The metal bar the thieves used to break into the Catholic charity's North Rd store caused thousands of dollars of damage. Then they stole money, food, the roller door remote - and the Vinnies van.

The food intended for Southland's needy families included a freezer containing a year's worth of meat. That was all stuffed into the stolen van.

The meat - all mince - had been donated by a local farming family. It was meant to be distributed among the community.

"That's the thing, they didn't steal it off us, they stole it off families who would have benefited from it," says St Vincent de Paul treasurer Tony Rae.

"We're all volunteers [at Vinnies], so that's a kick in the teeth for us who put in all the time into helping people."

The van, which was used for collecting and delivering donated goods around the community, was eventually found at the estuary.

Invercargill City Council said when they found it, it had been hotwired, dumped and damaged.

Trying to carry on without the van involves "lot of mucking around", says Rae.

He says insurance would cover some of the cost but not the difference needed to buy a new van.

While searching for a new vehicle, Vinnies has hired a van to help with collections and deliveries.

Despite the thefts, Rae is positive about most people.

"It's got to be said also that the percentage of people like [the thieves] is offset by the very generous people like all our volunteers, people who donate food, clothing, furniture, money," he says.

"Good people, they far outweigh the negative. It's a kick in the teeth, but we'll carry on."

St Vincent de Paul has been involved in the Invercargill community for about 90 years, working with Christian values to deliver practical and effective help to those in need.

Source

• ODT

The Thriving Rangatahi project is the culmination of a six-year investment underwritten by the Vodafone New Zealand Foundation and a partnership with Ngai Tahu.

At least $500,000 of the Vodafone money will be invested in local groups.

The evening event celebrating the new programme followed a hui with local stakeholders at Murihiku marae during the day.

Foundation head Lani Evans says Invercargill was chosen because 30 percent of its young people fit the category of excluded and disadvantaged. This is seven percent higher than the national average.

The city was also facing further disadvantage with the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter's impending closure.

"What we want to do is take a preventive approach, to come in before things get worse, so they don't get worse," Evans says.

The first six-month phase was talking to local groups, schools and runanga to see what was already happening to support the young in the community so they could look at ways they could be further developed or built on, she explains.

Research has already been carried out, during which young people were asked questions about what they want their futures to look like and what are their barriers to achieving them, Evans says.

Massey University Toi Aria (Design for Public Good) director Associate Prof Anna Brown says there had been some open discussions with the city's young people during research for the project.

The key themes were there was a need for support and trust from adults to help engage with services and employment; a need for holistic health services, including mental health, access to career opportunities; and the need for stability and security in their lives.

"It's about having opportunities and about having people believing in them," she says.

Researchers found that while those they spoke to had a great interest in Invercargill, they didn't necessarily have a lot of pride in it.

High on young Invercargill's wish list is a free-of-charge place for youth to gather and free Wi-Fi.

One youth in particular had given a poignant quote, Brown says.

"'We understand that we're young and don't know everything and we don't have a lot of experience but with what experience we do have, we do know what's going on.'"

Ms Evans says while not all initiatives implemented in Invercargill would be rolled out to other places, it is hoped key parts of the project could be introduced to benefit young people nationwide.

Source

• Otago Daily Times
• Image: Stuff

It was attended by A crowd of several hundred people - many of whom spilled out into the foyer.

Clergy from throughout Southland, Otago, New Zealand and Australia were in attendance at the mass, as was Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt and students from several Southland Catholic schools.

Boyle was the parish priest at St Mary's Basilica from 1972 until he became a bishop in 1983.

The mass began with a rendition of "Lift High The Cross," with accompaniment by organist Dr Raymond White. Later, soloist Rebecca Ryan sang part of "Pie Jesu" from Faure's Requiem.

In his homily Bishop Dennis Brown said Boyle's Southland charm had a way of rubbing off on others.

He said he fondly remembered the time Boyle patted Pope John Paul II on the back as a gesture of support.

"That made him eligible for excommunication, because he had struck the Holy Father," he joked.

"He was outstanding. A humble, beautiful man who had a deep appreciation for everybody."

Boyle's niece, Catherine Morrision, also spoke at the mass.

"He was a wonderful storyteller, and could captivate an audience," she said.

"He had a remarkable memory. He was so proud of being brought up in Nightcaps and Winton."

Following the service, students from Invercargill's Verdon College performed a haka outside the basilica.

Boyle's casket was then taken to the Ascot Park Hotel for a reception, and then to Wreys Bush Cemetery where he was buried next to other members of his family.

Source

• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

The performance will also feature international soloists, Rebecca Ryan (soprano), Sandra Martinovic (mezzo soprano) and Clive Thompson (tenor), with the combined choirs of St Mary's Basilica and Cantores of Dunedin, singers from Verdon College and children from local schools, accompanied by a chamber orchestra led by Sydney Manowitz.

The conductors are Dr Raymond White and Gregory Peyroux. White trained Lemalu in Dunedin

The Church's actual 150th anniversary does not occur until next year, but because of Lemalu's heavy international schedule this is the only time that he is available.

