News Shorts

Silent films awoken with live organ score at Feilding church

Thursday, July 11th, 2019

A pair of antique instruments brought each other new life in Feilding. A collection of silent films was played with a live organ accompaniment at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church last Saturday. Read more

Catholic school to help fired teacher find new job

Thursday, July 11th, 2019

An attorney says a Catholic high school teacher fired for being in a same-sex marriage has reached a settlement in which the Indianapolis school will help the teacher with future employment options. Attorney Kathleen DeLaney announced the settlement with Cathedral High School in a news release on Tuesday. In it, the teacher thanks Cathedral for Read more

Government abortion law announcement ‘weeks away’ . . . again

Thursday, July 11th, 2019

Abortion law reform advocates are calling for the Government to “get the lead out” after what appears to be further delay to long-awaited legislation. Justice Minister Andrew Little has been looking at potential changes to New Zealand’s four-decade-old abortion laws, including whether to take abortion out of the Crimes Act, since early last year. Read Read more

Dangerous bill on seal of confession withdrawn before key hearing

Thursday, July 11th, 2019

In a last-minute twist, a California bill that would have required priests to break the sacramental seal of confession was shelved by its sponsor amid a remarkable grassroots campaign mounted by the state’s Catholics, members of other faith groups, and religious liberty advocates from across the country. S.B. Bill 360 was withdrawn the day before Read more

Number of suicides reaches 10-year peak, new data reveals

Thursday, July 11th, 2019

New Zealand had the highest number of suicides in 10 years in 2016, according to the latest provisional data released by the Ministry of Health. It was up from 529 in 2015, and 510 in 2014. Males were the most represented in the figures, with 412 committing suicide in 2016, compared to 141 females. Continue Read more

Anger at request to remove garden Virgin Mary statue

Monday, July 8th, 2019

Every morning, each member of the Samona family stops to pray in front of a small statue of the Virgin Mary that adorns the flower bed in the yard of their Novi, Detroit home. They pause again in front of the tiny statue when they return home at day’s end. It’s been part of the Read more

Video about Catholic prison chaplains released

Monday, July 8th, 2019

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has released a video on Catholic Prison Chaplaincy in New Zealand, to raise awareness around the work of the Church in our prisons. Interviews with four Catholic prison chaplains provide some insights into their experiences working with communities within our prisons. As well as the day-to-day chaplaincy role of Read more

Six PNG men jailed for abusing women accused of sorcery

Monday, July 8th, 2019

Six men in Papua New Guinea who tortured three women they claimed had practised sorcery have been sentenced to eight years each in jail. Justice David Susame told a National Court hearing in New Ireland, that it is becoming a practice in some parts of the country to round up people, accuse them of sorcery, Read more

Salvation Army to trial free GP clinic in West Auckland

Monday, July 8th, 2019

The Salvation Army is to trial a free GP clinic in West Auckland because it says there’s an immediate demand for it. It is holding the clinic once a week over July at the army’s Waitākere centre. We want to respond to those most in need and we will also continue to support people, advocate Read more

Child Poverty Begins in the Womb

Monday, July 8th, 2019

Why is the Prime Minister ignoring the poverty of children in the womb? Since she became Prime Minister nearly 19,000 innocent and defenceless children have been violently killed in their mother’s womb. Right to Life commends the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern who is also the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction for her passionate commitment to Read more