Nick is the Diocesan Young Catholics Team Leader for the Diocese of Palmerston North. He has had a career in education in New Zealand and overseas. He works as the Manawatu Catholic Tertiary Chaplain
and is on the Diocesan Leadership Team.

Nick looks forward to implementing elements of Christus Vivit - Christ is Alive (Pope Francis' 2019 apostolic exhortation to young people); as well as updating Hikoi Tahi (the safeguarding and health and safety framework for young church ministry).

He's also looking forward to overseeing the coordination of the national pilgrimage to the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea. Nick, who hails from Nelson and was formed in the Archdiocese of Wellington.

In addition, he has a strong interest in nga rangatahi Maori Katorika (young Catholic Maori). Read more

Adams was ordained bishop by the President of the New Zealand Bishops Conference and Bishop of Auckland, Steve Lowe and also installed as the third bishop of Palmerston North.

Among the co-consecrating bishops was the emeritus first bishop of Palmerston North, Peter Cullinane and the emeritus Coadjutor Bishop, Owen Dolan who recently celebrated his 95th birthday.

Also in attendance, representing Pope Francis, was the Apolstoic Nuncio, His Excellency Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa.

By way of formality, Lowe welcomed Rugambwa, thanking him for Adams' appointment.

The diocese has been waiting for four years for a new bishop.

To the laughter of the large congregation, Lowe then gently reminded Rugambwa still has another job to complete: the appointment of a new bishop for Hamilton.

Rugambwa is responsible for recommending priests to Cardinal Louis Tagle, head of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, for their appointment as bishops in New Zealand.

Rugambwa read the letter of appointment from Pope Francis and afterwards held it high, showing it to the people and clergy.

Lowe ,while bishop of Auckland, still remains apostolic administrator of the Hamilton diocese.

Towards the end of the ordination liturgy, Adams spoke to the well-wishing congregation, saying that prior to the ordination he was given good advice.

"There's only one thing worse than a boring homily, and that's a long boring homily" he said.

Adams said he would be short, the all-knowing congregation laughed politely.

To his credit, without being rushed, he was short.

Despite describing his own abilities as "surely modest", Adams said that he was confident in approaching the role of Bishop of Palmerston North.

He then reminded everyone of Luke's gospel, saying he was not alone and the Holy Spirit accompanied him.

"Anything is possible for God," reflected Adams.

Principal ordaining Bishop, Stephen Lowe pours oil of chrism anointing Bishop Elect's head.

At times, an emotional Adams paused when thanking his family.

His mother was in the congregation, as were his brother and sister-in-law.

Saddened that his brother Tony and sister Maria were not able to join him today, he said it was a joy to come from a loving family.

Adams shared that not long after his appointment was announced, he was also informed that he needed to have open heart surgery and that during the course of the surgery, his heart was stopped for 90 minutes.

"What was the Lord doing?" he asked himself until he discovered the word Manawatu means to have a still heart.

"The Lord is mysterious in his providence."

Speaking words of thanks to numerous people and groups towards the end of his speech, Adams also addressed his brother priests, thanking them for the hospitable welcome to this person from Christchurch.

In return, he said he wanted to be a wise and loving father for them.

In conclusion, Adams also thanked his brother bishops, saying he is learning practically from them what it means to be a bishop and that he is looking forward to sharing the "happy burden" with them.

Reflecting on the Gospel, Adams opined that our common discipleship will have great power and efficacy if it is lived with Jesus, but he realised that even in Jesus' time, not all shared this view.

Indeed, he commented that in the Synagogue, soon after Jesus claimed to have the Holy Spirit with him, ‘they' tried to take him and throw him off a cliff.

"I was greatly comforted when I flew into Palmerston North to notice there weren't too many cliffs around this place."

Adams said he is looking forward to joining the people of Palmerston North in ‘our' attempts to keep Jesus Christ alive.

The appointment was announced in Rome at 10pm New Zealand time, Thursday 22 June and it fills a vacancy created by the resignation of Bishop Charles Drennan in 2019.

Ordained as a priest in 2003, Christchurch-born Adams is the parish priest of St Peter Chanel Parish in North Canterbury.

He is a trained teacher who has served as the Christchurch Diocese Vicar for Education since 2013 and the diocesan Council of Priests chair since 2015.

"I was initially surprised but then joyful to hear, just over a week ago, about the invitation to become the next Catholic Bishop of Palmerston North," says Adams.

"Whilst I am saddened that my very happy and fulfilled days in the Diocese of Christchurch will soon come to an end, I have experienced God's providence in my life enough to know that the power of his grace is not limited by location.

"Surely, we now live in a time that urgently needs to hear the 'good news' of the Gospel.

"To the people of the Palmerston North diocese, I want to say that my prayers for you have already begun, and I am looking forward to living and sharing with you that same 'good news'," said Bishop-elect Adams.

Pope Francis has put a synodal way of being Church at the forefront of the minds of Catholics, and Adams is known for his collaborative leadership style.

After attending a talk by Divine Renovation's Fr James Mallon Adams became completely convinced that the Divine Renovation model was a genuine path forward.

"The path forward, a breakthrough for me, was when I realised that one of the strategies for leadership is collaborative leadership, where the particular weaknesses and faults that I have can be ameliorated by having a team, a senior leadership team.

"That's just absolutely suited me," said Adams on the Divine Renovation Ministry YouTube Channel.

The President of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, Bishop of Auckland Stephen Lowe, warmly welcomed the Pope's announcement.

