The Archbishop of Wellington, John Dew, has responded to yet another wave of the media’s perennial fascination with exorcists and exorcism by saying Wellington does not have an appointed exorcist, and as far as he knew, the Wellington Catholic Archdiocese had never needed one. Exorcisms in New Zealand are rare, but they do happen – and Read more
The NZ Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), the Catholic organisation serving visiting seafarers and fishers in NZ ports, held its AGM at the Pa Maria Retreat and Spirituality Centre in Wellington at the weekend. The organisation is reported to be “ship-shape” with sound management and financial reports as well as a boost to volunteer numbers. Read more
A radical group, Catholic Action, is angering some gay-friendly New Zealand MP’s and the NZ Catholic Bishops, the latter seemingly powerless to do anything about the extreme fringe group. Banned by the bishops from using the word Catholic in their name, Catholic Action raised the ire of MP’s after sending an email telling them they were Read more
“God willing they’re going to learn from it,” is the reaction of St Bede’s College, rector, Justin Boyle to four year 10 boys who have been stood down for cyber-bullying. Boyle said cyber-bullying is even more insidious because the younger generation is on the whole far more adept in their use of technology than parents Read more
More government action is needed to address high unemployment and a widening income gap for Pacific people according to a Salvation Army report, “More Than Churches, Rugby and Festivals”. The report claims Pacific people now have the highest unemployment, the lowest incomes and a widening income gap that could mean they’re left behind when the economy Read more
A bill to introduce changes to the social housing sector announced in Budget 2013 passed its first reading in Parliament last Friday. The Social Housing Reform (Housing Restructuring and Tenancy Matters Amendment Bill) allows private sector groups to be allowed to replace Housing New Zealand as providers of social housing. However, Catholic social justice agency Read more
The Budget shows a slow and steady economic recovery, but that should not be the extent of our ambition. We need more urgent attention given to poverty and recovery of social wellbeing, says the Auckland Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace. While the Government is moving towards implementation of some recommendations of the advisory group Read more
In the Archdiocese of Wellington, New Zealand, Archbishop John Dew has drawn up a plan – A Future Full Of Hope – to reduce the number of parishes in the Archdiocese. The plan, based on an extensive two-year review, was recently presented to parish priests, parish leaders and school principals at meetings held at Viard Read more
Colleen Bayer was invested a Dame in the Order of St Gregory the Great on Saturday 11 May at St Therese’s Church Three Kings, Auckland. Speaking at the investiture, Bishop Patrick Dunn said that prior to his resignation, Pope Benedict XVI named Mrs Bayer a Dame in recognition of her pro-life work with mothers and babies Read more
The new Chaldean Patriarch, His Beatitude Louis Raphael I Sako, (on Bishop Dunn’s right) the spiritual leader of Chaldean Catholics throughout the world, visited New Zealand last week for the first time since his elevation to the Patriarchal See in January 2013. Patriarch Sako, who is based in Bagdhad, Iraq, was accompanied by a number Read more