A Ministry Formation Day last Saturday helped parishioners in their liturgical and pastoral ministries. A bonus was that parishioners from all five towns in the Wairarapa parish worked together for the first time since the parish was formed in 2015. Ministry formation is necessary because most of us think of our involvement in the Church Read more
A 110-year-old building that once served as a Catholic presbytery has been transformed into a stunning family home in the South Wairarapa countryside. The villa was formerly home to St Mary’s Catholic Church’s parish priest in Carterton and was hauled away in pieces in the middle of the night in November last year. The building Read more
A former Catholic church on the main road through Carterton is dismally neglected. Since the Catholic Parish of the Wairarapa sold the property in 2021, the once cared-for Catholic church is now seen as an eyesore. Rubbish, debris and overgrown leaves surround the now-empty St Mary’s church on the corner of King Street and SH2 Read more
The Archdiocese of St Louis, Missouri, has suspended the mergers of several parishes that have appealed their closures to the Vatican. Mike Stevens of St Roch’s parish spoke to the media, saying the parish is a vital component of what goes on in the community, it’s also very integrated into the community. Under the restructuring Read more
Wairarapa parishioners in Carterton were disappointed to see their parish house hauled away last week. Former parish council member Asrina Hutchinson told Stuff it was sad to see the building go after it played such an important role in the community over the years. “It was a very happy place and very much a parish Read more
The café is a place where I not only find a drink and a croissant but also the convenience of somewhere to write. In so many ways, it has replaced the pub as a meeting place, a stop-off point for anyone and everyone to pause a while over a hot coffee, to read or have Read more
Evangelisation doesn’t depend on big parishes, says Hanoi’s Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien. Even tiny ones, like those with just 70-200 parishioners each, can still evangelise others. The way Catholics live out their faith is what’s important, he says. They should trust in God, who always loves and blesses them. They should also try to Read more
Wairarapa parishioners in Greytown have announced a Sunday Morning prayer service to replace what was their regular Sunday Mass. The group establishing the service say while Sunday Mass is available in Masterton or Featherston, these options do not always work for everyone. “It also does not support the local community,” Gerard McGreevy of the Establishment Read more
Of 75 buildings in the Wairarapa tagged as ‘high seismic risk’, civic officials have listed St Patrick’s Church in Masterton as one of six deserving priority attention. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise (MBIE) rates St Patrick’s as only 26% NBS compliant (New Building Standard). Church engineers originally rated the building at a much Read more
Many in the Wairarapa Catholic community are mourning orders to close three of its five Catholic churches. Earthquake-prone building regulations, ageing populations and shrinking Mass attendance have all had a part to play in deciding to close the buildings. Cardinal John Dew, of the Wellington Catholic Archdiocese, said at least one Sunday Mass or Vigil Read more