"We are delighted with Fr John's appointment as the new Bishop of Palmerston North," says Bishop Lowe.

"Bishop-elect John is a loved parish priest who will bring a rich experience of pastoral and spiritual leadership to his new diocese.

"We look forward to sharing with the people of the diocese in the ordination of their new shepherd."

A date is yet to be set for the ordination of Bishop-elect Adams, but it is likely to be by the end of September.

Bishop-elect John Adams' CV

Date of Birth: 18 November 1963
Place of Birth: Christchurch, New Zealand
Priestly Ordination: 4 July 2003; Diocese: Christchurch

Education
Northcote Primary School, Christchurch 1968 - 1974
Casebrook Intermediate School, Christchurch 1975 - 1976
St Bede's College, Christchurch 1977 - 1981

Degrees, awards, diplomas
Bachelor of Science Canterbury University, NZ
Diploma in Teaching, Christchurch Technical College, NZ
Bachelor of Theology, Auckland, NZ
Advanced Diploma in Theology, Sydney, Australia

Priestly formation
Good Shepherd House, Christchurch 1995
Holy Cross Seminary, Auckland, NZ 1996 - 2003

Priestly ministry
July 2003 - February 2004: St Teresa's Parish - assistant priest
2004 - 2005: St Patrick's Parish, Greymouth - assistant priest
2005 - 2007: St Patrick's Parish, Greymouth - administrator
2008 - 2010: Christ the King Parish - assistant
2011 - 2018: St Joseph's Parish - parish priest
2019 - current St Peter Chanel Parish - parish priest

Other Christchurch diocese appointments
Tertiary Chaplain 2008 - 2010
Clergy Trust Fund 2011 - 2021
Council of Priests 2009 - current
Chair, Council of Priests 2015 - 2023
College of Consultors 2014 - still current
Episcopal Vicar for Education 2013 - current
Chair, Education Council 2015 - current

Source

• Supplied NZCBC
• Divine Renovation Ministry

Priests of the diocese pushed back on the plan, arguing that they had not been consulted, and eventually, a planned USCCB vote on the prospective merger was scrapped.

But the possibility that Steubenville will be merged into Columbus is still real, and the diocese is now facing an audit meant to gauge its financial viability.

Some of Steubenville's diocesan challenges are specific to its recent financial history.

During the summer of 2020, both former diocesan comptroller David Franklin and former diocesan vicar general Monsignor Kurt Kemo admitted in court that they had embezzled large sums from the financially struggling diocese.

But Steubenville is a small diocese with a declining population and limited resources. It faces demographic and financial challenges that a number of small dioceses in the Midwest and Northeast will face in the coming decades.

Some priests of the Steubenville diocese have urged that the diocese could have a positive future — they point to its vocations numbers and the prospect of both stabilized finances and growth by a renewed focus on evangelization.

But other analysts have argued that the diocese is too small to remain sustainable despite those positive points.

If that's true, it raises questions about other U.S. dioceses.

Steubenville is not the smallest diocese in the country. If a merger is going to happen there, what other U.S. dioceses might be candidates for the same future? And where does Steubenville stand among them?

Dioceses great and small

Since the early Church, the Catholic diocese has been the local geographical expression of the Church's nature as a hierarchical and sacramental communion.

A diocese has set geographical boundaries that usually align with civil governmental boundaries.

In the U.S., most diocesan boundaries follow the borders of counties and states.

The Holy See has generally tried to see that the geographic territory of a diocese is not so large that a bishop can't effectively govern the entirety or travel to all parts within reasonable amounts of time.

But the Vatican has also been attentive to population: When the Catholic population of a region grows, dioceses sometimes need to split if they become just too populous to be governed by a single bishop.

In fact, the Diocese of Steubenville is the product of one such split — it was carved from the Diocese of Columbus in 1944.

When those dioceses were split, both local churches were of relatively similar size, and both were growing.

In 1950 the Steubenville diocese contained 62,000 Catholics, while the Columbus diocese contained 106,000.

But since then, the Diocese of Columbus has grown to almost 300,000 Catholics while the Diocese of Steubenville has shrunk to 30,000.

Of course, the Holy See does not apply consistent standards around the globe about the "right" size of dioceses, either in terms of Catholic population or geographic area. And mergers and splits are often initiated by local bishops, who sense that particular situations have become unmanageable. Continue reading

According to the Cathedral Parish Priest, Fr Joseph Grayland, the man was caught on camera lighting the fire.

Grayland says the fire shocked everyone.

The alarm was raised by a man who is in Palmerston North to learn English before training for the priesthood.

He and two others doused the fire and stopped it from spreading further.

Palmerston North Police say a 34-year-old man was arrested on Sunday and charged with arson.

He appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on Monday, May 1, and has interim name suppression.

The man is being remanded in custody and will reappear in court later this month.

Police used social media to distribute the photo of the man identified in the CCTV footage and are grateful to the public for information assisting them in apprehending the offender.

Physical damage to the Cathedral Day Chapel is described as minor.

Only the presider's chair and a table used in the celebration of Mass were destroyed.

The altar is also damaged at one end, and the carpet in the area is also fire and water-damaged.

"It was out within 15 minutes, but could have been much worse," said Grayland.

The fire brigade inspector said they were minutes away from losing control.

While the damage is minor, the smoke and ash damage means there is a consequential problem with the air quality in the cathedral, and, on the advice of fire and insurance assessors, the cathedral is closed until it is cleaned and the air inside is deemed safe to breathe.

