Dunn made the comment at a farewell lunch for Dame Lyndsay Freer, who for so long was the voice and face of Catholic Communications in New Zealand, and latterly communications spokesperson for the Auckland Diocese.

Freer has been involved in church communication for over 37 years. The Auckland Diocese on Saturday marked her significant contribution with a light lunch for 40 people at the Pompallier Diocesan Centre.

A once regular in the nation's media, Freer modernised Catholic communications in New Zealand.

Auckland based, she fronted the Church's engagement with media reporters and journalists who regularly contacted her for comment.

Freer showed that modern communication, a subtle art, is conversational, and how something is said is as important as the substance.

An excellent judge of the mood and tone of the message, Freer knew the right touch and the media's ability to receive what she was saying.

There were many times when she did not want to comment, did not want to have her voice or her image associated with a range of topics, yet she fronted, always using the opportunity to sow a seed, make a point or simply to keep the relationship and the conversation open for the next media request.

A professional, she respected the media but in line with Pope John Paul II's catchphrase, she was not afraid.

Emeritus Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn led the speeches at the farewell.

Dunn told the gathering that the Church has been very fortunate to have had Freer in this pivotal role for so long.

"The Church in New Zealand was the envy of Churches in other countries," Dunn said.

He commented that other churches were astounded with what New Zealand was able to achieve in having such a competent, talented and articulate person to help explain Church positions in the media.

It was a point reinforced after lunch when a guest commented that Freer gave Catholics and Christianity comfort in their faith and helped give them reason to believe.

Dunn praised former Auckland bishop Denis Browne's inspirational move to employ Freer initially as Auckland's communications spokesperson.

Competence has its detractors

Changing Catholic communications in New Zealand to engage with the media proved a threat to some people in the Church.

Something had changed in and around the bishops' conference.

Dunn explained that there was an idea surrounding the Conference that the New Zealand Church should have a variety of voices presenting the bishop's views to the media.

"I felt at the time that this was a mistake.

"I am now even more firmly convinced that we (the bishops) lost the plot.

"The Church has lost ‘brand recognition' since Lyndsay stepped down from the national role," said Dunn.

Implying the bishops' new model of Catholic communications is a lost opportunity, he suggested it may be a case of the Church talking more to itself than engaging in dialogue with the world.

Dunn says the decision has almost removed the church from the public eye.

Accentuating the positive of the previous communication model, Dunn said Freer epitomised professionalism, competence and respect and cited a recent example of how she even dealt with a media call at 9 pm on Good Friday!

"Talkback hosts, newspaper reporters or TV news producers sometimes do not know who to call if they want a quick and always ‘immediate' comment from the Church.

"I thought it ironic that, even after her retirement, Radio NZ still phoned her at 9pm on Good Friday for some comments on how church attendances were going with the change to the Orange Covid Traffic Light.

"Lyndsay had no idea where to refer them at that hour so made a quick comment herself which was then quoted on radio news bulletins for most of Holy Saturday morning!"

"It proves my point that the NZ Catholic Church does need to rethink our media strategy," said Dunn.

Speaking with CathNews afterwards, a guest agreed with Dunn, saying the people of God are blessed with many God-given gifts and posed the question why we (the Church) are not using them.

"Seminaries teach people the likes of philosophy, scripture and theology. They encourage an interior life of prayer. Ordination is no guarantee bishops and priests have skills other than what the seminary taught them," she said.

Also at the lunch was media trainer and RNZ host, Jim Mora, who commented that people in the media who might not be sympathetic to the message respected Freer, the messenger, because of her expertise, professionalism and her manner in relating to them.

Long-time media training specialists and now friends of Freer, Brian Edwards and Judy Callingham also joined the occasion.

Pope Francis, in a 2020 message to the Catholic Press Association, urged Catholic media to build bridges, defend life and break down visible and invisible walls that prevent dialogue and truthful communication between individuals and communities.

At the initial outbreak of Covid-19, Francis commented "recent months have shown how essential is the mission of the communications media for bringing people together, shortening distances, providing necessary information, and opening minds and hearts to truth."

Additional sources

• Supplied
• Vatican News

"I can't see properly and I'm not Maori," Bishop Dunn said. "I had huge doubts doing it but mostly because of my eyesight. Because I can't read to prepare. It's not easy to prepare."

Bishop Dunn taught seven classes in the second semester and asked Fr David Dowling to talk with the seminarians to see if they found the classes useful. Read more

Dr Joe Grayland makes the comment in a comment and analysis piece in today's CathNews.

