On Saturday 5th December before a full church at St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Deacons Do Nguyen, Tien Cao and Thanh Tran were ordained to priesthood. These are the first of our Vietnamese men to be ordained to priesthood, after arriving over seven years ago to learn English before entering Holy Cross Seminary. The church was full Read more
News Shorts
Contraception: Family First and Family Planning agree
Tuesday, December 8th, 2015
Both Family First and Family Planning agree that careful consideration should be given before someone under that age of 16 is put on some form of contraception. While family Planning say, “the general idea is to have it before it’s needed,” they say caution must be exercised. “There’s no minimal age, but there are cautions Read more
Greeting to the Jewish community for the coming festival of Hanukkah
Tuesday, December 8th, 2015NZ Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations have sent the following letter to Jewish community in New Zealand: Dear brothers and sisters in the Jewish community in Aotearoa New Zealand, On behalf of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations, I send you warm greetings as you celebrate Hanukkah from 7 to 14 Read more
Papal shoes part of climate change action
Friday, December 4th, 2015Pope Francis sent a pair of papal shoes for an art installation in Paris in support of climate change action ahead of the COP21 meeting. The papal shoes – black Oxfords – joined thousands of other sneakers, slippers and pumps in a symbolic march at the Place de la Republique. The art installation was a Read more
Plans for Pontifical Franciscan University in Rome by 2018
Friday, December 4th, 2015The heads of four Franciscan communities have announced plans to establish a Pontifical Franciscan University in Rome by 2018. This was announced by the Ministers General of the First Order in a letter dated November 29. “As an expression of the academic unity of the Franciscan family, this project will be committed to an emphasis Read more
Pope calls for ‘revolution of tenderness’ in Church
Friday, December 4th, 2015Pope Francis has called for a “revolution of tenderness” in the world and in the Catholic Church. He took his church to task in an interview published on Wednesday in Credere, a Catholic magazine reporting on the Holy Year of Mercy. Francis lamented that the Church itself “falls into the temptation to take a hard Read more
Mother Teresa remembered in Auckland
Friday, December 4th, 2015Be the change, Be ‘Mother Teresa’, that was the message that came from the inter-faith committee meeting that was held in Auckland recently. This is an annual event held by The Mother Teresa Centennial Committee. This year’s meeting was held on November 21 at Christ the King Church, Auckland and saw the Minister of Ethnic Read more
Priests ask funeral directors not to include a charge for priest
Friday, December 4th, 2015The Priests’ Council in Wellington has asked funeral directors to ensure that their clients are not given the impression that payments relating to a church-based funeral are non-negotiable, or that Catholic clergy expect to be reimbursed for their service. “Please understand that we do not charge for our services. It would therefore be appreciated that Read more
Cooks doctor told not to facilitate abortion appointments
Friday, December 4th, 2015The Cook Islands Ministry of Health has told the country’s only gynecologist to stop making appointments at the Epsom Day Clinic in Auckland for women who want an abortion. “Before, I could ring and make an appointment at the Epsom Day Unit, so they could go there,” Doctor May Aung has told the Cook Islands Read more
Bleeding communion host inquiry in Salt Lake City
Tuesday, December 1st, 2015Church authorities in Salt Lake City are investigated the case of a communion host that appears to be bleeding. The consecrated host was reportedly placed in a glass of water by a priest to whom it was returned during Mass. Three days later, churchgoers at St Xavier Church in Kearns reported the host had not Read more