They heard about what one participant described as an oncoming "demographic tsunami" of an aging population.

Other stated challenges included:

• Flat and wet geography with consequent threats of flooding from rising sea levels
• Old and cold housing - without adequate insulation
• Social isolation
• Lack of access to amenities
• Low educational attainment
• Low incomes (less than $30,000 per annum per household)

Church agencies - including Catholic Social Services and local parishioners are already responding to the needs and rebuilding a sense of community.

In South Dunedin the efforts at rebuilding community are based on the simple recognition that all people have inherent dignity and worth. Everyone has a part to play.

The work currently underway includes:

• Community lunches at which the Church regularly hosts over 50 people at the Mercy Centre
• Food distribution to those in need
• Community garden care and management
• Some skills training such as helping with food preparation and gaining certification in food handling

Local people are also involved in helping the elderly with home maintenance such as insulation.

Community lunches also help to break down isolation and to foster bonds of belonging. A Catholic Social Services representative told the workshop that "There is a huge mix of people at the lunches and it's almost like we are sitting together under the big umbrella of God."

Caritas Director, Julianne Hickey, said that a sense of community is vital for the wellbeing and health of a society.

"We have the benefits of technological advancement, economic growth and a wider range of choices but these appearances of wealth can mask a poverty of spirit.

Fr Sani Lam (Assistant Priest at the Catholic Mercy Parish), said that communities were facing a prevalent culture of individualism and materialism.

So, "people tend to focus on themselves and close their doors. They lose a sense of being connected to others - friends, neighbours and other people generally."

To help counter this trend the Parish tries to encourage a greater sense of community. "We encourage parishioners to go out and say hello to their neighbours. "

"To connect with other people - especially their neighbours - and to get to know them" said Lam.

Saturday's workshop was organised by Mercy Parish, Dunedin Diocese and Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.

It was the first of the Caritas "Weaving Bonds of Belonging" Workshops being held as a prelude to Social Justice Week on 10-17 September.

The next one takes place on Saturday 12 August in Hamilton.

Read the media release

Source

• Supplied
• Image: Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

St Bernadette's(Forbury), St Brigid's (Tainui) and St Alphonsus (Waverley) are closing and their congregations will merge with the parish at St Patrick's Basilica.

Special items from each church were taken to be delivered to St Patrick's.

Dunedin South pastoral area parish priest Fr Gerard Aynsley said there were several reasons the churches were closing, the Otago Daily Times/The Star reported.

The main one was to "refocus" on a mission to the community, rather than on maintaining old church buildings, he said.

Dwindling numbers were also a factor.

Fr Aynsley said he did not want to focus on that, but he acknowledged "changing times" for Dunedin's Catholic churchgoers.

‘‘A lot of those parishes were constructed when there were a lot more people and a lot more priests," he said.

‘‘But we're trying to get away from saying ‘there's not as many people, so we're closing down'.

‘‘We're trying to say ‘look if we work together, if we consolidate in one place' . . . and we can work outwards from there," Fr Aynsley said.

He thought the merger would go smoothly as the three churches had already been working together for more than 10 years.

Also, the St Patrick's congregation had been spread across the three other congregations during the basilica's renovation last year.

Fr Aynsley hoped people would see the benefits of merging, and that each church could bring its own strengths to contribute to the new combined St Patrick's congregation.

‘‘I think most people recognise that this is something that needs to occur."

He also said: "There's a matter of sadness, so we wanted to acknowledge the different things that have occurred in these churches before we move on to create our new community,"

St Patrick's Basilica will officially re-open in June, but services will still be held there until then.

Sources

• Otago Daily Times (The Star)
• Newshub
• Image: Dunedin South Pastoral Area