Organisers of the country’s longest-running event say it’s no longer viable financially and this year’s event in January was the last. The Parachute Festival has attracted tens of thousands of fans every year to Hamilton since it began in 1992. Founder Mark de Jong, said they reduced ticket prices, slashed operation budgets and did many Read more
Plans by Atlanta archdiocese for part of a bequest from a relative of “Gone With The Wind” author Margaret Mitchell have been criticised as excessive. About US $4.4million has been or is to be spent on residences for priests and Archbishop Wilton Gregory. The money came from a US$15 million bequest from Joseph Mitchell, nephew Read more
Under pressure from Islamic extremists, a civil court in West Java, Indonesia, has revoked the building permit for a Catholic Church in Cibubur. The court president decided to revoke the permit to avoid sectarian violence. Continue reading
A high-profile Catholic priest has been suspended after an investigation found he was in a sham gay marriage to help a Pakistani immigrant stay in Britain. Fr Donald Minchew – a former Anglican who converted to Catholicism after attacking the Church of England’s loss of traditional values – admitted entering into a civil partnership as Read more
Almost 200 students from St Patrick’s College, Wellington New Zealand, pitched in to honour the memory of a former classmate at this year’s Relay for Life. Nick Linney died in August after an 11-month battle with a rare form of bone cancer, Ewing’s sarcoma. The 16-year-old Wellingtonian was an inspiration after his diagnosis, through his Read more
The gardening sister, Loyola Galvin may have retired but she is still gardening. The nun in her early 90s was invested by Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae in a ceremony at Government House last week. She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to gardening. For more than 15 years Read more
Rugby legends, family, friends and colleagues of ex-All Black captain Frank Oliver gathered in Palmerston North yesterday to farewell the man remembered as a ferocious lock. The procession at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit drew hundreds who heard tributes to the ex-Blues coach who died suddenly in his sleep on Sunday. At midday, three Read more
Fortune magazine has named Pope Francis as the world’s greatest leader in a world “starved of leadership”. The global business magazine’s list of 50 men and women had been chosen for “energising their followers and making the world better”. Continue reading
Sunday worship attendance in the Church of England is dropping with fewer than one million people attending services on average in 2012. But Christmas services brought in about 2.5 million people. Continue reading
Pope Francis has announced 24 hours of special opportunities for prayer, Confession and forgiveness on March 29-30. This will happen in Rome and in parishes and dioceses around the world. Continue reading