Last month, Gallavin announced the 87-bed rest home would close.

Hearing of the closure, Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy said it was "catastrophic for the community."

His comment prompted help in the form of a partnership with another aged-care provider.

Heritage Lifecare's CEO, Norah Barlow, says Guppy's comment led her to offer to partner with the Sisters.

"So, we are working closely with the Sisters of Compassion to find solutions to keep St Joseph's operating," she says.

Gallavin is realistic about the challenges ahead.

"While there is a lot of work in front of us, the partnership provides the local community with a positive way forward," he says.

Heritage Lifecare has 42 care homes throughout New Zealand.

‘This strong local connection is something we have in common with St Joseph's," says Barlow.

She says Heritage intends to use its scale and resources to work alongside the Sisters and Te Whatu Ora to keep the rest home open for its residents and staff.

"We'll move heaven and earth as a larger company to get everything in place and ... [we] have given assurances that we will do that to all the residents and their families."

Heritage will help with recruitment and push through immigration issues.

"Our skilled care home managers and regional managers support the wellbeing of all staff, so they in turn, can support and care for our residents. That is always our prime concern - to keep our residents safe and secure in the place they call home."

Gallavin is delighted. ‘This is good news for the people of Upper Hutt and for all the families and friends of the older people in St Joseph's care, he says .

"While there is a lot of work in front of us, the partnership provides the local community with a positive way forward."

Bernadette McCabe, whose mother lives at the home, says the partnership is "fantastic news".

The biggest thing people could do now was lobby so caregivers and nurses could get into the country to ease the shortage in the elder care sector, she says.

St Joseph's has a rich history and is beloved by its community, having provided care for older people in Upper Hutt for nearly 100 years.

Until Heritage Lifecare made their offer, all this was about to change courtesy of Covid and staff shortages.

Closing the home and trying to relocate its residents away from the place they know and love seemed the only option open until now.

Source

• Stuff
• NZ Herald
• Scoop

Karatea-Goddard's appointment was made by Maori-Tumu Whakarae of the Sisters of Compassion Group, the religious order founded by Meri Hohepa Mother Suzanne Aubert.

He will join Dr Chris Gallavin, appointed in March last year, in the co-chief executive position.

Karatea-Goddard has been the Maori adviser for the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference and Vicar for Maori with the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington.

The Conference's announcement of Karatea-Goddard's appointment was made in Te Reo and English.

Sister Margaret Anne Mills of the Sisters of Compassion says the appointment builds on Meri Hohepa Suzanne Aubert's bicultural work with Maori especially at Jerusalem on the Whanganui River in the 1880s.

"Our multicultural reality is only made real and will only be successful if we understand our bicultural foundation. We hold that the work of Meri Hohepa Suzanne Aubert is of pivotal importance in our journey toward true partnership in Aotearoa New Zealand. It is an expression of our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi," Sister Margaret Anne says.

For Karatea-Goddard, the new appointment strikes home on a personal note.

"A number of my aunties, my children and I have been recipients of the mission of Meri Hohepa Suzanne Aubert.

"To be able to serve the Sisters of Compassion whanau is a privilege, and I am excited to join them as we explore deepening our commitment to biculturalism as we move into a new future in these uncertain times," he says.

The powhiri to welcome Karatea-Goddard into his new role will be held on Monday, May 23, in Hiruharama Jerusalem.

Source

• NZ Herald
• New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference

Correction

As an aggregation service, CathNews used a published media article which says a powhiri for Karatea-Goddard will be held on Monday, May 23, in Hiruharama Jerusalem.

A powhiri for Deacon Karatea-Goddard will be held at Our Lady's Home of Compassion in Island Bay on Monday 23 May 2022 at 10am, followed later by a powhiri in Hiruharama Jerusalem.

Her funeral took place at the Sisters' motherhouse in Island Bay on Monday.

In the New Year Honours List, she had been awarded the Queen's Service Medal for services to the community.

Read more in NZ Catholic

A plausible miracle attributed to her has been referred to Vatican doctors for scrutiny.