The National synodal synthesis calls for "liturgical language that is welcoming, inclusive, less misogynistic, and hierarchical, and more consonant with contemporary theology, language that includes, builds up, heals wounds and affirms."

The synthesis describes the language of the current translation of the Roman Missal as "flat".

It's a point not lost on New Zealand's bishops.

In a 2015 letter to The Tablet, theologian and Emeritus Bishop of Palmerston North called for an overhaul of the English missal.

He called it "clunky, awkward and a too literal translation of the Latin original".

However, writing in today's CathNews, Grayland says recent changes by Pope Francis mean the ball is in the NZ Bishops' court; that changing the language in the Roman Missal is already possible.

"Synodal feedback calls for reworking the current Roman Missal to provide better, more straightforward and accessible liturgical language. Sadly, this request reads as if this change were not already possible," Grayland writes.

He says that straightforward and accessible liturgical language has been available since Pope Francis published Magnum Principium (The Great Principle).

He says the Pope has already given individual Bishops' conferences permission to work on and issue modifications to liturgical texts.

"In Magnum Principium, Francis shifted the responsibility and the authority for translating liturgical texts to the episcopal conferences by modifying clauses two and three of canon 838 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law.

"He also redefined and limited the role of the then Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, now the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments," writes Grayland.

Asked if he found it strange that the NZ Bishops would make a synodal recommendation when they already have the delegated authority to act, Grayland says that it is important to see the recommendation in the context of a whole New Zealand church synodal response.

However, he says Pope Francis has put the onus on local bishops.

Grayland says this work can be done only by a team of professional liturgical theologians and assisted by other professionals and the work will probably not be undertaken without these resources because New Zealand is such a small country.

In the meantime, Grayland suggests the NZ Bishops' conference permit using the ICEL 1998 "presidential prayers and propers".

He says it will bring a higher standard of written and proclamatory English into the Mass and other sacraments again.

In light of Pope Francis' Magnum Principium and that priests, unhappy with the new literal translation, the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference asked ICEL in 2017 to review its 1998 draft Roman Missal translation.

The then President of the NZ Bishops' conference, Patrick Dunn, said the New Zealand bishops acknowledged they could work independently but, for the sake of unity, were not inclined to.

The appointment was announced in Rome at midnight New Zealand time and means the dioceses of Hamilton, Palmerston North and Christchurch are without bishops pending Pope Francis announcing new appointments.

Bishop Lowe replaces Bishop Pat Dunn, who has served since 1994. Bishop Dunn is retiring.

The Diocese of Auckland has almost 40 per cent of New Zealand's 471,000 Catholics.

"I am humbled at being asked by the Holy Father to be the Bishop of Auckland and the successor of Bishop Pat Dunn, a much loved Bishop," says Bishop Lowe.

"Auckland is our largest Diocese and our first Diocese. When I look at the bishops who have served Auckland, starting with Bishop Pompallier, they all had the challenges of their time and circumstances. But they also had their own unique gifts and talents and the gifts and talents of the people of God. So I'm looking forward to becoming part of the Diocese of Auckland as we work together for the building of God's kingdom."

Bishop Lowe was ordained as Bishop of Hamilton in February 2015. Born in Hokitika, he was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Christchurch in his home town at Hokitika in 1996.

He served as the assistant priest in the Mairehau, Ashburton and Greymouth parishes before being appointed parish priest of Timaru North and Chaplain of Roncalli College in 2000. From 2005-2007 he completed a Licence in Spiritual Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He was appointed to Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland in 2008 where he served as Formation Director until the end of 2014. While based there, he served for a time as Parish Priest of Ponsonby.

Bishop Lowe is the Vice President and Secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, and the bishops' representative on Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika o Aotearoa, the Church's national Maori advisory group. He is also a member of several other bodies including the National Safeguarding and Professional Standards Committee.

The Act comes into force on 7 November.

The big pastoral issue revolves around whether or not to give the last rites to people who choose assisted suicide or euthanasia.

The last rites include three sacraments: Confession, Anointing of the Sick and Dying and Holy Eucharist. These sacraments are given to Catholics seriously ill or in danger of dying.

Dunn says the bishops have discussed this issue at their last bishops' Conference meeting. At this, they agreed "to seek wider input" on the issue.

"We have got to be careful," Dunn says.

"The bishops are concerned about offering these [rites] to people being euthanised, but are seeking feedback."