Grayland said the smoke and ash had gone all the way to the organ at the other end of the church and out into the gathering area.

He says insurance assessors' have determined that scaffolding is need to clean the church's interior, and a special machine that sucks air out of the building is required to remove the smell of smoke.

As well as cleaning and repairing the Day Chapel, the smoke damage also means that all the vestments and linen must also be cleaned.

Grayland hopes that once the front of the church was cleaned, weekday services will be held in the Gathering Room.

He says the community is particularly grateful to the quick-thinking man who happened to be in the Cathedral at the time and raised the alarm.

The community also thank him and his two colleagues for dousing a potentially more significant fire.

"It is the fire assessment officer's view we were minutes away from losing control of the fire and probable loss of the cathedral," says Grayland.

Talking with CathNews, Grayland says that of the wide range of life events a parish priest helps people with, he never considered dealing with fire as part of 'the job'.

He says that while disappointed, the fire's destruction reminded him there is more to being human than being concerned with history and possessions.

"I'm thankful that no one was injured or life lost," he said.

In the meantime, Sunday masses are being shared between Our Lady of Lourdes and St Mary's churches, while weekday masses are all taking place at Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

"It is very lucky that we have three city churches that are within a short distance of each other that can people can get to," says Grayland.

Grayland has high praise for the quick responding Fire and Police services.

Sources

• Supplied
• Stuff
• Stuff
• NZ Police

It told CathNews that Caritas' focus was not New Zealand, but on helping fund development and emergency relief work worldwide.

However, Caritas' comments seems to run counter to the information the charity provides on its website.

Catholic Caring Foundation Appeal

Caritas' non-involvement in the post-cyclone relief effort also runs contrary to some Catholics' expectations, who told CathNews they thought at least some money raised through the Bishops' Lent Appeal would be going to the relief effort.

Caritas sent the following statement.

"Caritas joins with the Church and all people of goodwill in Aotearoa in prayer and solidarity with all those affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and other recent extreme weather events in our country.

"As soon as we heard about the flood, Caritas, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and affected dioceses discussed the best approach and agency to run a focused, streamlined appeal to most effectively receive and distribute funds.

"The Catholic Caring Foundation of Auckland was already up and running with an appeal for the Auckland rain of 27 January; and Bishop Steve offered to expand it to cover the damage in the Hamilton and Palmerston North dioceses (ie Coromandel, Gisborne, Napier/Wairoa).

On Monday the Bishop of Auckland, Steve Lowe, launched his Catholic Caring Foundation appeal, saying that neither Hamilton nor Palmerston North has the necessary infrastructure to host a national appeal.

He noted that both dioceses are currently without a bishop.

"We have reached out to them to offer our support."

And, "After receiving their approval, I have asked my Caring Foundation to accept donations for families and individuals who have suffered unimaginable damage in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle".

Catholics that CathNews spoke with were puzzled because also on Monday, the Diocese of Palmerston North launched its own separate appeal.

About the Catholic Caring Foundation

As Bishop of Auckland, Denis Browne established the Catholic Caring Foundation back in December 1998.

The Foundation's purpose is to support emergency services in the event of local disaster and to promote the funding and assistance of the charitable activities of the Catholic Church of Auckland.

The Foundation's rules cite it will work with other charitable organisations within the Diocese of Auckland.

They also provide for the Caring Foundation to "co-operate with the charitable activities of other dioceses of the Catholic Church, particularly those located in the South Pacific region".

The Foundation's rules give it ample scope to be generous in meeting a very wide range of needs, and even give it the authority to raise a loan to meet the needs, should the Bishop of Auckland agree.

However, while in terms of need, the rules specifically say the Foundation will not discriminate in regard to class, colour, sex or creed, the rules seem only to provide for cooperation with the charitable activities of other Christian churches in the Auckland diocese.

The distribution of resources is undertaken under the governance of the Foundation's Board comprising the Bishop of Auckland, a priest from the Auckland diocese, the Auckland diocese Co-ordinator of Caring and a minimum of five other people appointed by the bishop of Auckland.

Where to give?

It is Caritas' recommendation that "New Zealanders who wish to give locally give through Catholic Caring Foundation Donate - The Catholic Caring Foundation".

Source

• Supplied - Caritas Aotearoa NZ and NZCBC
• Caritas
• Charities Commission last accessed, 23 February, 2023

A significant portion of the area on the east coast of the North Island is in the Palmerston North diocese, and in the absence of a bishop, Butler is administering the Palmerston North diocese.

"People's suffering is very real and they need our help."

"As a diocese we have a responsibility to show we care," says Butler.

He says Pope Francis' call to remember those who suffer and for our charity to be concrete, 'very in touch.'

"Brothers and sisters, let us not forget those who suffer and let our charity be attentive, let it be a concrete charity!" said Francis in his recent Angelus message.

As part of the outreach, Butler invites people to contribute to a Cyclone Relief Appeal to help those in desperate need.

Also on Friday, St John's College, Hastings notified the diocese that on Monday it would be opening as a community centre to provide food and showers to their students, family and community.

Ironically in one of the nation's food-producing centres, there is a food shortage and the College reached out for urgent assistance from diocese.

Over the weekend the diocese had a small team working on a practical response including food, drinking water, washing powder, women toiletries, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, torches, batteries, rubbish bags, Janola.