New Zealand Catholic bishops, in Rome for a pilgrimage and a meeting with Pope Francis last week, discussed the possible canonisation of Suzanne Aubert with the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Vatican agency responsible for studying sainthood nominations.

Bishop of Hamilton Stephen Lowe said the discussions - with Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, Prefect of the Congregation - were very positive.

"Two medical experts will examine the extensive reports of the possible miracle attributed to Suzanne Aubert," said Lowe, who is also Secretary of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference and one of the five New Zealand bishops in Rome for an Ad Limina Apostolorum visit.

"If one of the two doctors' findings is positive, it will then be referred to a medical board. If their report is positive, a theological commission will then examine the doctors' reports."

After that, if then approved by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the outcome will go to Pope Francis for his approval, and New Zealand will have its first "Blessed."

Proof of a second miracle will be required for Suzanne Aubert to reach the next step, being canonised as a saint.

The New Zealand bishops approved the start of her sainthood process in 1997.

A diocesan inquiry was held in 2004, after which Suzanne Aubert was given the title "Servant of God". Following the formal acceptance of her nomination, Pope Francis declared her "Venerable" in 2016, the key step before being declared "Blessed."

Lowe said Becciu was very familiar with Suzanne Aubert and her Sisters of Compassion in Island Bay, Wellington. The cardinal was once the secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature (the Vatican embassy) in New Zealand.

"The process ahead could still take quite some time," said Lowe. "However, we were assured that the Congregation of Saints are taking particular interest in this case."

Becciu is very interested in returning to New Zealand and hopes that this will happen during his time as Prefect.

"As the New Zealand bishops, we were very well received at the Congregation and came away feeling very hopeful. In the meantime, we continue to pray for the ‘Cause of Our Mother Suzanne'. Please join us in prayer for this Cause."

Source

Supplied: David McLoughlin
Communications Adviser, NZ Catholic Bishops
Te Huinga o nga Pihopa Katorika o Aotearoa

The exhibition is open from 11 November 2018 - 31 March 2019 at Our Lady's Home of Compassion at Island Bay in Wellington.

Eight Sisters of Compassion responded. As the disease worsened they were joined by a further eight sisters. The cases were so severe that very thorough organisation was required to cope with the crisis.

Sister Clotilde was placed in charge of the sisters and was given authority to have the worst cases admitted to hospital.

She had a motorcycle with side-car reserved for her use. Boy Scouts were placed at her service to take messages to the depot or to her sisters.

By the end of the first week, the sisters moved from Island Bay to Berhampore where their nursing skills were badly needed.

About this time Father Gilbert, acting on the advice of Doctor McEvedy, closed St Patrick's College and sent the boarders home.

Two college dormitories were offered to the Minister of Health as an emergency hospital and were placed under the direction of the Sisters of Compassion.

The hospital was open for one month. There were 48 beds, and the sisters and volunteers nursed 91 men of every denomination. 54 survived and 37 died.

Many of the sisters contracted influenza and during their illness meals were provided by the Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

Sister Natalie, who was in charge of the nursery at the Home, caught the flu when visiting her brother. She was the only sister to die from influenza.

Suzanne Aubert was in Rome during this period and the flu was one of the reasons which delayed her return to New Zealand.

She wrote that she was happy with the work the sisters were doing in caring for the sick.

The Exhibition is on display at the Home of Compassion at 2 Rhine Street (off Murray Street), Island Bay, Wellington, from Tuesday to Saturday 10am-3pm. Click here to see exceptions.

Source

• Supplied: Juliet Palmer
• Image: compassion.org.nz

The plaque was officially unveiled by Wellington City Councillor, Nicola Young, on Friday, the 92nd anniversary of Mother Aubert's funeral on 5 October 1926.

The funeral is believed to be the largest held for a woman in New Zealand, with mourners lining the cortege's route between St Mary of the Angels and Karori Cemetery where her body was interred (until 1950 when it was transferred to the grounds of the Home of Compassion in Island Bay).