This will include looking at what's appropriate in terms of giving guidance and advice to those who are thinking of availing themselves of assisted suicide or euthanasia.

There are dilemmas such as whether priests should "sit by the bed while the doctor's doing the injection saying the prayer for the dying."

" It's a bit odd, isn't it?" Dunn says.

So far the bishops have agreed it might be acceptable to hear the confession of those who choose assisted dying.

In doing so, they would ne, "hoping all the time this might help them to not go ahead with what they're doing," Dunn says.

But any decision the bishops make will be structured so it cannot undermine the position of Catholic medical practitioners, who refuse to take part in assisted suicide or euthanasia because of conscientious objection.

Dunn says the bishops were disappointed with the passage of the Abortion Legislation Act and the End of Life Choice Act. They did all they could to prevent these from becoming law, Dunn says.

"It's like a tide. This (euthanasia) is one of the terrible signs of the times. How do we respond as a Church?"

"In some ways, all we can do is keep emphasising what we believe and then try to show the compassionate face of the Father."

"All we can do is to keep affirming the worth and the preciousness of every human life, even though we are living in a situation which we find so abhorrent," Dunn says.

Dunn says it seems the ordinary person thinks assisted suicide is a compassionate act, a merciful thing.

"The trouble is — this sort of act can have a creeping effect. The big fear is that old people or chronically unwell people could begin to feel‘well, I'm a burden on my family, a burden on society. I'm no good. My life has no value. I just want to end it'.

"It actually has consequences that are negative for society. I sort of hope in a way that it won't be taken up much, but you never know."

Source

• NZ Catholic
• Image:NZ Herald
  

Otahuhu Catholic Parish and School communities is sending help to those affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in India, says Lyndsay Freer, Media and Communications Officer for the Catholic Diocese of Auckland.

"Calling the earth 'Our Common Home,' Pope Francis asks us to stand together globally, in solidarity, to care for each other as sisters and brothers," Freer says.

She says many members of migrant communities in New Zealand are watching helplessly as their loved ones back home are suffering or have died as a result of the pandemic.

While there are signs of a decrease in daily reported cases in India, there have been 28,175,044 infections and 331,895 Covid-19-related deaths reported there since the pandemic began, she notes.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand will send the Covid-relief fundraiser proceeds to Caritas India. The Indian charity is working on the ground to assist those afflicted with the often-deadly virus.

Auckland's Catholic Bishop Patrick Dunn who will attend the Concert, says prayer and the concert will make us more aware of what Indian families here and in India are suffering.

This our small way of supporting them, he says.

Children and young people from the Otahuhu Parish of St Joseph, and McAuley High School, De La Salle College and St Joseph's Primary School will be among those taking part in the concert.

Others contributing to the fundraiser include established artists of many different ethnicities, who are generously offering their services.

Source

• Indian News Link
• Image: Straits Times

"In particular we recognise the importance during this Alert Level 3 period of not gathering in our churches, staying home unless essential, and not leaving the borders of the Auckland area.

"We offer our prayers for all who have been given the responsibility of decision-making and who are guiding our nation through this challenging time.

"We commit ourselves to support those endeavours in every respect."

Dunn joined with church leaders in Auckland making the statement.

The combined statement is a response to the revelation that Efeso Collins, an Auckland City Councillor, is receiving online abuse from conspiracy-believing church-goers about the vaccine rollout.

Collins told the NZ Herald he's been hearing conspiracy theories from church-goers about vaccines and COVID-19, including the likes that the vaccines contain microchips, that they can alter our DNA, and that they contain cells from aborted babies.

A new one that emerged this week is that some of the vaccines are running software that can be updated remotely, perhaps by 5g networks!

This week, Collins pro-vaccine stance came under particular focus with people's vitriol directed against him, his faith and integrity.

"I've received a number of messages today with people saying the church should ex-communicate me and calling me to repent for supporting a vaccine rollout in South Auckland," said the Manukau ward councillor.

While surprised by people's response he said he was one among a number of church and community leaders who had been subject to online abuse.

In February the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference made it clear that the Conference rejects the false information circulating on the internet and elsewhere claiming vaccines should not be used.

The bishops urged everyone to have a Covid vaccine when it becomes available.

Conference President Cardinal Dew said the bishops took their advice about vaccines from reputable doctors, scientists and the bishops' own bioethics agency, the Nathaniel Centre.

"Everyone, including Catholics, has a moral responsibility to protect themselves and others by getting a Covid-19 vaccine as soon as they become eligible for it under the Government's planned vaccine programme."

