On Sunday 26th July a Covenant (Kawenata) was signed at Pukekaraka, Ōtaki. The original agreement set up an inalienable relationship. The present Covenant renews the original agreement. It recalled the partnership established when local Māori invited the Catholic church to come and live there. It marks the “sharing of these lands in perpetuity for the Read more
Recently Te Wānanga o Raukawa opened a building called Te Ara a Tāwhaki. In this building is a central Lecture Theatre called ‘Te Kete Uruuru Rangi.’ It is surrounded by carvings. As part of those carvings, there are sets of ‘pou’ (carved wall features or poles) which express the ancestral links each hapū has. One Read more
Cardinal John Dew, the Archbishop of Wellington, has announced that as from 1 February 2016, the Archdiocese will take responsibility for the pastoral care of the parish of Saints Mary and Joseph in Otaki and Levin. Dew has thanked the priests and brothers of the Society of Mary for their pastoral care and leadership in Read more
A YouTube channel on Marian Shrines of the World recently featured an episode on Our Lady of Pukekaraka and the statue of Our Lady at Paraparaumu. Although the Australian narrator , understandably struggles a little with Maori pronunciation the video provides a concise and accurate account of the history and significance of the shrine of Read more