Come December 25, the creators of the Christmas Grotto at South West Baptist Church in Christchurch will be exhausted, but they’ll be enjoying a great sense of achievement, knowing they’ve brought Christmas joy to thousands of people. Siblings Linda Hills and Edward Warrington, now in their 60s, admit they never really grew up properly, but Read more
New Zealand
Marycrest changes hands again
Tuesday, December 6th, 2016A rambling, deserted Catholic home for girls, owned by a self-styled Georgian prince, will finally be sold. Marycrest, on State Highway 1 between Peka Peka and Te Horo, was listed on Trade Me in 2014 for a minimum $2 million by Victor Greenwich, now living in Sydney, who said he was a descendant of princes Read more
Parishioners pray for the return of stolen statue of Mary
Tuesday, December 6th, 2016The Catholics of northwest Auckland are grieving over the apparent theft of a statue of the Virgin Mary from the grounds of their church. The statue, estimated to stand 1.2m tall and filled with concrete, was wrenched out of its stone-arched grotto at St Joseph’s in Helensville, some time on Saturday night/Sunday morning. Continue reading
Cardinal Dew gives Pope Francis a prayer book
Friday, December 2nd, 2016
Cardinal John Dew has given Pope Francis the first copy of a home-grown book that reflects the spiritual dimension to family living in Aotearoa-New Zealand. Flowing from the writings of Pope Francis on family relationships, There is a time for… contains prayers and reflections by New Zealanders of all ages. “When presenting it to the Read more
Gap year students celebrate their graduation
Friday, December 2nd, 2016
On Saturday the 26th of November, the Marist/Challenge 2000 gap year students graduated from their course, and with a certificate in youth work. The nine students and their friends and whanau gathered in the chapel of St Pat’s College Wellington, to celebrate with a liturgy and presentation. The students began with a waiata and then Read more
Cardinal Dew to visit Kaikōura this weekend
Friday, December 2nd, 2016This weekend, Cardinal John Dew will be in Kaikōura let the people there know “that we are with them in their time of uncertainty and anxiety.” “I will visit the priests based there and the local Catholic parish and Catholic primary school and Takahanga Marae which has been providing accommodation, meals and support in the Read more
Two of Wellington’s senior priests died on Sunday
Friday, December 2nd, 2016Two of senior Wellington priests died last Sunday. Father Brian Fletcher died at the Home of Compassion at about 2pm. Monsignor John Broadbent died at Wellington Public Hospital at about 7.30pm.
Sister Maureen McBride dies in a car accident in France
Friday, December 2nd, 2016Sister Maureen McBride, its seems, while driving a car suffered a medical event which caused her to crash. She was formerly congregational leader of the worldwide Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions for 12 years (RNDM) Continue reading
Charities regulator risks becoming censor
Tuesday, November 29th, 2016
Charities Services has confirmed it will analyse the Destiny Church’s tax-free status and see if its guilty of breaching the Charities Act. If anything is uncovered a full investigation will then be carried out. But stripping Destiny Church of its charity status risks turning Charities Services into a censor, a charity law expert says. To Read more
Tāku Paipera – a Maori Children’s Bible launched in Auckland
Tuesday, November 29th, 2016
Last week the Bible Society launched Tāku Paipera, the only Māori Children’s Bible available in New Zealand. Following a Powhiri by students at Middle School West Auckland’s Bilingual Unit, and an unveiling, Tāku Paipera, were gifted to the 25 students. Born and bred te Reo speaker Matt Hakiaha, who spoke at the Auckland proceedings, described as a “wonderful Read more