Dew also reminded everyone of what can happen when people don't take advantage of vaccination.

The 2019-20 New Zealand measles epidemic happened because only about 80 per cent of the population were vaccinated, he said.

Religious historian Peter Lineham told The AM Show on Tuesday most churches would preach in favour of vaccination - including Pacific churches, which would feel an "obligation" to "deliver positive messages."

"I think a lot of the problem comes that conspiracy theories generate amongst people who don't have maybe the educational background or the cultural background that connects them to the scientific providers," Lineham said.

"I think that's where the problem comes - people who have got reason to be suspicious of the experts then start thinking, 'they're hoodwinking us, they're telling us something that isn't true'."

"What happens in religious communities is kind of a whispering game, where people pass information from one to another and suddenly there's a whole lot of people verifying something on no information at all. Once you've got that extra information, you feel 'enlightened' - you feel as though you see through the things that have been deceiving the world overall."

Sources

• Facebook
• NewsHub
• NZ Herald
• CathNews NZ

And if we're looking for something to give up, the pope suggests the Lenten season could be a time to give up gossip, Dunn added, in an on-line address on Ash Wednesday.

Dunn is calling on Christians to "pull out all stops" and to live their faith as fully as possible and in reminding them to do so he suggests they draw on the great scriptural aids of prayer, fasting and alms-giving.

He said the 40 days of Lent give us an opportunity to reflect on where we have come from and what we are called to be.

Italian theologian Father Ermes Ronchi also picked up on the pope's recommendations for the new season.

Pope Francis has asked people to do for Lent, they should be directing their attention to the real people around them, Ronchi said.

Instead of being "glued" to the internet, "what if we were to look people in the eye the way we look at our phones, 50 times a day, looking at them with the same attentiveness and intensity, how many things would change? How many things would we discover?" he asked.

Speaking of how to understand Lent and Ash Wednesday during a global pandemic, particularly when many people have already lost so much, Ronchi recalled the natural cycles of life and death, ashes and rebirth.

"Ashes are what is left when nothing is left, it is the bare minimum, the almost-nothing. And it is from here that one can and must begin again, rather than stopping in despair" he said.

Ashes smudged or sprinkled on the faithful are then "not so much about ‘remember you must die,' but ‘remember you must be simple and fruitful.'"

"We are living in a time that can bring us back to the essential, rediscovering what is permanent in our lives and what is fleeting. Therefore, this moment is a gift to be more fruitful, not to castigate."

No matter what measures or restrictions may be in place due to the pandemic, people still have all the tools they need, which no virus can take away: charity, tenderness and forgiveness, and especially opportunities to give up gossip and take up gratitude, he said.

Sources

• YouTube
• Catholic News Service
• Image: NZ Herald

Cardinal John Dew and Bishop Patrick Dunn identified the option in messages to pastoral leaders and people in their respective dioceses.

"If the Alert Level changes back to Level 1 on Wednesday night, we will look at having the belling and distribution of the ashes at Masses next Sunday", Dew wrote.

Meanwhile, there will be no liturgical events nor parish gatherings in the Archdiocese, including weekday Masses, until the Alert Level changes back to Level 1.

Bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn is also looking to the possibility of transferring Ash Wednesday celebrations.

"I need to advise you that all weekday and Ash Wednesday Masses are to be postponed in the Auckland region until at least Thursday", Dunn said on Facebook.

However, he also is not ruling out distributing the Ashes at Sunday Mass.

In contrast, the Coadjutor Archbishop of Wellington and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Christchurch, Bishop Paul Martin SM is calling on Christchurch Catholics to sacrifice the liturgical celebration of Lent and asks the people of Christchurch to pray for those in Auckland, especially those affected by the latest COVID outbreak.

Given what Ash Wednesday means Martin said it is a source of sadness for people in the diocese to be unable to mark the beginning of Lent in this way.

Despite the short notice, he asks that no Ash Wednesday liturgies take place this year, however, notes that Catholics can still begin a time of fasting, prayer and almsgiving.

He has undertaken to distribute a prayer resource to parishes for use at home. The resource will be available today to anyone who calls into a parish to collect one.

Michael Dooley, Bishop of Dunedin, acknowledges the disruption to the start of Lent but calls on Catholics in the name of the common good to use the denial of Ash Wednesday to draw closer to God.

Dooley says that it is over to the parishes to determine whether there will likely be too many in attendance to meet social distancing requirements and the 100 person limit.

