year as skipper has been more challenging than expected and says his leadership skills are developing on the fly. Along with the close support of the club’s senior leadership group and coaching staff, he also looks for guidance from his church pastor and has recently taken to reading the books Read more
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says youth suicide is his ‘top priority’
Thursday, August 10th, 2017Warning: This article is about suicide and may be distressing for some readers. Health minister Jonathan Coleman said. “One suicide is one too many so we’ve got to work on getting that rate down, no question about it. “We just can’t have young people with their whole lives ahead of them taking their lives. It’s Read more
Tickets now on sale for Aotearoa Catholic Youth Festival
Thursday, August 10th, 2017Almost a month on from its launch date, registration for the Aotearoa Catholic Youth Festival continues unabated. The festival takes place at St Mary’s College at St Marys’ Bay in Auckland during the first weekend in December. A wide range of activities are planned, including workshops, a cultural showcase and interactive experiences throughout. Highlights include Read more
Senior Palmerston North priest honoured for outstanding service
Monday, August 7th, 2017
A senior priest in the Palmerston North Diocese has been honoured by the Pope for his outstanding services to the Church and society. Brian Walsh, of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Palmerston North’s Broadway Ave and chaplain to the local Marist Sports Club, has recently been named a Monsignor by Pope Francis. When Read more
Please pronounce our names correctly say students at Holy Family
Monday, August 7th, 2017
The students Holy-Family Kura in Porirua come from many different ethic backgrounds. They are pleading with their teachers and everyone else, to pronounce their names correctly. They say mispronouncing people’s names amounts to racism. This challenge is one of three the students issued in a video they have made to support the #GiveNothingToRacism campaign. A Read more
Anglican/Catholic Election Forum in Wellington on Wednesday
Monday, August 7th, 2017Catholic Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew and Anglican Bishop of Wellington Justin Duckworth will co-host a housing forum with leaders of key political parties on 9 August at the Anglican Cathedral. Attendance is welcome and there is no charge. The forum formally starts at 6:30pm on 9 August 2017, with snacks and drinks available Read more