His Eminence Cardinal John Dew attended the small, informal ceremony despite having returned from Rome only a few hours earlier, and the Sisters of Compassion - the religious order established by Suzanne Aubert (Mother Mary Joseph Aubert) - turned out in force to honour their founder.

‘The heritage plaque scheme will tell people the history and stories of our city," said Nicola Young who is responsible for the Council's ‘Central City Projects' portfolio.

"We've started with the recognition of three women because the launch coincides with the 125th anniversary of Women's Suffrage in New Zealand."

The first was for radio personality Maud Basham (Aunt Daisy), and the next for Iris Wilkinson (the writer Robin Hyde).

‘I was determined to get a plaque at Mother Aubert's crèche; it's been repurposed as the Queen Elizabeth II Pukeahu Education Centre and I wanted people to know the building's history and the remarkable story of Suzanne Aubert - the young woman who sailed here from France to become a social worker and herbalist and then founded New Zealand's only indigenous Catholic religious order.'

Mother Aubert and her Sisters of Compassion moved to Wellington in 1899. They opened a hospice, then the Soup Kitchen (now in Tory Street), the crèche, and then the Home of Compassion where they cared for orphans, handicapped children and terminally-ill women.

Source

• Supplied
• Image: twitter.com

One of the events is Splendid Drop, a beer-tasting night at which Petal and Pestle, a Belgian Red Ale brewed in honour of Mother Aubert, is set to make a debut appearance.

Flavoured with rosehip, the ale takes inspiration from Aubert's herbal remedies.

Brewing began about a month ago at Tuatara's microbrewery and bar The Third Eye. Anglican Archdeacon of Wellington Stephen King stopped by to help add the hops.

While he's Anglican, King said the work of Aubert and her Catholic sisters was in his "hood" and he wanted to add the hops.

Tuatara head brewer Carl Vasta and the Sisters of Compassion worked together to create the brew - everything from flavours to the name.

"The sisters are delighted the community is engaged. That's part of the mission, to raise [Aubert's] story," King said.

The Compassion Soup Kitchen in Tory Street is the focus charity for the festival.

CompassionFest was officially opened on Sunday. A variety of events will take place from 4-7 October.

As well as the beer tasting evening that takes place on October 6, the programme includes:

• Art exhibition
• Reflective Taize service
• Kidsfest
• Children's tour of the Home of Compassion
• Virtual trip around Island Bay with the Historical Society
• Pop-up soup kitchen
• Combined church service
• Compassion Mass
• Native tonics workshop
• Symposium with politicians on the subject "What has compassion to do with running the country?"

Suzanne Aubert (1835 - 1926) devoted her life to helping others. Her work took her from France to the Whanganui River and finally to Island Bay in Wellington.

Along the way, she founded a new Catholic congregation, cared for children and the sick, and documented her work in Maori, English and French.

Source

• ibpc.org.nz
• wn.catholic.org.nz
• stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

They also won the Health and Well-being category.

The Wellington Airport Regional Awards are run by the Wellington International Airport, the Wellington Community Trust and five local councils.

The focus of the awards is to celebrate volunteers for their valuable contribution to society.

The Compassion Soup Kitchen will now be in the Regional Award Finals to be held in November this year.

Karen Holland, the manager of the Compassion Soup Kitchen said: "This is a wonderful acknowledgement of the work of the Sisters and our volunteers.

"The Sisters of Compassion have worked in partnership with many volunteers and benefactors for over 100 years.

"We are so proud to be a part of the story of Suzanne Aubert, the sisters and the Wellington community.

"Thank you to the Wellington City Council, Wellington Community Trust and to the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards for this recognition of years of service."

In response to an invitation from local doctors to help provide social support to a growing community, Suzanne Aubert and the Sisters of Compassion came to Wellington in 1899.

Among the works they began in the city was the serving of soup to around 80 men each day out of a sliding window in the kitchen of St Joseph's Home for Incurables in Buckle St.

The Soup Kitchen continued on the Buckle Street site until the Sisters moved to premises in Sussex Street in 1973.