He told Dunedin Catholics that there will be no public gatherings of more than 100 people.

However, in an interesting twist, Dooley noted that although the 100 person restriction obviously means most schools will not be able to join with parishes for Ash Wednesday, they will be able to hold their own school liturgies.

Mindful of the 100 person limit and social distancing, Palmerston North parishes are doing their own thing.

Where possible, due to numbers, some will proceed, while others with larger congregations are either opting not to hold an Ash Wednesday ceremony or will work on a first come first served basis and lock the doors once the 100 person limit has been reached.

Officially the Diocese remains in wait for the announcement of a bishop, however as one parish priest told CathNews today, "We don't need a bishop, we're getting on nicely as we are."

The Bishops met early Monday morning to discuss the latest Covid-19 alert level restrictions and given the limited time between the Prime Minister's announcement and Ash Wednesday decided to respond best they could for each diocese.

Their first concern was the safety of people.

In making their decision the bishops noted the potentially volatile nature of the situation and agreed that if necessary, they will meet again later this week to consider what action is needed pending the further expected Government announcements.

The need to change Ash Wednesday arrangements came about due to the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern's Sunday announcement that from midnight Sunday, Auckland would move to alert level 3 and the rest of New Zealand to alert level 2.

The increase in alert levels follows the diagnosis of a south Auckland, mother, father, and daughter with the UK variant of Covid-19.

The new alert level status remains at least until 11:59pm Wednesday 17 February.

Source

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference
• Supplied: Archdiocese of Wellington, Diocese of Auckland, Diocese of Christchurch, Diocese of Dunedin, Diocese of Palmerston North.
• Image: Crosswalk.com

But they are asking the government to just let them know about any perceived weaknesses in the practice of religion so that they can fix them.

The president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference, Bishop Patrick Dunn says he appreciates the prime minister's belief that New Zealand is still at quite a vulnerable stage.

"We all understood the reasons, and we knew that the Government was trying to keep us safe, and we were all trying to support the move to avoid the spread of this pretty deadly virus," Dunn said in a Newsroom report.

But Dunn challenged the prime minister's presumption that people at religious gatherings, whether it's mosques or temples or churches, would automatically be breaking that safe distance rule.

New Zealand Muslim Association president Ikhlaq Kashkari says Kashkari says New Zealand's Muslim community was fully accepting of the lockdown, noting that "human life takes priority over us being able to pray in the mosque".

However, Kashkari says the 10 person limit on religious gatherings came as a shock because he had carefully outlined his health and safety plans to the Government.

They included worshippers bringing their own prayer mat, CCTV, and an online booking system to keep numbers under 100.

"Then you take something like a restaurant or even a game of rugby where people have contact and that's allowed and we're not allowed," he said.

Dunn and Kashkari agree that New Zealand's gains should not be put at risk; their question is whether allowing religious services to resume, with suitable physical distancing and other public health measures, would do so.

If there are any weaknesses in our processes then let them know and they can fix them Kashkari says.

Source

• newsroom.co.nz
• newshub.co.nz
• Image: focustaiwan.tw

Dunn said the 5 pm Vigil Mass at St Mary's on Saturday and the 8.30 am and 10.30 am Masses on Sunday would go ahead as normal because the risk of transmission was regarded as low for persons without symptoms.

Parishioners would be given advice before they entered, and the choice of whether to attend.

"I am advised by health experts that the risk to others at that Mass of contracting Covid-19 is low," Dunn said on Saturday.

"This is because the risk of Covid-19 being passed on by someone not showing symptoms is regarded as low."

"The wellbeing of our parishioners is our first priority, which is why we started to contact them as soon as we became aware today that a parishioner had been diagnosed with Covid-19," Bishop Dunn said on Saturday.

"Our best advice is that the chance of catching any illness in Mass is very low, especially if you heed the standard health advice to wash your hands, avoid close contact with anyone who is ill, and stay at home if you feel ill yourself."

Measures taken

The parish contacted parishioners, especially those who attended the same Mass as the person.

A particular effort was made to ensure older parishioners and those whose health might not be the best were contacted.

The man is recovering

The man first started feeling unwell at the beginning of the week, but has improved considerably now.

He says he was "back to normal" and that there is "nothing to worry about".

"I'm 100 per cent, I'm back to normal," he told Stuff.

His legs were sore enough to make standing difficult but said the symptoms disappeared quickly.

