Jehovah’s Witnesses target grief and see the recently bereaved as “ripe fruit” for conversion, a former elder of the faith says. Vince and Michele Tylor spoke out after reading the story of Wellington woman Jean Sergent-Shadbolt, who received a handwritten letter from a Jehovah’s Witness three months to the day after her step-cousin, friend and Read more
St Theresa’s School in Plimmerton, near Wellington has won an award for promoting New Zealand Sign Language, after only including it in curriculum at the beginning of this year. A deaf pupil began in the new entrants class in term 1, and sign language is needed to communicate with him. The school received the New Read more
Pope Francis has signed the statutes for a new “mega-dicastery” in the Vatican for laity, family and life. The Pontifical Councils for Laity and for the Family will become one dicastery, also a pontifical council. The new body should begin its work on September 1, but it is still unknown who will head it. Francis Read more
A bishop in Argentina has recognised as supernatural the apparitions of Our Lady to a local woman. Bishop Hector Cardelli of San Nicolas in Argentina’s Buenos Aires province made the announcement on May 22 concerning Our Lady of the Rosary of San Nicolas. Apparitions from 1983 to 1990 have been investigated and approved as worthy Read more
Panel members at a conference organised by women’s ordination supporters have different views on conjectured future female deacons. The five-person panel met as part of the “Open to the Door to Dialogue” conference held in Rome earlier this month. Last month, Pope Francis said he would create a commission to study the history of female Read more
A Nelson nurse who helped spread a revolutionary approach to healing across the world nearly 20 years ago is still dedicating her life to the cause. Elaine Tyrrell has the honour of receiving The Queen’s Service Medal for her services to health. As the first Anglican parish nurse in New Zealand, Tyrrell turned her nursing Read more
The director of Papua New Guinea’s national museum said he would ensure compliance with a national court ruling against the Speaker of Parliament’s removal of cultural carvings and a totem pole from the national Parliament. The speaker, Theo Zurenuoc, had claimed that the cultural adornments were unholy and that their removal was part of the Read more
Lee Eastham, a former Catholic, converted to Islam in January and said he was looking forward to his first religious fast that would bring him closer to God. Ramadan has begun for Muslims and adherents, like Eastham, will fast from dawn until dusk each day over a 30-day period. Because Ramadan runs over the shortest Read more
A jewel in the capital’s architectural crown is set to celebrate two anniversaries this weekend. Old St Paul’s church will mark 150 years since its consecration, as well as the 50th anniversary since being bought by the Holyoake government. Continue reading
The heads of the Anglican and Catholic churches in the United Kingdom produced their first joint Facebook Live video last week. Archbishop Justin Welby and Cardinal Vincent Nichols took part in an unscripted discussion from Lambeth Palace. They answered questions that came in and spoke on a variety of topics including Pentecost and prayer. One Read more