It moved again in 1999 to the current site at 132 Tory Street, not much more than a stone's throw from the original location.

The Soup Kitchen has over 200 volunteers who help in the kitchen, dining room, and with its purposeful activities project. They also share their talents to help our whanau.

Source

scoop.co.nz

soupkitchen.org.nz

Image: facebook

The ceremony took place at 7am on a cool Wellington morning and was attended by about 100 people.

The space for te mara (the garden) was gifted to guests of the Soup Kitchen by the Sisters of Compassion.

Speakers included the mayor of Wellington Justin Lester, representatives of the Tangata Whenua, the Sisters of Compassion and those who set the garden up.

The final two speakers were representative of the whanau (guests) who gather at the soup kitchen each day for food and companionship.

Matt Petrie, a social worker at the Soup Kitchen and kaiarahi (leader) of the garden project, thanked the many people who had contributed to setting up the garden.

Te mara was given the name Tupaea in honour of the memory of Ngati Tupaea, the hapu who lived near what is now Courtenay Place before Europeans arrived in Wellington.

It is hoped Tupaea will be an oasis away from the streets, yet in central Wellington, growing kai that the Sisters, whanau, staff, volunteers and anyone from the wider community who contribute can all share.

Petrie said te mara is about giving a sense of pride.

It is a central part of He Rakau Koikoi, a programme of purposeful activities that help whanau improve their wellbeing and which allows them to look with hope to the future.

By working in the garden, whanau learn new skills, practice old skills, have fun and enjoy being with other people.

"For many people who come here, they experience poor mental health, loneliness, isolation, depression, anxiety and low mood but by working on the garden some of those feelings start being removed," Petrie said.

"They have more control back in their lives and can face the world more positively. They start to look forward and have improved self-esteem and confidence. It's a great outcome."

Source

• Supplied
• scoop
• dailyencourager.co.nz
• Image: Supplied

A first miracle would see her named as "Blessed", and a second would mean her being named a saint.

The sisters of Compassion property in Island Bay has been developed in the expectation of attracting thousands of visitors to Wellington.

When Suzanne Aubert died in 1926, she was buried at Karori cemetery in Wellington.

She was moved to Our Lady's Home of Compassion in 1950 and placed in a grave at the foot of a Pietà.

In 1984, both the grave and the statue were transferred to different sites on the grounds after the buildings at Island Bay were replaced.

Earlier this year Aubert was moved to a newly prepared crypt with the Pietà just outside the main window.

The recognition of a miracle requires reports, citations of witnesses, a biography, medical records and medical studies of people cured.

Last week, Sisters of Compassion archivist Josephine Gorman said she could not elaborate on the cures performed by Aubert in 1940s that were considered potential miracles at the time, as the privacy of those people was important.

The sisters would have to collect medical evidence to ensure there had been no medical intervention required, she said.

If doctors in New Zealand found there was no medical explanation, it would be sent to Rome for Vatican doctors to find out if the alleged cure was a miracle.

A spokeswoman for the New Zealand Catholic Church said more than one doctor was required to verify and provide proof of a miracle cure.

"Proof of a cure must be evidenced by medical records, professional diagnoses of medical doctors and their testimony, x-rays, pathological reports, CAT scans etc," she said.

Source

• Stuff
• Stuff
• Suzanne Aubert
• Image: Stuff

All existing local tenancy agreements will remain in place.

Residents will now receive an increased level of service aimed both at improving well-being and decreasing isolation.

Sister Margaret Anne Mills, the Congregational Leader of the Sisters of Compassion, says they are committed to Levin, Shannon and Foxton for the long term.

"We will deliver sustainable, affordable, inclusive and high-quality housing using our collective expertise," she says.

"Our residents will have access to regular nursing visits and other services for the elderly."

The Sisters and Willis Bond & Co, a private investor, are equal shareholders in Compassion Horowhenua. The two have a long-standing relationship.

The District Council is selling the portfolio to Compassion Horowhenua. It is made up of 115 units distributed across eight complexes in Levin, where 97% are based, and in Foxton and Shannon.

