The last summer was a hot and dry one, with above average temperatures and below average rainfall for many parts of New Zealand. The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research’s (NIWA) summer climate summary was released Tuesday, showing it was the ninth warmest summer on record, with a nationwide average temperature of 17.6C. The Read more
A scam artist who impersonated a priest across multiple US states recently targeted a Catholic church in New York City, managing to steal nearly $1,000, according to police. NYPD Crime Stoppers said in a post on X on Wednesday that it was offering a $3,500 reward for tips leading to the arrest of a man Read more
A new vaccine is now available following its recent approval by Pharmac to combat the newer strains of Covid-19. The transition to the updated vaccine for the XBB.1.5 strain took place yesterday after its approval was announced in a statement by Pharmac and Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand last month. ‘‘The XBB vaccine is Read more
For this year’s International Women’s Day, the global Catholic charity organisation Caritas Internationalis has published a new booklet exploring both the spiritual foundation of women’s leadership and giving voice to female protagonists around the world. In a forward for the booklet titled “Equality, Encounter and Renewal”, which was published March 7, Sister Alessandra Smerilli, secretary Read more
On Friday, the Vatican named artificial intelligence pioneer Demis Hassabis, head of Google DeepMind, to its scientific academy, as Pope Francis seeks to influence the expansion of technology. The 47-year-old Briton was included on a list of experts named to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, alongside Nobel prize-winning physicists Andrea Ghez and Didier Queloz. Founded Read more
Church Militant, the controversial Catholic media outlet that has for years maintained a reputation for combative and antagonistic coverage of Catholic figures and issues, will cease operations next month following a $500,000 defamation judgment against it. Boston-based law firm Todd & Weld said in a press release this week that Church Militant had “agreed to Read more
Residents of Auckland’s wealthy eastern suburbs say they are aghast by the loss of an Anglican church, seemingly to be replaced by a temple to gluttony and consumption. A resource consent application by McDonald’s to build a new 24/7 restaurant on the site of the St James on Ōrākei’s Kepa Road saw the involvement of Read more
Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for an end to the conflict in Gaza, as he showed signs of recovery after suffering from bronchitis. On Saturday, the 87-year-old pope delegated the reading of a speech at a ceremony to an aide, and on Wednesday, he made a brief trip to a Rome hospital after he missed Read more
The churches of Whanganui and Districts are the focus of an historical record project to document places of worship in 2024 by the Whanganui Camera Club (WCC), which is teaming up again with the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust. This follows a successful 2022 Domestic Houses Heritage Project, which photographed houses of architectural styles or periods Read more
On Maundy Thursday, Queen Camilla will take over the distribution of the so-called Maundy money for her husband and King Charles III, who is suffering from cancer. Buckingham Palace announced this on Monday evening. The associated service will occur in Worcester Cathedral in the west of England. Charles has continued this tradition of his mother, Read more