The Ministry of Health says hospital treatment has not been required.

He will recover at home in self-isolation and will be monitored daily by health services.

The man acted in an exemplary way

The man had returned recently from the United States, where there is local transmission of COVID-19.

It was more than 3 days after he arrived back home before he became unwell and the public health assessment is that no one else on the flight is considered to be a close contact.

His partner who travelled with him is well, and currently also in self-isolation.

Once he became unwell, the man did everything right.

When friends in the USA alerted him to their possible link to a COVID-19 case in the USA, on Wednesday he phoned ahead to the GP and told them of his travel history and his symptoms.

The man was then assessed in his car by his GP, with the GP wearing appropriate protective equipment, and a test swab taken.

Source

• Supplied: David McLoughlin
  Communications Adviser, NZ Catholic Bishops
  Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa
• catholic.org.nz
• health.govt.nz
• facebook.com
• stuff.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz

The church was packed to overflowing with many dozens more outside and across the road outside the mosque.

The mosque and the church face each other across Vermont St in the inner city suburb of Ponsonby.

For many years the two worshipping communities have enjoyed a warm and friendly relationship.

On certain significant Muslim holy days, the mosque community uses the parish's parking facilities.

College students in uniform from St Mary's and St Paul's Colleges were present and helped lead the liturgy, as did seminarians from Holy Cross College.

In his welcome, Bishop Pat read the letter from Pope Francis who expressed his sadness, solidarity and prayer.

Psalms showing many commonalities between the Muslim and Christian faiths were prayed, and the prayer of St Francis, ‘Make me a channel of your peace' was sung.

The two Muslim speakers gave moving addresses.

The family of one of them immigrated to Auckland in 1907 and he regards himself as a true Kiwi.

Sadness was mixed with humour in his speech. Referring to the two fully armed policemen who were on duty outside the church, he expressed gratitude to the Catholics for allowing them to park in church grounds and, turning to Bishop Pat, said "You don't need to show mercy when my Muslim brothers block your parking - you can call the police and have them towed".

He said that Muslims considered Mary the most important of all women, and her son, Jesus, a great prophet. Any Muslim who denies Jesus, he said, is not a true Muslim.

The second Muslim speaker, who had lost dear friends in the massacre, spoke of violence and hatred. He mentioned a case where an imam was giving hate speeches in Auckland - the mosque was closed and the imam removed.

He reiterated that the violent act should be answered with love and support.

A collection was taken to be presented to the Muslim community for the support of the Christchurch Muslim families.

After the service, to the singing of Mo Maria, Bishop Pat, the Muslim community and the whole congregation of many denominations and faiths processed with flowers across the road to the mosque and were warmly welcomed inside, where there were speeches of welcome, gratitude and solidarity in faith.

Source

Supplied: Lyndsay Freer. Spokesperson for the Catholic diocese of Auckland

van Schie has spent the last two and a half years as executive officer for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference in Wellington.

Immediately prior to that he was director of parish support and development for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney.

In a statement, Auckland bishop, Patrick Dunn said he is delighted to announced the appointment.

van Schie replaces Mariette van Ryn who finished in August last year.

• Source: NZ Catholic

Late on Tuesday Judge Pheroze Jagose granted the bishop an order to the protesters to leave the land and remove their property within 48 hours.

However, he declined a request by the church's lawyer for a further order authorising police to use force if necessary to evict the protest group.

But when RNZ visited the site on Thursday afternoon around 10 people were gathered beside their cars.

While they declined to comment they said staff from the Diocese had been to visit and they had packed up their things.

As the deadline came around a small procession of cars left the site, leaving the site empty except for their painted signs and flags.

The protest group, which said it represents the two Ngati Paoa families that occupied the land before it was acquired by the Crown in the 1840s, has been living at the college marae since mid-August, before the college closed officially on August 31.

The two families said they were "repossessing" the land because the church is no longer using it for the purposes for which Governor George Grey granted it in 1850.

Grey granted the land to the Catholic Church in 1850 "for the education of children of our subjects of both races and of children of other poor and destitute persons being the inhabitants of the islands in the Pacific Ocean."

A spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese said it was a good outcome and they hoped they could now get on with looking at other opportunities for the site with a number of educational offers already put forward.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: nzherald.co.nz

He worked with Maori communities in the Far North before becoming a University of Auckland theologian.

He also wrote and published books about Maori spirituality.

The Catholic Bishop of Auckland, Pat Dunn, told the New Zealand Herald that the church had received five complaints in 1993 relating to Shirres' sexual abusing.