The average age of buildings is 39.7 years. 50 - 60% of these will require replacement in the next 20-25 years at an approximate cost of $4.3 million.

A $5.2m outstanding loan is included in the sale as well as 1.1 hectares of land adjacent to Waimarie Park which will be held for further affordable housing.

Compassion Housing will receive a rates remission in keeping with the Council's policy.

Horowhenua District Council's Community Wellbeing Chair, Barry Judd, says it is a fantastic result for tenants and ratepayers alike.

"Compassion Housing is committed to helping its residents participate in the community, maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid isolation - this is a level of service that is increasingly necessary but which Council has been unable to provide."

The Sisters of Compassion were founded in 1892 by Mother Suzanne Aubert, who is in the process of being recognised as New Zealand's first Catholic saint.

The Sister's mission is to bring love and care to the disadvantaged in society.

Source

• Pacific Scoop
• Horowhenua District Council
• Scoop Regional
• Image: Horowhenua District Council

The Sisters of Compassion, founded by Suzanne Aubert, and the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference agreed that the first Sunday of October will be marked as a day of celebration.

All parishes have been asked to include a special Prayer of the Faithful at masses on that day and to make copies of the intercessory prayer card available.

In addition, a special 6-minute video presentation has been produced for playing at mass. It features a number of Sisters of Compassion as well as Cardinal John Dew and several Bishops.

Bishop Charles Drennan, the liaison Bishop for Suzanne Aubert's Cause, commented: "Kiwi culture readily celebrates its sports heroes and sometimes its high achievers in arts and music."

"Suzanne Aubert's gutsy life focused solely and relentlessly on the needs of others. This helps us celebrate a radical life of practical faith."

He went on to say, "Mother Aubert's life shifts holiness onto our streets and fields. Hers is a gumboots and sleeves-rolled-up type of saintliness that resonates in this country and overseas too - with growing interest in her Cause in France and parts of the Pacific."

Suzanne Aubert chose to leave her native country of France and spend 3 months travelling to New Zealand on a whaling boat so that she could answer the call of Christ: the call to serve the sick, the orphaned, the elderly and those whom society seemed not to notice. Her response to what she encountered was to establish NZ's first soup kitchen that still serves almost 40,000 meals a year.

She established orphanages for abandoned children throughout New Zealand and provided care for the disabled, the sick and the dying.

When she died, Suzanne was accorded the largest funeral ever in NZ for a woman. Wellington city stopped to pay their respects and publicly acknowledge what this remarkable woman had achieved.

Her wairua or spirit lives on in the work of the Sisters of Compassion. The work of the Sisters today is very much supported by their co-workers through their engagement in social work, pastoral care, prison and hospital chaplaincies, education, working with disadvantaged, migrant communities, and care of the sick and the elderly.

Pope Francis officially declared Suzanne Aubert Venerable last year. This the second of four steps on the journey to her being officially recognised as a Saint.

As a result of the national celebration day on 1 October, the anniversary of her death 91 years ago, it is hoped that many more New Zealanders will learn of the spirituality and good works of Venerable Suzanne Aubert.

The announcement has just been made from Rome by Pope Francis.

Being declared ‘venerable' is a major step towards sainthood in the Catholic Church, says Dr Maurice Carmody, the promoter of her canonisation cause.

"There are a number of stages in the canonisation process. Last year the official case for her proposed canonisation was submitted to the Congregation for the Cause of Saints in Rome.

Her case has been examined by Church historians and theologians and now, with the Pope's approval, she has been declared ‘venerable' - the second stage on the way to being declared a saint.

"The next stage involves the recognition of a miracle attributed to Suzanne, such as recovery from a terminal illness as a result of prayer.

She can then be declared ‘Blessed' by the Pope. A second miracle and proof that she is a model for the universal Church will enable her to be canonised as a saint," said Carmody.

The Sisters of Compassion are the only religious congregation founded in New Zealand. They run the well-known Soup Kitchen in Tory Street, Wellington, which was begun by Suzanne and her pioneering Sisters.