St Mary's was the first Catholic Church to be built in Invercargill. It was initially a small wooden church. The present church was opened in 1905
Source

• Southland Times
• Invercargill City Council

She wanted to get the message out that children in the city were having sex and many parents did not know it was happening.

"I want to stimulate conversation in the community and get people asking, what is happening to my children, where are they?"

Invercargill Pregnancy Help Inc president Dianne Acker said the agency helped women of all ages but many young teens had sought help, the youngest a 14-year-old.

She was concerned some of the young girls did not have support or basic life skills. She also referred cases of young girls to other agencies.

Pregnancy Help has been operating for more than 30 years and volunteers were seeing more young girls, and many without support, she said.

Southland Boys' High School rector Ian Baldwin said he believed sex among teenagers was becoming increasingly common.

As children became sexualised earlier in life through television and social media, they made the physical connection, he said. Continue reading

The Salvation Army Invercargill Community Ministries has introduced its Adopt-A-Family programme, which gives businesses and individuals a chance to sponsor a family over Christmas by providing them with a hamper filled with food and treats.

Sponsors could also include gifts, especially for children, and treats such as chips, fruit and nuts.

Continue reading

Mrs Walsh was presented with the Benemerenti Medal at a mass and ceremony at the St Theresa of Lisieux parish in Invercargill yesterday afternoon.

Afterwards, she said she was unable to imagine not having a strongly held faith.

"You're just surrounded by it. It's part of the fabric of your life, really - I couldn't get on without it," she said.

Continue reading

Bishop Campbell said he had received supportive emails, "But I have received some nasty emails too, and some are quite personal".

He declined to tell the Otago Daily Times the exact contents, saying only "I would describe them as offensive".

The letter calls for the Southern DHB to stop its plan to begin performing abortions in Southland Hospital - which they plan to start in early August.

1 August 2012

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ

You will be aware that there are proposals in place to establish an abortion facility at Southland Hospital. In spite of the good work of Southlanders for Life, Voice for Life and many concerned in raising their voices in opposition the Management at Southland Hospital still appear to be pursuing this option. The pleas of many concerned people on this issue have gone unheeded. As Catholics our opposition to abortion is well-known.

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops have on a number of occasions written about the evil of abortion. In 1989 in speaking of abortion as the "greatest human rights issue confronting New Zealand in our day" they went on to say:

"Every human being has an inviolable right to life. Rich or poor, strong or weak, young or old, born or unborn - every human life is sacred. The directly-intended killing of any innocent human being is always wrong. Nothing can ever justify it. It is urgent to proclaim this truth in season and out of season, welcome or unwelcome." (What's wrong with abortion? New Zealand Catholic Bishops, 1989)

As a Family of Faith we are opposed to all abortion and we must do all we can to prevent this culture of death spreading in our country. As the ad goes, "think globally, act locally". Let us continue to pray and raise our voices in the private and public arena and in our wider community. Let our voices and pleas be heard by our politicians and Minister of Health. We pray that members of the Southern District Health Board and its management will hear our voice and reject this license for abortion at our Southland Hospital.

"Each human is a unique masterpiece, yet each is a likeness of God individually and separately hand-drawn by the Creator and destined, through union with Christ, to live forever." (ibid, NZCBC, 1989)

In the Spirit

+ Colin Campbell

Source

• The Otago Daily Times
• Scoop
• Image: TV3

He says that the introduction of abortion services brings a "conflict of conscience" for many staff members, is opposed to the "central tradition" of medical ethics, and concludes that "Liberal abortion is simply not good medicine and this is why many Southlanders are deeply concerned this harmful procedure will be practised within our community".

• Read Norman MacLean's opinion piece.
• Image: Youth Speak News

Mr Norman MaLean was a clinical obstetrician and gynaecologist at Southland Hospital for 35 years. He works in Invercargill as a senior lecturer in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Otago Medical School.

Bishop Boyle says that it is too flattering and it included all the good but not the bad.

The bishop was interviewed in Invercargill where he was attending a family reunion to mark the 150th anniversary of his Irish ancestor John Boyle. He said he knows Invercargill well. "There is a real community spirit in this city, it's a nice size that encourages involvement," he said.

Bishop Boyle was born at Nightcaps, a coal-mining town in Southland on November 16, 1930. His parents owned hotels in Nightcaps and Winton. He was the sixth child to be born among seven boys and two girls.

Bishop Boyle decided to become a priest at the age of about 22 or 23. Up until then he was farming and shearing sheep in the Winton area. From the age of about six or seven he wanted to be a farmer. As an adult he actually owned a farm because he thought it was to be his life.

From 1961 until 1983 Father Len Boyle worked in various parishes in Otago and Southland including Georgetown, South Dunedin and Invercargill. He was ordained bishop on May 3, 1983. Two years later, on August 19 1985, following the death of Bishop John Kavanagh, Bishop Boyle was installed as Bishop of Dunedin. On May 24, 2004 Bishop Boyle resigned after Father Campbell was appointed Bishop of Dunedin by the Holy See.

Source

• The Southland Times
• oocities.org