St Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Remuera has put up a billboard showing Mary and Joseph as refugees on a leaky boat being turned away from the European coast. Minister Reverend Glynn Cardy had previously been behind controversial billboards at St Matthew-in-the-city – including one showing Mary and Joseph in bed with the caption, “Poor Joseph, Read more
Although the four weeks of Advent focus on waiting for Christmas, the Church does not just sit around and wait for the main event. It celebrates plenty of major feasts with lots of customs, traditions, and even special foods during the month of December. St. Nicholas Early in the Advent season, Dec. 6, the Church Read more
The arrival of Advent this year is overshadowed by the world’s violence. Distant events press in. A week ago, a young Jewish boy from a town near mine, who was studying and volunteering in Israel, was killed by a Palestinian gunman in the West Bank after he had brought food to Israeli soldiers. I wrote Read more
A Northland anti-domestic violence campaigner says, in the lead up to Christmas, White Ribbon Day is a perfect time to encourage people to stand up to domestic violence. Phil Paikea, champion for the It’s Not OK campaign, said the Christmas/New Year period is the worst time of the year for domestic violence. “I’d like to Read more
The Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS) Trust is not doing away with Christmas, says its chief executive Dr Mary Dawson. “To those who celebrate Christmas, we wish you a very happy Christmas. To those who do not, “season’s greetings”. The Anglican Bishop of Auckland, Ross Bay, says “All very laudable in a way, though an Read more
A leading Auckland migrant settlement agency is avoiding the word Christmas and will instead be talking about “happy holidays” and “season’s greetings”. The Auckland Regional Migrant Services (Arms) says it has taken the move so non-Christians and those who do not celebrate Christmas do not feel excluded. To be multiculturally sensitive, instead of calling its Read more
The $3 Christmas stamp issued by New Zealand Post features one of three windows portraying the Nativity story in St Benedict’s Church in Auckland. The window portrays the three wise men from the east, the Magi, being lead to the Christ child in the stable in Bethlehem. Other stamps feature stained glass windows from St Read more
Historic Church of England village churches could be closed down except on feasts like Christmas and Easter as a move to cope with dwindling congregations. A committee of senior CofE clerics and laity is recommending many village churches throughout England be designated as “festival” churches. This would be a new category of parish used only Read more
Power grabbing, living hypocritical double lives, curial and personal rivalry, gossip, and over concern about their appearance and the colour of their robes are among just some of the sins Pope Francis’ identified as belonging to the Vatican Curia. The blistering indictment of the Vatican Curia came at the Pope’s Christmas message. The Pope’s top Read more
The tongues are certainly waging worldwide over the Christmas message of Pope Francis. His address to staff at the Vatican – the priests, monsignors, bishops and cardinals gathered for an end of year assessment by the pope of the year that has passed. A few perfunctory words to round out a very busy year or Read more