A Catholic food bank which served Christchurch people for 60 years had to close earlier this month. Catholic Social Services says the cost of essential food items and a lack of donations were behind the decision to close. “It’s terribly sad that our efforts to feed those who cannot afford food ceased because it had Read more
In a display of silence, the John of God Brothers headquarters, based in Rome, did not open the door to Marylands survivor Darryl Smith. Smith, a long-time voice for sexual abuse survivors, was sexually abused as a child while at John of God Brothers residential schools in both New Zealand and Australia. Pleased that finally Read more
A man who suffered sexual abuse as a child at the hands of the Brothers of St John of God is upset. Darryl Smith (pictured) was one of dozens of boys who suffered “extreme abuse and neglect” at Marylands School. Complaints show the school’s abusive reign ran from 1955 to the late 1980s. Now 59, Read more
New Council recommendations may see Christchurch’s new Catholic Cathedral precinct and 600-space parking building go ahead after all. This will come as a relief to developers and the Christchurch Catholic diocese. The diocese was providing $30 million towards development costs – funds it raised for the purpose. Plans with developers were well underway last month Read more
A man has failed to convince the High Court that his late sister’s house should be taken from the Catholic Church and given to him. The Court’s decision in favour of the Church refutes Colin Morais’s claim that it was not using his late sister’s house in accordance with her last wishes. Her wishes were Read more
The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch has added its strength to overwhelming public opposition to an “incredibly valuable” central city site being sold to Wilson Parking. The diocese made one of 267 public submissions on the sale and, of these, 219 oppose the Christchurch City Council (CCC) proposal to sell the site to the Hong Kong-based Read more
The Catholic Diocese of Christchurch will be applying to disinter three bishops who are buried in the earthquake-damaged Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Bishop Grimes, Bishop Edward Joyce, Bishop John Cunneen, are buried under the floor of a side chapel of the cathedral. Grimes, the first bishop of Christchurch, was the driving force behind the Read more
The emeritus bishop Christchurch, Basil Meeking, aged 90 passed away at Christchurch Hospital on 11 June after a short period of ill-health. Meeking was the seventh bishop of Christchurch. He was ordained as a priest in 1953 and then as a bishop in 1987. He served as bishop from 1987 until 1996. Meeking served in Read more
The Christchurch Catholic diocese has spent more than $15 million on several blocks of riverside Christchurch land. The purchases are likely to be the first stakes in a larger site for a complex which may include a new cathedral. Property and company records reveal the Catholic diocese has bought 10 vacant properties in the central city block bordered by Read more
The Catholic bishop of Christchurch, Paul Martin, has released a file on child abuser Cornelius O’Brien to one of his victims, a Christchurch man in his 50s. Martin was asked by RNZ’s Phil Pennington if he thought the church should start publishing the names of clergy whom it had found guilty of abusing children even Read more