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

The diocese has a positive vision for the coming year says newly appointed general manager, Liam Greer.

Greer told parishioners in a presentation around the diocese that the diocese's prime focus is its mission.

"One of the best questions (during the presentation) that was asked of us was: ‘You got all the financial issues, compliance issues, ageing buildings that are seismically compromised, what is the biggest priority?' And the answer to that is our mission," Greer said.

"It's not the bricks and mortar. It's not the money. The priority is the mission because, without the mission, the rest of it is irrelevant."

"I think we're in really good stead and in a really good position as a diocese heading into 2021," he said.

During the presentation, Greer explained where the diocese is standing at the moment, the services it offers to the parishes and the pastoral mission the Church in Palmerston North is embarking on.

Greer said the Palmerston North diocese finances are affected by the pandemic; Mass-giving dipped during the lockdown and the equities and properties market took a tumble.

The Palmerston North's situation is not unlike that of other dioceses, he added.

"It looks like the equities and properties markets have bounced back and it's looking as good as it was pre-Covid, but we are looking at avenues where we can increase our passive income through developing land that the Church already owns to create some long-term passive income," he said.

Asked about restructuring parishes, Greer said it has not been a priority.

Any restructuring will be carried out in the coming years in full transparency with stakeholders and as the need to address issues with various buildings becomes important, he clarified.

Members of the diocesan staff accompanied Greer in presenting "Update 2020" at several churches in the diocese.

Pastoral coordinator Isabella McCafferty also gave parishioners an update on their journey as a Church.

She provided a road map for transformation - around where the diocese thinks the Church is - nationally and internationally.

McCafferty's presentation asked questions like "what is the point of our being here, who are we and what is the point of our mission."

Greer said that rather than "maintain" the Church, the diocese office wants to grow and to spread the mission.

"We're essentially there to achieve the pastoral priorities as determined by the bishop.

"So, we've got a mission and we're there to spread the mission, to have Catholic character in schools, to ensure our churches are looked after, our youth ministry is vibrant and is growing ... through prudent administration of affairs, assets and finances of the Church."

Greer praised the support staff, Cardinal John Dew, Msgr Brian Walsh and the other dioceses for their help since his appointment.

He also expressed appreciation to the New Zealand Catholic bishops for holding their recent Conference in Palmerston North.

"That was a show of solidarity with our bishops and recognition that we might not have a bishop but the Catholic Church is there supporting us," he said.

A year after the resignation of Charles Drennan, Palmerston North is still without a new Catholic bishop.

Cardinal John Dew of Wellington is the diocese's interim administrator until a full-time replacement is appointed.

A spokesman for the Catholic Church said Pope Francis appointed all bishops, there was no timeframe for the appointment of a bishop for Palmerston North and when an appointment was made it would be announced by the Vatican.

Sources

• NZ Catholic
• CathNews
• Image: Diocese of Palmerston North