Annie Hill was one of those abused; she is concerned about the other victims, particularly in Northland.

She is encouraging other victims to come forward.

Hill said she made a complaint about the abuse to a priest in 1993 and thought the matter had been dealt with.

So she was shocked when, in 1995, she discovered Shirres would be talking about Maori spirituality at the school where she taught.

Dunn said the church backed Hill on her call for victims to come forward.

It would do all it could to help them, he said.

"We can't rewrite the past but we're very anxious to support people now if they are still bruised by this horrific abuse that occurred when they were children," Dunn said.

The church became aware of Shirres's offending in the 1990s - about 20 years after it happened - and he went through an independent sex offenders programme.

"At that time the policy with historic cases, as distinct from current cases, was to prioritise the wishes of the complainant," Dunn said.

He said the church's practice was to encourage complainants to go to the police.

The Dominican Order, of which Shirres was a member, worked to support those who had come forward.

"We respected their wishes and realised that if we did not, people would not be prepared to come forward."

Shirres was withdrawn from pastoral ministry in late 1993 and entered into the Safe Network programme to address his predatory behaviour.

He continued lecturing at the Catholic Institute of Theology and the University of Auckland until May 1994.

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• news.com.a
• Image: google.co.nz

The Bishop of Auckland, Patrick Dunn, said he was disappointed by Minister of Education's decision not to close the school.

The a co-educational Year 9-13 state integrated school is located in Northcote on Auckland's North Shore. On 1^st July 2016 the stood at of 49 students, with all of these students identifying as Maori. 90% of the students are boarders.

The hostel was closed in October after the Ministry of Education revoked the Hostel licence "out of concern about the ability of the hostel management and staff to provide a safe environment for boarders".

In July 2016 Bishop Dunn initiated an extensive consultation process on the long term viability of the College, with the possibility of closure.

This consultation process was undertaken by three independent education consultants and included six public hui and four stakeholder hui, along with a number of submissions by interested parties.

The consultation process focused on the following key concerns about the College's long term viability:

• the low roll
• the limited breadth of the curriculum being offered to students
• the College's financial position
• the College's breach of the Integration Agreement
• the breakdown of relationships between the Board of Trustees and the governing body responsible for the boarding hostel.

Bishop Dunn says: "After considering all of the information from the consultation process, my concerns remain."

"In particular, the Consultation Report questions the ability of the College to provide an education that best meets the needs of students, and the opportunities for them to excel to the best of their abilities in the rapidly changing education environment of the 21^st century."

"Having said this I will respect the decision of the Minister."

The Bishop, who is the proprietor of the school, will continue work with the Ministry of Education on the matter.

Source

• Supplied
• tvnz.co.nz
• Image: i.ytimg.com

To allow this to happen the diocese of Auckland, through its agency the Catholic Caring Foundation, has launched an appeal.

Star of the Sea parish in Blenheim has welcomed the move.

"Since our amalgamation of all three parishes including Picton, Blenheim and Kaikoura, we are in a much improved position to identify the needs of the poorest and most vulnerable within our community.," said the spokesperson for the Blenheim Parish.

"Although there is not much information coming out of Kaikoura at the moment we already have an established knowledge on the needs of this community."

"We welcome any support the Catholic Caring Foundation is able to offer and wish to thank the wider Catholic community for its support."

The Catholic Caring Foundation will absorb all administration costs of this campaign so that 100% of all funds raised will go directly to assisting the most affected and most vulnerable families.

Bishop Dunn will determine how these funds will be allocated on an ongoing basis so that donations can have a fast and effective impact on those in distress. In addition, Bishop Dunn has asked for prayers for all those who are affected by the earthquake.

How you can help:

Please consider a donation:

By Post to: The Catholic Caring Foundation, Private Bag 47904, Auckland 1144.

By Direct Credit: BNZ 02-0100-0242648-000
Please include your first and last name as a reference and QUAKE as the code. For a receipt, email info@caringfoundation.org.nz including your mailing address.

By donating securely online: to http://www.caringfoundation.org.nz/donate/online-donations/

• Please specify that your donation is for the QUAKE appeal.
• Please spread the word with your networks, through social media, word of mouth or by copying this statement and emailing to others.
• Run your own fundraising event and donate the proceeds to this campaign.

The Catholic Caring Foundation will publish information on the progress of this initiative.