On Monday Butler and General Manager for the diocese, Liam Greer confirmed three commercial vehicles and trailers loaded with provisions were delivered to the College.

Acknowledging the effort as a starting point in the long journey, Butler and Greer are delighted with the response; labelling people's generousity as "outstanding".

Greer clarified there are a number of plans in place in the Diocese to provide ongoing support to the wider Hawkes Bay area, but it is currently responding to an immediate need from a community that is within reach.

As well as helping to meet food shortage, Greer said key diocesan staff headed to Hawkes Bay to support schools and staff. The staff include trained social workers and staff to help process insurance claims.

Greer confirmed that St Joseph's school Wairoa is being used as a helicopter air pad and that while the school remained unharmed, it will be closed until otherwise cleared by Civil Defence.

Source

• Supplied

Renewing his appeal for Turkey and Syria earthquake victims, Francis also turned his attention to New Zealand.

"I am close to the people of New Zealand, who have been hit in recent days by a devastating cyclone.

"Brothers and sisters, let us not forget those who suffer and let our charity be attentive, let it be a concrete charity!"

He made the comments during his Angelus message at the Vatican on Sunday.

Francis' proximity to the people of New Zealand was followed up in a news story in Vatican News.

Grateful to hear of Pope Francis' closeness, the Catholic parish of Napier Parish Priest, Fr Barry Scannell SM acknowledges the devastation and serious impact on the lives of many.

Scannell told CathNews that understandably while numbers at Sunday Mass were down this week, those who were able to attend were very mindful of the loss of life, those missing and the suffering of many.

"Cyclone Gabrielle will put a huge strain on the community and take a long time to recover," he told CathNews.

He said he was grateful for his trusty old transistor radio, but it was not until he could see the pictures and get back into the community to visit people, that Cyclone Gabrielle's devastation became very real.

Scannell said that washed-out bridges and roads in and out of Napier, and initially no electricity, mobile phone or internet communication, isolated people from family and elsewhere in the country and around the world.

He said the isolation proved challenging both for those in Napier and loved ones elsewhere and while most now have phone connectivity, not everyone has such a basic need as electricity.

Scannell says generally everyone is pitching in, everyone is helping each other.

Further up the east coast, Wairoa Parish Priest Rob Devlin SM says senior priest Pa Karaitiana Kingi SM needed help to evacuate his home.

The parish priest says he is being well cared for, but Kingi's home is now ‘red stickered', and his car is full of silt.

Devlin told CathNews that the devastation seriously impacted the low-lying areas of the town; around twenty per cent of the town, including the Tawhiti-a-Mau Marae, which is about a metre deep in water and mud.

St Therese Church at the marae also has significant water damage.

CathNews was unable to speak to anyone from the parish of Hastings.

Cyclone Gabrielle

Head of MetService New Zealand Weather Communications Lisa Murray gave a summary of the storm in a statement on 19 February.

Between 12 and 14 February, parts of New Zealand recorded rainfall amounts of 300-400mm, wind gusts of 130-140km/h and waves as high as 11 metres along some coasts.

"Gabrielle is one of the worst storms to hit Aotearoa New Zealand in living history" said Murray.

The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle has risen to 11 but police have indicated the toll accounts only for the bodies that have been identified.

More than 6000 people had been reported as non-contactable; however, this contained many double-ups said Eastern District police commander Jeanette Park.

On Monday, the New Zealand Government extended the national state of emergency by 7 days and established a cyclone recovery task force.

The task force's head is Sir Brian Roche and Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, is the new Cyclone Recovery Minister.

Sources

• Supplied
• Vatican News
• Supplied
• Floodlist
• Stuff

At their November meeting the bishops re-emphasised the need for two bishops to the Pope's diplomatic representative to New Zealand, His Excellency, Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa (pictured).

New Zealand bishops are appointed through the Dicastery for Evangelisation headed by Cardinal Luis Tagle.

Rugambwa is the intermediary in New Zealand who recommends suitable and worthy candidates to Tagle.

Once a suitable and worthy candidate is found, Tagle recommends his name to Pope Francis to make the appointment.

Rugambwa, who has recently returned to New Zealand from Rome, was a distinguished guest at the opening session of the bishops' November meeting. He shared the Pope's greetings and blessings with them and the people under their pastoral care.

They in turn, spoke plainly of their concern about the bishopless state of both the Palmerston North and Hamilton dioceses.

After the unscheduled resignation of Charles Drennan, the Palmerston North diocese has been without a bishop for more than three years.

The Hamilton diocese has been without a bishop for nearly a year. On December 17, 2021 then Hamilton bishop, Steve Lowe, was appointed Bishop of Auckland.

At his installation as Bishop of Auckland in March, Lowe thanked Rugambwa for his presence.

"Can I please ask you to work hard to find a great bishop for Hamilton? I think Palmerston North and Christchurch are looking for one too," he remarked to laughter in the congregation.

In the meantime, Auxilary Bishop Michael Gielen was translated from Auckland and installed as bishop of Christchurch.

In early November, Lowe, Secretary of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, commented that it takes a long time to appoint a bishop.

Lowe was responding to a piece in the international publication The Pillar, where Luke Coppen suggested the Vatican has forgotten about New Zealand's need to find two bishops.

Pointing the finger for the delay at Rugambwa, Coppen suggested Rugambwa might have a different model of Church than is commonly accepted in New Zealand.

Sources

• Supplied
• CathNews
• CathNews

Lowe is responding to a piece by Luke Coppen in The Pillar, suggesting the Vatican has forgotten about New Zealand's need to find two bishops.

