Longhurst, (on left in the photograph above) is a theology lecturer at Te Kupenga — Catholic Theological College.

He is also on the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Committee for Interfaith Relations and the Wellington Interfaith Council.

KAICIID was established in 2012 to promote interreligious dialogue to prevent and resolve conflict and enhance understanding and cooperation.

Named after the then-King of Saudi Arabia (who died in 2015), it was founded by Saudi Arabia, Austria and Spain, with the Holy See as a founding observer.

Its board consists of representatives of major world religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism).

KAICIID fellows are educators from academic religious institutions worldwide, who learn skills to teach their own students and communities about interreligious dialogue, so they, in turn, can become facilitators and leaders in dialogue and promoting peace in their communities.

Longhurst's fellowship involves training and capacity-building in dialogue through three intensive in-residence training sessions and online learning programmes.

During the term of his one-year fellowship, he will publish a handbook for teaching and learning interreligious dialogue through reflection on and conversation around pictorial art.

He said that the use of pictorial art could be "an effective and innovative technique to undertake interreligious dialogue", and he hopes that the handbook will be used in classrooms and academic centres teaching religion throughout New Zealand.

Longhurst hopes that KAICIID's worldwide mandate to promote dialogue and enhance understanding will be taken up by the New Zealand Government and key stakeholders to foster dialogue among people of different faiths and cultures in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Source

Supplied

It was begun by a group of friends who are part of an India-New Zealand business association.

They happened to be people of different faiths, including a very committed Catholic.

They approached Bishop Pat to ask if he would be patron and host of just one event nine years ago to mark what would have been the 100th birthday of Saint Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa).

It was so successful that the committee continued to meet and hold gatherings in November every year.

Recently an associated committee was formed in India. Next year special celebrations will be held to mark the 10th anniversary of the Committee.

Invitations are sent to MPs and civic representatives and a number of them usually come along.

During the service, each faith representative goes forward to light a lamp and, at the same time, a passage from their Holy Book is featured on two overhead screens.

Guest speakers are usually people from India (sometimes politicians) who come to Auckland for the annual Indian-New Zealand business dinner hosted by the Indian Newslink newspaper.

The guest speaker this year is the Hon. Todd McClay, former Minister of Trade and MP for Rotorua.

There will also be items by young people, music and a brief address by Bishop Pat.

The gathering lasts about an hour, and there are refreshments in the church foyer to follow.

This interfaith celebration is thought to be the only gathering of its kind in Auckland that represents the world's major faiths.

The meeting is at 2 pm on Saturday 24 November at Christ The King Catholic Church, 260 Richardson Rd, Mount Roskill.

Source

• Supplied: Catholic Diocese of Auckland
• Image: indianweekender.co.nz

He had recently received the Papal Medal, Pro Ecclessia Et Pontifice for distinguished service to the Church.

Anthony was Chairman of the Divine Retreat Centre of New Zealand.

He worked very closely with the late Mother Teresa and was the Chairman of the Mother Teresa Interfaith Committee established in Auckland in 2010.

Anthony also had a personal audience with Pope John Paul II.

A longstanding friend and former Governor General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand, said Anthony had packed a great many things into less than 20 years of life in New Zealand.

Satyanand said Anthony was successful in business in a personal as well as corporate sense, maintaining an active community life and contributing to a strongly committed family.

"To all of his achievements he brought a graciousness for which he will be remembered warmly for a long time."

"A small point of solace, perhaps, is that his death has occurred in Chennai, a place where he had maintained many connections, notably in education."

Auckland Bishop, Patrick Dunn said "Wency" was a man of great faith.

"Just days prior to his untimely death, he had been on pilgrimage in the Holy Land," Dunn said.

"Wency was a natural leader and a man of great personal humility and simplicity. He touched the lives of thousands."

Anthony moved to New Zealand in 1999, founded WA Marketing Ltd and became a prominent figure in New Zealand-Indian business circles.

He was a former chairman of the India New Zealand Business Council, the first person of Indian origin to do so, and was part of New Zealand government delegations to India in 2001 and 2011.

In 2013, he received the New Zealand Order of Merit Award for his services to New Zealand-India relations.

Source

• Stuff
• Indian NewsLink
• Indian NewsLink
• Image: i.yting.com

It was a joint initiative of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Committee for Interfaith Relations and the Wellington Abrahamic Council of Jews, Christians and Muslims.

The first part of the event was a panel presentation by three speakers.

JoEllen Dukkor (Jewish), Sister Elizabeth Julian (Christian) and Sultan Eusoff (Muslim) spoke about God's mercy in their respective scriptures.

During the evening, participants worked on a mosaic of mercy with key quotes from the scriptures and literature, punctuated with pictures illustrating the works of mercy.

"However, the works of mercy are a call to action," explains Sister Catherine Jones, Chair of the Bishops Committee, "so the reflective evening was followed by a day of action on Saturday 21 May."

This part of the event included collection and preparation of hygiene kits and toiletries for the Wellington Night Shelter and the Wellington Homeless Women's Trust, baking some sweet treats for the Compassion Centre Soup Kitchen, and a visit to the patients and residents at Te Hopai Hospital and Rest Home.

Outdoor activities "to care for our common home" were curtailed because of bad weather, but some braved the elements to work in the Taputeranga Marae gardens.

The Year of Mercy is celebrated in many ways, and in particular in this encounter with people of other faiths, working together in service of those most in need.

Source

Supplied

Further information from Sr Catherine Jones, smsm

The invitation is to mark the 50th Anniversary of the historical document Nostra Aetate - the Declaration on the Relation of the Catholic Church to Non-Christian Religions published in 1965.

He will speak first on 9 September at Otago University's Annual Peace Lecture, and then on 10 September present his Nostra Aetate reflection at Kavanagh College, Dunedin.

Morgan will then speak in Wellington and Auckland on the relationship today between Christians and Jews.

Morgan is a Senior Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel, Melbourne, and has been active in interfaith relations for most of his working life.

He is currently a Professorial Fellow at the Australian Catholic University in the area of Jewish-Christian relations.

Morgan is also an Hon. President and Coordinator of the innovative "Grass Roots Dialogue Project" for the Victorian branch of the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ).

In 2014 Morgan was made a Member in the Order of Australia for services to the Jewish community and interfaith relations.

Source

• NZCBC
• Image: abc.net.au