Northlanders wanting to buy their first home but struggling to save a deposit are being offered a helping hand through Habitat for Humanity. The charity was providing the largest number of affordable houses to be built in Whangārei, with 24 homes under way in Tikipunga and Kensington, northern region chief executive Conrad LaPointe said. It Read more
The Vatican expressed concern about the violence waged at a political rally in the United States and has offered prayers for the nation, the victims and peace. In response to queries about the shootings at a rally involving former U.S. President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania, the Vatican press office released a statement July 14 expressing Read more
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) said this week it is mobilising humanitarian supplies after the extremely powerful Hurricane Beryl blew through the Caribbean, killing numerous people and destroying or damaging thousands of buildings. Beryl struck in late June and was the earliest-forming Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic Ocean. Its wind speeds peaked at Read more
“The Bible in 10 Minutes,” a new viral video offering by Father Mike Schmitz and Ascension, earned 358,000 views in just 24 hours. The data was released on July 10 news release by Exton-based Ascension, a multimedia Catholic network and a leader in Catholic faith formation and digital content. The audience response makes this Father Read more
DoorDash, known for its food delivery service, has recently marked a milestone for a less visible aspect of its business: supporting faith-based groups and other nonprofits as they aid people facing hunger and poverty. In June, DoorDash announced it delivered more than 100 million charity meals via its Project DASH, often involving drivers delivering 20 Read more
Several Northland charities are struggling to keep up with the significant increase in service demands from pensioners desperately trying to make ends meet. For one Moerewa woman in her 70s, paying her bills and asking for help was not easy. “Like most elderly, I don’t want to feel like I’m a burden to anyone,” Moana Read more
Five Catholics and six Protestants who were jailed in Vietnam for a range of offences related to “religious activities” dating back to 2011 have gone missing, highlighting a larger problem within the communist country’s judicial system, the International Christian Concern (ICC) has said. It said nine of the Christians had been jailed for “undermining national Read more
The 13-year-old accused of a fatal stabbing at Dunedin’s bus hub has been bailed. The defendant, who previously pleaded not guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Enere McLaren-Taana, appeared in the High Court at Dunedin last week seeking electronically monitored release pending trial and continuation of his name suppression. Justice Lisa Preston reserved her decision Read more
The Vatican has prohibited the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga. This rite customarily takes place after the annual Our Lady of Christendom pilgrimage in Spain. The organizers of the fourth edition of the pilgrimage announced the prohibition in a July 6 post on X: “At the Read more
In the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia, a record 15,000 people filled the streets during the annual Corpus Christi Eucharistic procession, which has doubled in size over the last few years. “I can see the spirit at work in the people in their response at a parish level. They are very keen to lift up the Read more