Coppen points out that the Diocese of Palmerston North has been leaderless for more than three years, and on December 17 it will be a year since Lowe moved from Hamilton to become Bishop of Auckland.

"The process of appointing a bishop is not fast, and this can lead to frustration and speculation on what is happening.

"Behind the scenes, however, the process is happening," Lowe said to a recent media enquiry.

He said the process is in the hands of the Apostolic Nuncio. The Apostolic Nuncio is Pope Francis' diplomatic representative in New Zealand.

Coppen says the current Nuncio is Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, who has served in this role since 2019.

He suggests Rugambwa might have a different model of Church than is commonly accepted in New Zealand.

Outlining the process to appoint a bishop, Lowe says the Apostolic Nuncio starts a process of consultations with a range of lay people and clergy to look at the pastoral needs of the diocese and suggest names for potential candidates.

The Nuncio then passes this information on to the department in the Vatican responsible for New Zealand, the Dicastery for Evangelisation, headed by Filipino Cardinal Luis Tagle.

The Dicastery for Evangelisation then confirms a short list of possible candidates called a Terna, at which point the Nuncio starts a second consultation process.

The consultation is with a wide variety of lay people and clergy who are also asked to suggest others who might be consulted.

Once the consultation is complete, the Nuncio sends his report back to the Dicastery for Evangelisation who then makes the recommendation to Pope Francis.

When the Pope nominates a new bishop, the Nuncio informs the nominated priest that the Pope has appointed him as the bishop of a diocese and asks whether he is willing to accept.

At no point along the process are prospective candidates asked if they agree to their names going forward.

Coppen notes appointing bishops in New Zealand has not previously been too much of a problem, but his Excellency Archbishop Rugambwa did not respond to Coppen's request for comment.

In response to the same media request, Cardinal John Dew said: "The process to appoint new bishops for the two dioceses is underway and under the supervision of the Apostolic Nuncio, which is the standard way bishops are appointed."

On 29 March 2019, Pope Francis named Rugambwa apostolic nuncio to New Zealand and apostolic delegate to the countries of the Pacific Ocean. On 25 May, the responsibilities of Apostolic Nuncio to Fiji and to Palau were assigned to him, then on 30 November, he was given additional responsibility as Apostolic Nuncio to the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and Tonga.

On 17 April the following year, he was named Apostolic Nuncio to Samoa, then on 2 February Rugambwa was appointed Apostolic Nuncio to the Cook Islands, a post that had been vacant since 2018, and on 30 March to Micronesia.

Other than the New Zealand dioceses of Palmerston North and Hamilton, currently, only one other diocese from the vast array of dioceses Rugambwa is responsible for is vacant, and this vacancy follows the August 7 death of Koru Tito bishop of Tarawa and Nauru.

Coppen suggested that an option the Vatican might consider is uniting the Hamilton and Palmerston North dioceses under one bishop without merging them. This process, known as linking dioceses in persona episcopi, has been used in recent years in Canada, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and Wales.

Several CathNews sources say bishops in New Zealand are busy, and there is no suggestion that merging dioceses is being considered.

Source

• Supplied
• CathNews
• Wikipedia

It is three years since Charles Drennan resigned as Bishop of Palmerston North.

Coppen points out it appointing bishops in New Zealand has not previously been too much of a problem.

He reports that outside observers of the Palmerston North diocese say the local Church has fared surprisingly well without a bishop for the past three years. But there are certain decisions that must wait until the arrival of a new bishop.

Speaking with local clergy, one mentioned to The Pillar he could name five good candidates for the vacant dioceses.

"The problem is not the availability of candidates, but rather the criteria by which they are chosen."

He told Coppen the way bishops are chosen is "outmoded."

He said he had been asked to fill in forms about potential bishops that asked questions such as whether there was any reason in the candidate's family that would cause scandal to the Church.

How do we measure scandal these days; life and family life is complex today? he asked.

"We're looking for these men who are pluperfect," he said.

"The model still looks for men who are able to be subservient and at the same time almost be careerists. And so it becomes a sort of oxymoron that you're looking for," proffered another priest.

He told Coppen that he thought the group that probably suffers most from the Vatican's inactivity is the diocesan team.

"They sort of work for the bishop."

"They're his people who do his bidding. And I would say of everybody, they're a little bit lost."

Looking for a reason for the delay Coppen says the Dicastery for Evangelisation that controls the process of appointing bishops in New Zealand is considered to be adequately staffed and is 'fairly efficient.'

Noting that the Dicastery needs to cooperate with the powerful Secretariat of State, Coppen asks whether this interaction is slowing down the process, however, concluded there is no evidence to suggest this is the case.

Since 2019, the Tanzanian Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa has served as apostolic nuncio to New Zealand.

He is also the nuncio for a dizzying array of other territories, including Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa.

One of the priests interviewed by Coppen suggested that the problem seems to be the relationship between the New Zealand bishops and Apostolic Nuncio.

He opined they have different "visions of Church".

At his installation as Bishop of Auckland in March, Bishop Lowe, the former Bishop of Hamilton, thanked Archbishop Rugambwa for his presence.

"Can I please ask you to work hard to find a great bishop for Hamilton? I think Palmerston North and Christchurch are looking for one too," he remarked to laughter in the congregation.

Coppen says there was nothing in the light-hearted comment to suggest there was a gulf between the nuncio and the bishops. But it did imply that the lack of new bishops is weighing on Church leaders' minds.

