Palmerston North’s new deputy mayor, Debi Marshall-Lobb, is a former Catholic school principal. Among her many leadership roles in education, she’s the former principal of Hato Pāora Catholic Māori Boys’ College and Masterton’s Chanel College. Mayor Grant Smith sees a positive future for Marshall-Lobb (Rangitāne and Ngāti Rangi), who is fluent in New Zealand’s three Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand says the Government’s call for a conditional moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters is a welcome move. The moratorium will remain in place until strong environmental rules can be agreed and backed up by robust science. “It is welcome news before the International Seabed Authority meets again next week to Read more
One of the five commissioners investigating historical abuse in care has left the inquiry just eight months before it is expected to wrap up and will not be replaced. Julia Steenson was appointed to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry in June 2020, following the resignation of Sir Anand Satyanand as its chair. Read more
An outcry over the contemporary Māori design of the new Te Whare Hononga at the Taranaki Cathedral site in New Plymouth has shocked its Dean. The building has come under fire for being out of sync with St Mary’s – New Zealand’s oldest stone church built in 1846 – and the recently-restored colonial-era vicarage. Construction Read more
Covid subvariants are stalking the community. It’s just weeks since the Government lifted a swathe of protective measures. Some people – like epidemiologist Michael Baker – would like some of these measures restored. Just how any new restrictions might affect just-restored religious practice in New Zealand is of concern. Will it mean a return to Read more
Being a resilient minority in a hostile culture is a challenge, says Greg Sheridan. But he loves a challenge. It’s not every day that you find a secular journalist addressing a room full of Catholic media professionals on the topic of God. Yet that’s what Sheridan does. When he made the resilient minority comment, he Read more
Māori Catholic boys’ school, Hato Pāora College, celebrated its 75th jubilee over Labour Weekend. Generations of former students gathered to reminisce about their time at the celebrated school. As one past pupil said: “We are unique. We are the only Māori Catholic Boys College in the world! So let’s remember; let’s celebrate; let’s build a Read more
More than 20 rapes or near rapes and thousands of cases of sexual harassment have been revealed in a survey of students at two Christchurch high schools. The survey at Avonside Girls High School documented incidents of body shaming, cat calling, taunts and unwanted touching. Meanwhile, the survey at Shirley Boys High School, which shares Read more
A Christchurch high school has slammed its students’ choice of dress-up theme, after learning of a proposed “wife beater Wednesday”, which was canned a day before the dress-up event. Year 13 students from St Bede’s College, the Catholic boys’ school, were intending to dress up in white singlets, sometimes referred to as “wife beaters” before Read more
Accolades continue for the New Zealand Catholic bishops’ trailblazing document on sexual diversity. The latest comes from David Palmieri of Outreach, a US LGBTQ Catholic resource. “Aroha and Diversity in Catholic Schools, manifests the love of Jesus Christ in its courage to seek “respect, compassion, and sensitivity” for LGBTQ children in Catholic schools and colleges” Read more