Denis was a man with a large heart, a great capacity for friendship, and a deep love and commitment to his faith and the Marist charism. It has been a pleasure and privilege to have known and been inspired by him. I began working with Denis in 2002 when he became Provincial of the Society Read more
The Catholic Church has “lost the plot” and needs to rethink its media strategy according to Emeritus Bishop of Auckland Patrick Dunn. Dunn made the comment at a farewell lunch for Dame Lyndsay Freer, who for so long was the voice and face of Catholic Communications in New Zealand, and latterly communications spokesperson for the Read more
Last month marked 30 years since Dame Lyndsay Freer started working in media and communications for the Catholic Church in New Zealand. She has been arguably the most visible and recognisable “face” of the Catholic Church in New Zealand. Recently NZ Catholic interviewed Dame Lyndsay Freer about her career in Catholic communications. Dame Lyndsay worked Read more
Time magazine’s choice of Pope Francis a Person of the Year has prompted interest from the New Zealand media. Auckland Diocese spokesperson Lyndsay Freer was interviewed on RadioLive last Thursday. Mrs Freer told CathNews, “It’s no surprise, after reading his apostolic exhortation, Joy of the Gospel, and the many impromptu homilies at his daily Masses and Read more
It was fortuitous the Catholic Church in New Zealand had Hamilton priest, Fr Michael Gielen, who happened to be studying in Rome, to liaise with New Zealand media, commenting on the atmosphere, the scenes, the hopes and excitement as the world waited for a new pope. Fr Gielen captured some of the excitement of the event Read more
As a somewhat old-fashioned, traditional type, I welcomed the engaging presence and comment of Dame Lyndsay Freer to my radio and TV during the recent papal conclave. Long before the advent of television, St Thomas Aquinas said, “faith comes from hearing“, and the Catholic Church in New Zealand, once again, at least for a limited Read more
I’m amazed at the interest shown by the New Zealand media at what is happening here in Rome in these days. The interviewers from back home whom I speak to each day seem really intrigued by this whole conclave phenomenon. It is something unique in the world – the perceived “power” or influence of the Read more
Hurrying in the cold and rain to St Peter’s Square this evening to await the first smoke signal, I was amazed to find that there were already thousands upon thousands of people braving the conditions there. People of all ages and stages and ethnicities from the very young to the very old all with eyes Read more
The excitement is increasing around St Peter’s Basilica as people arrive for this historic time and discuss the perceived needs of the church and the strengths or weaknesses of candidates. It is recognised that much is at stake in this conclave, perhaps more than ever before. A number of candidates’ names keep surfacing with the Read more
We can take pride in the fact that New Zealand is a democratic society and our freedom is guaranteed. So what was Sky City thinking of when it threatened to dismiss an employee for having a small pocket sized Bible on her at work? “If the reading of her bible took place in those times Read more