Archbishop Rugambwa has not responded to a request for comment at the time of publication.

Source

• The Pillar

At the same time, O'Toole has also been named the Bishop of Menevia, the neighbouring Welsh diocese, which has had no bishop since 2019.

The pope united the sees in persona episcopi, unifying them in the person of the bishop who oversees them both, even while they remain juridically separate.

While the move is historically unusual, it has become increasingly common under Pope Francis, and could signal the eventual merger of dioceses in countries across the West, including the United States, in the face of declining numbers of clergy and Mass-going Catholics.

Francis announced in February that the Irish dioceses of Clonfert and Galway and Kilmacduagh would now share a bishop in Michael Duignan.

In November last year, the Vatican announced the union in persona Episcopi of the Italian sees of Turin and Susa.

Before those announcements, the Canadian Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall shared a bishop with the Archdiocese of Ottawa from December 2018 until 2020, when the two sees were formally combined into the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall.

A little further north, that same year Pope Francis reunified the Alaskan Archdiocese of Anchorage and the Diocese of Juneau.

The prospect of merging dioceses in the many countries with shrinking Catholic populations has long been discussed as a possibility among Church-watchers. And while in personaunions have yet to be made between dioceses in the United States, the numbers suggest it may be a question of when, not if, such appointments come.

As many bishops confront sharp declines in parish Mass attendance over recent decades, or (often and) a drop in the number of priests in active ministry, many have undertaken sweeping reviews of their parish footprints, often combining the governance of several parishes under a single pastor as a first step towards formal mergers.

The same trends apply upstream — where the same solutions could soon be tried.

As parish closures and mergers result in more consolidated diocesan footprints, diocesan bishops are ageing as fast as their clergy, and there is a shrinking pool of qualified and willing clergy from which to draw replacements:

While no official data is released on how many priests say "no" when the Vatican calls, or why, it's not unusual to hear officials complain that as many as one in three potential bishops-elect politely decline. Many are said to cite the challenges of managing a shrinking institutional footprint among their reasons.

The merger of parishes at the local level, even in urban or suburban areas where the communities already live in close proximity, is often emotionally sensitive for congregations, and logistically difficult to manage at the administrative and legal levels.

At the pastoral level, communities often have very different characters, liturgical preferences, and approaches to evangelization and ministry to the wider community.

Often the first step towards bringing two such parishes together is the appointment of a single pastor who can, through his personal ministry, begin to fashion a common culture ahead of a formal union.

The prospect of combining dioceses, especially those with large territorial footprints but very decentralized communities, would present these same challenges on a larger scale. Continue reading

• Ed Condon is a co-founder and editor of The Pillar.

The numbers show the extent of the crisis we are facing.

When I entered the seminary 40 years ago, I was one of 19 aspirants. Two of us were ordained from that group, one a year or so before me, and I am the only one still practising.

My ordination year group numbered five because of changes and circumstances and the blending of year groups. Of that group, one is already dead, one has left the ministry, one is retired, and two are practising as parish priests.

It is not a new or original story, and many priests can recall this sort of experience.

This Sunday is Vocations Sunday, traditionally an opportunity to promote and pray for priests. Local vocations across New Zealand, these days are rare. Local vocations in the Palmerston North Diocese are even rarer.

Some say when telling a story follow the numbers.

• Total number of parishes in the Palmerston North diocese where a priest is resident: 14
• All except the Cathedral, Waitara and Wairoa serve multiple communities e.g. New Plymouth 6 communities, Hastings 4 etc.
• Total number of communities served: 44
• Total number of priests working in parishes: 24
• Total number of priests belonging to Palmerston North Diocese working in parishes: 14
• Total number of priests from other dioceses, countries, and religious congregations working in parishes: 10
• Of these, 2 priests come from other dioceses, 4 from other countries and 8 are priests from religious orders.

Priests by Province

Taranaki: 5

Whanganui: 2

Marton, Taihape, Central Plateaux: 1

Manawatu: 6

Tararua: 1

Hawkes Bay (Central, Hastings, Napier): 7

Wairoa: 2

Total 24 (Priests living but not working in parishes are not included.)

Priests in parishes by age

70 years plus: 7 priests - all New Zealand born

50 years plus: 12 priests - 9 New Zealand born

40-50 years: 3 priests - all born in India

younger than 40: 2 priests - all born in Vietnam

Seminarians

1 in training. Currently in Vietnam. Post-Covid is waiting to come back to New Zealand with a student visa.

3 currently in Vietnam waiting to come to New Zealand to being seminary study.

The Vocation Reality

The shortage of priestly vocations can be approached in various ways. Is it a crisis? Is it the work of the Holy Spirit?

Traditionally vocations to the priesthood are fostered in families and is a matter that generally rests with Catholic families. So the question is: Do parents not want their sons to be priests or do they not want them to be priests as the priesthood is currently lived?

In very recent times we have all been aware of not being able to join the local community for Mass, weddings, funerals and baptisms. Fostering vocations from within the diocese is an important consideration so to keep or even improve the present level of service, parish communities and the whole diocese functioning.

As well as fostering vocations within the diocese, on the face of it, there are four other possible solutions.

The first solution is to import priests for parishes and students for seminary study.

These men and seminarians come from vastly different religious cultures to our own and our expectations are that whatever culture they come from they will be able to operate in a highly secular culture and in a western philosophical and theological tradition. Many are not prepared for this or even understand it, but it keeps the status quo afloat.