Source

• www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz
• sunlive.co.nz

Bishop Patrick Dunn was commenting on the announcement that the Government will increase New Zealand's annual refugee quota to 1,000 from 750.

"This increase will mean that for an additional 250 people every year they will be granted acceptance to make a new home in New Zealand, this will be life changing for them and their families." Dunn said said.

"The extent of the global refugee crisis is staggering and the number of people that we can help is never going to solve the issue."

"An end to conflict and persecution and meaningful and lasting peace are the only things that can resolve this crisis," he said.

The Government has also announced that it will launch a community sponsorship pilot programme next year.

The sponsor ship initiative will allow further refugees, over and above the quota.

The Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said this had been done in the past.

In the 1970s Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees who had certain job skills and who could speak English came to New Zealand.

"And of course they were sponsored by churches, Rotary clubs, Lions clubs around the country. I think they settled very well," Woodhouse said.

"In addition to our quota obligations, I think it's worth testing whether that community support we saw last year is enduring and that's what this pilot will look at."

Father Gerard Aynsley, who works with refugees in Dunedin said the pilot programme would be a positive step, but he wanted to see more details.

"I certainly like the idea of community support and community sponsorship, I'd probably like to see it in terms of a public-private partnership.

"My understanding of the Canadian system is that groups and organisations sponsor families and they are responsible entirely for their integration and their coming into the country, so it requires a large amount of money.

"You would still want some government support and I would hope that was part of the pilot."

The government will announce the full details of the community sponsorship pilot programme next year.

Source

• Supplied
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: radionz.co.nz

The celebration took place on the island of Nukunonu.

It was attended by visitors from the other two islands that make up Tokelau, Atafu and Fakaofo, and from New Zealand, Australia and even further afield.

Those who travelled to Tokelau for the occasion include Archbishop Martin Krebs, the Apostolic Delegate to the Pacific, Cardinal Mafi from Tonga, Archbishop Mata'eliga from Apia, Bishop Dunn from Auckland, Bishop Brown from Pago Pago, and priests and sisters from Samoa.

Tokelau is one of the most isolated places on earth.

It is made up of three low lying coral atolls surrounded by the vast Pacific Ocean.

It is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand is comprised of three coral atolls lying 500 kilometres north of Samoa.

There is no airport and the only way of getting there is on the fortnightly ship from Apia, Samoa, a journey of around 24 hours.

The Superior to the Mission is Monsignor Oliver Aro MSP, the only priest in Tokelau based on Nukunonu whose population is almost exclusively Catholic.

Oliver previously served as parish priest in Auckland based at Dargaville and Papatoetoe.

He is supported by two permanent deacons.

The beginnings of the Catholic church in Tokelau are unclear because early history is preserved only in oral traditions.

It seems Catholicism first came to Tokelau as the result of a devastating hurricane which destroyed homes and gardens on Fakaofo in the 1840s.

Most of the population set off in 8 canoes to seek refuge in Nukunonu, but were blown off course. Eventually two canoes reached Wallis where the refugees came into contact with French Marist priests and eventually became Catholic.

One of these early converts was a chief from Nukunonu, Justin Takua, who would later introduce the Catholic Faith to Tokelau.

In the early 1860s the bishop in Wallis heard of further hurricanes and resulting starvation and commissioned a ship to sail from Apia to Tokelau with 16,000 coconuts to provide food for them.

Justin Takua and other Catholic Tokelauans took the opportunity to return home and became the first missionaries to their own people.

Once home they heard the sad news that Peruvian slave traders had raided the islands in the 1850s and had seized 247 of the active men. These raids left Nukunonu with a population of only eighty, mostly women and children, according to early mission records.

Tokelau has been served by Marist priests from the Oceania Province, and by priests from Apia. Monsignor Patrick O'Connor from Wellington was Superior for the Tokelau Mission for 22 years until he was succeeded in 2011 by Monsignor Oliver Aro.

In 1949 the SMSM Sisters began the St John Bosco School on Nukunonu until 1970 and the Sisters of Our Lady of Nazareth continued this work until 1994.

Children now attend the Government School, which has a roll of around 100.

Source

• Bishop Patrick Dunn Facebook
• Image: Facebook

Bishop Pat Dunn returned from a fortnight in Tokelau to clarify that the diocese never intended to sell the Northcote property.

"He has become annoyed at the constantly repeated comments in the media that the diocese is going to sell the land. This has not come from us. We cannot, because it is a Crown grant for educational purposes," he said via a spokeswoman. Continue reading