Rob McGowan, a former Catholic priest, has spent 20 years in teaching, researching and assisting Māori engage in traditional uses of native plants. McGowan is one of the foremost authorities on rongoā Māori (traditional Māori medicine) and is well respected nationally for his work with and for the restoration of rongoā Māori practice in New Read more
A New Zealander, Peter Cooper, has donated $US50 million to Georgetown Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Established in 1789, Georgetown is the USA’s oldest Catholic and Jesuit university. The donation is for the creation of a leadership programme for the university’s student-athletes, and to fund a sports field. “The athletics program at Georgetown has played a significant Read more
The Futuna Chapel in Wellington features on the cover of a new book about New Zealand churches. In the book architect John Scott’s work is described as “not just the best church in New Zealand, but the best building.” Worship features photographs by acclaimed photographer Jane Ussher which are accompanied by stories on each by Read more
Church goers in Paihia may be busting to go to the loo – but they can’t go yet. St Paul’s Anglican Church, known as the stone church, on Marsden Rd in Paihia has been trying to build a toilet block for forty years. Due to building on consecrated ground and heritage restrictions their plans have Read more
About 200 people turned up at Hamilton’s St Peter’s Cathedral this afternoon to farewell Br Brian Harley, a 90-year-old Franciscan Friar who spent the last 10 years of his life at Hamilton’s Friary of Divine Compassion. When you consider that Br Brian had long had a love of what he called a “semi-erimitical life” – Read more
The Nazareth Community of Care retirement village and aged care complex is now well underway on the Sisters of Nazareth site in Brougham St, Sydenham in Christchurch The state of the art complex is a new development for the Sisters, and marks their entry into the retirement living market. It is a boutique development that Read more
Plans for a controversial new $5 million Catholic school at Speargrass Flat near Arrowtown have been dropped in favour of a more central location. Speargrass Flat residents went to the High Court in a bid to stop the school, appealing an Environment Court ruling which upheld Queenstown council’s granting of resource consent. They lost an appeal Read more
The $3 Christmas stamp issued by New Zealand Post features one of three windows portraying the Nativity story in St Benedict’s Church in Auckland. The window portrays the three wise men from the east, the Magi, being lead to the Christ child in the stable in Bethlehem. Other stamps feature stained glass windows from St Read more
Another Auckland woman has found her job prospects limited because she wears a Muslim headscarf. Fatima Abdulkarem, 19, has turned down a job trial at a juice bar at Auckland Airport over what she felt was discriminatory and racist treatment during her job interview. Her story followed that of Fatima Mohammadi, 20, who was turned Read more
Doctors hope to have Christchurch bishop Barry Jones on his feet soon after he suffered his third stroke. Vicar general Father Rick Loughnan confirmed Jones was taken to hospital from his Christchurch home about midday Sunday after suffering a stroke. It is Jones’ third stroke in recent years. His second happened around October 14 after Read more