The second solution is to ordain married men as priests.

Some contend that married men should be ordained and that this is the solution to all our problems. They suggest that there are plenty of indigenous vocations that lie untapped.

While married men could be ordained if we use this solution as the Orthodox Churches do, but it would require significant changes in the way we train, remunerate and shift priests around various parishes.

The third solution is the ordination of viri probati, respected men. This will likely require some 'on the job' theology and scripture training. Not impossible, but not without issue, it will however keep the community functioning.

Solution four argues for the equality of women in the life of the church and calls forth women's ministry in a profoundly new way. Ordaining women is not a universal solution, however, and one that the Universal Church does not hold as valid or possible.

So, why are there no vocations to the priesthood?

In order to answer this question in a synodal context we would have to ask two questions:

First, what is the "why" of priesthood in a modern age that is missing or hard to see? This is the "value" proposition of priesthood.

Second, what is the "how" of priesthood and why is it not attracting people? How is priesthood currently expressed, lived or performed in a modern, secular age and society?

If we don't know what the "problem" is and why it exists, how can we know the solution?

• Joe Grayland is a theologian and a priest of the Diocese of Palmerston North. His latest book is: Liturgical Lockdown. Covid and the Absence of the Laity (Te Hepara Pai, 2020).

Pope Francis granted Archbishop of Hamburg Stephan Hesse leave of absence at the end of March.

The leave came after Hesse offered his resignation over the mismanagement of sexual abuse cases in his previous diocese, Cologne.

Vicar-general Ansgar Thim has been handling the archdiocesan administration in Hamburg.

On 12 August, he stated the situation in the archdiocese has become untenable and demanded speedy clarification from the Vatican.

The Hamburg archdiocese had earlier declared that it sincerely hoped that "the Vatican will not delay in reaching a decision."

The archdiocese expected that the Pope would accept Archbishop Hesse's resignation, the declaration said.

"I am not shirking responsibility. But, I would like to send out a clear signal to all those at home and abroad that things cannot go on like this," Thim wrote in a letter to the members of all the Hamburg archdiocesan councils.

There had been no further reaction from the Vatican as to how things should continue in the archdiocese since Pope Francis granted Hesse leave of absence, Thim explained.

Hesse, therefore, remained as archbishop and the see was not vacant.

Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the diocese of Palmerston North is still waiting for a bishop to replace Charles Drennan, nearly 2 years after his resignation.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said Pope Francis appointed all bishops, and there was no timeframe for the appointment.

Sources

The Tablet

Stuff

Catholic News Agency

CathNews NZ

In a post on the Metropolitan Cathedral's page, Cardinal John Dew says he hopes and prays there will soon be good news for the people of Palmerston North who have managed their diocese so well without a diocesan bishop.

As well as being Archbishop of Wellington, Dew is also the Administrator of the Palmerston North Diocese.

Source

• Metropolitan Cathedral

Greer, whose family has a five-generation association with the diocese, grew up in Palmerston North, attending St Peter's College.

He has a degree in valuation and property management and worked as a property valuer for a few years. Read more in NZ Catholic.

The event had been postponed from April because of COVID-19 restrictions.

And because COVID-19 Alert level remains at 2, numbers were still restricted.

Nguyen said that while he was happy to be ordained he was sad none of his family from overseas were able to attend because of COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The ceremony was streamed online, and he plans to visit his family once things return to normal.

The 31-year-old is originally from the city of Vinh, about 300km south of Hanoi in Vietnam.

He has been living in New Zealand for eight years.

He has family in seven countries and three of his brothers are training to be priests in India, Colombia and the United States.

Nguyen started helping his parish when he was 12. He later studied a philosophy degree.

When he came to Palmerston North he had to learn English at the English Teaching College.

He then moved to Auckland to train at the Good Shepherd College for six and a half years, which included a one-year placement in Hastings.

Fr Trung said that adapting to the culture and learning English, had been difficult; "but the love from the people around and the encouragement helped me to overcome those challenges."

He has been appointed as an assistant priest in the parish of Hastings.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• cpon.org.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

"How did I celebrate under lockdown? - Jesus and I did it quietly together; we are hoping to celebrate with others later. He is in my bubble," he told NZ Catholic.

The anniversary on April 23 occurred when New Zeland was under Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown.

Everyone in the country was confined to their bubble and gatherings of every kind were prohibited.

Cardinal John Dew has expressed, ‘Warmest Congratulations to Bishop Peter and sincere thanks for his service as a bishop to Palmerston North and to New Zealand."

He asked that people "remember Bishop Peter in gratitude in your prayers."

Cullinane was the first bishop of the Palmerston North diocese.

He retired in 2012 but is still busy at the local, national, and international levels.

Bishop Peter has served on several International Catholic Committees.

He has given many years of service on ICEL (the International Commission for English in the Liturgy) and has always shown a deep interest in liturgy and liturgical reform.

He has also contributed significantly to both the Ecumenical and Inter-Faith dialogue within New Zealand and abroad, bringing closer relationships between different denominations and faith traditions.

Cullinane's many writings have offered a wide breadth of knowledge and learning from which many have benefited.

10 years ago he promoted a national campaign to get a new symbol to identify Catholic clergy.

He noted that clerical dress was being worn less by priests, but no new symbol had been inserted in its place.

It was a matter of being identifiable, without having to dress formally for casual occasions, he said.

"Identify so people know who I am, and identify with the people so I don't seem to come from a different race."

Source

• nzcatholic.org.nz
• wn.catholic.org.nz
• pndiocese.org.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

The move come in response to the strong Government restrictions on public gatherings to counter the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn, President of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference, said the bishops met this morning to carefully consider what needed to be done with Mass and other public liturgical gatherings.

"We decided that all Masses must cease until further notice," said Dunn.

"The bishops are acutely aware of the seriousness of the measures taken by the Government and health authorities in recent days to try to stop Covid-19 from spreading in the New Zealand community."

Dunn said churches have been told they may stay open for parishioners to visit for private prayer and reflection, but in very small numbers; those attending must follow Ministry of Health social-distancing guidelines and stay at least two metres apart.

"Funeral services may continue but they must be brief, with only small numbers of close family and friends allowed. Those attending must also follow the guidelines for social distancing," he said.

Baptisms, weddings and other public liturgical gatherings already planned will be allowed to proceed, but again, only with very small numbers of close family and friends present, and following the social-distancing guidelines.

Similar services not already scheduled must be postponed.

"While some of our parishioners, priests and lay Mass helpers will be disappointed by this announcement, others will welcome it, because of the growing community concern about the pandemic and the need particularly to protect those most vulnerable," said Dunn.

The move by the New Zealand bishops follows similar moves by Catholic bishops in many other countries.

Pope Francis is himself setting the international Church example by not celebrating public Masses, instead live-streaming his daily private Mass in the Vatican.

Dunn says the New Zealand Church is moving quickly to provide live-streaming, but that the primary concern of the Church is the welfare of the public and the safety of all our parishioners, clergy, families, friends, staff and visitors.

Dunn says the Bishops are again, today emphasising to all parishioners the importance of good practices of hygiene, including regular washing of hands, covering coughs and sneezes with elbows not hands, staying at home if sick, and keeping a reasonable distance from other people when in public.

Cardinal John Dew

Earlier in the morning, the Archbishop of Wellington, and Administrator of the Palmerston North Diocese, Cardinal John Dew announced he was suspending all Masses along with a range of other church services.

The Cardinal sent separate letters to the Archdiocese and Palmerston North diocese but essentially said the same thing.

The letter to the Archdiocese reads:

In the current COVID-19 emergency it is very important that we play our part as good citizens.

It is our Christian duty to do everything we can to protect ourselves and others from harm.

As Catholics, we have many gatherings and practices which potentially pose a risk this situation, especially to the elderly and those whose health is compromised in some way.

The government's restriction of indoor gatherings to 100 people requires us to take action immediately.

For the duration of this health emergency, the following instructions are to be implemented in all parishes and chaplaincies (and where they apply, in schools) throughout the Archdiocese of Wellington.

Masses and public liturgies

All public Masses and liturgies in the Archdiocese are suspended from 20 March until further notice, both weekday and weekend Masses.

Some churches will be open for private prayer, and social distancing should be observed if people are doing this.

A dispensation from the diocesan Bishop releases Catholics from fulfilling their obligation to attend a Sunday Mass.

Since public Masses are suspended in the Archdiocese until further notice, all Catholics in the Archdiocese are dispensed from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass (Canon 1248).

You should stay home for your safety and the safety of others.

Many people may feel sadness at not being able to participate in the Mass, but you should not feel guilty for not going to Mass.

We are looking into livestreaming some Masses but it may be even more fruitful for families and households to gather together to reflect upon the readings for Sunday and to make their own forms of worship.

I have asked all the priests of the Archdiocese who can to celebrate Mass every day privately for the intentions of the people and the alleviation of the crisis.

Funerals
The immediate family of the deceased (which must be fewer in number than 100 or the Ministry of Health's future minimum number) may gather for the funeral rite, taking great care to practice social distancing.

There are to be no prayer vigils the day before a funeral.

The Rite of Committal will take place at the cemetery with the immediate family only.

There will be no Requiem Masses at this time.

Marriages and Baptisms
Marriages without Mass and Baptisms may take place with immediate family members, provided they follow the regulations established by the Ministry of Health.

Marriage preparation courses are suspended.

Parish activities
All parish gatherings are suspended.

This includes meetings; sacramental programmes; the conferring of First Holy Communion, First Reconciliation and Confirmation; Lent programmes; RCIA programmes; and the Second Rite of Reconciliation.

Reconciliation will be available by appointment or at set times if it can be conducted in a safe way.

Visits to the sick and housebound
Your pastoral team will make arrangements to ensure that those who are sick or housebound receive spiritual care.

They will also keep in contact with those who are in self-isolation, and you should advise them if you are in this situation.

Parish Offices
Parish offices may make their own decision about remaining open, but must enforce social distancing with any visitors.

If necessary the office may be closed to visitors but be accessible through its phone and email systems.

There will be a way to contact a priest.

This is a Lenten journey without precedent. In all its challenges there will be opportunities for spiritual growth as a community; for finding new ways of being Christ to one another; for caring for those who are marginalised or disadvantaged; for the discovery of new gifts in our midst; for rediscovering the heart of community and family.

For each of us personally, there may be opportunities for discerning what is really essential in our spiritual journey; for finding a new appreciation of those who are very familiar; and for deepening our prayer and the ways we pray.

You are all in my prayers. Please look after yourselves, and care for one another and your neighbours.

Earlier today

Earlier this morning CathNews published a story "Virus causes cancellation of Sunday Mass"; it is still available.