They also run a dementia care unit in Upper Hutt and a housing support programme in Lower Hutt

If Suzanne's Cause for Sainthood is successful, she will be New Zealand's first saint, said Cardinal John Dew

"She was a remarkable woman who devoted her life to helping others. She was a pioneer of New Zealand's health and welfare system and a friend to Maori throughout her life. Her tireless compassion and practical brand of Christianity made a huge impact on New Zealand society."

Suzanne Aubert (1835-1926) came to New Zealand from France in 1860 and spent most of her life here, fully identifying with her adopted country.

"Suzanne Aubert was ahead of her time, promoting the rights of women and Maori in the nineteenth century," said Cardinal Dew. "Her care for infants, young children, their mothers and families, and her practical concern for the incurably sick and unemployed was legendary."

The leader of the Sisters of Compassion, Sister Margaret Mills said the news from Rome was very exciting for the Sisters and for all of New Zealand.

"Suzanne Aubert was an inspirational figure in New Zealand history. She reached out to people of all walks of life."

"Her huge energy and respect for all those she encountered, especially the needy, impressed a wide cross-section of New Zealanders. Her funeral was the largest ever held for a New Zealand woman."

When she died in 1926, at the age of 91, The Evening Post said of her: Aubert "may rightly be described as one of the greatest women in public effort and loving self-sacrifice New Zealand has known."

Source

• Supplied

All parishes have been asked to include a special Prayer of the Faithful at Masses on Oct 2 and also to make available copies of the intercessory prayer card.

In addition, a special 4-minute video presentation that features Cardinal John Dew and several Sisters of Compassion has been produced for playing after Communion.

Suzanne Aubert chose to leave her native country of France and spend 3 months travelling to New Zealand on a whaling boat so that she could answer the call of Christ: the call to serve the sick, the orphaned, the elderly and those whom society seemed not to notice.

Her response to what she encountered was to establish NZ's first soup kitchen that still serves almost 40,000 meals a year.

She established orphanages for abandoned children throughout New Zealand and provided care for the disabled, the sick and the dying.

When she died, Suzanne was accorded the largest funeral ever in NZ for a woman and Wellington city stopped to pay their respects and publicly acknowledge what this remarkable woman had achieved.

The church has already officially called Suzanne Aubert a Servant of God and the next step on her journey to sainthood is being declared Venerable.

Source

• Supplied
• Image: alchetron.com

The process for seeking sainthood for Suzanne Aubert began in the 1980s. Jessie Munro wrote a biography of her life and the investigation of three recorded miracles began.

In 1997 the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference agreed to support the first part of the formal process, called the "Introduction of the Cause of Suzanne Aubert".

Now that historical consultation has been completed the next step in the process is a theological consultation by a panel of theologians. A panel of nine theologians in the Congregation of Saints judge whether the case has merit.

If their decision is affirmative, they offer the cause to the Bishops and Cardinals who work in the Congregation.

If the Bishops and Cardinals approve, the case is given to the Pope for his personal decision.

A decree on the heroic nature of Suzanne Aubert's virtues would be issued and she would be given the title of Venerable.

The penultimate step in the process is the approval of a posthumous miracle, which would lead to Suzanne Aubert's Beatification. A person who is beatified is given the title "Blessed"

After beatification the Church looks for a second posthumous miracle before proceeding to canonisation.

The consent of the Holy Father to the decision of the Congregation results in a Decree of a Miracle. Canonisation would then be possible.

Source

• Archbishop John Dew's Newsletter 20 February 2014
• NZCBC
• Image: nzhistory.net.nz

"Our guests will benefit significantly from the change in law", she told CathNews.

"Our chefs are very creative but will welcome the opportunity to offer a greater variety of food and further improve our guests' nutrition.

"I'd call this redistribution of food a 'win-win", said Nance Thomson.

In June this year the Food Safety Minister Nikki Kay announced that a 'Good Samaritan' clause will be introduced to the Food Bill, allowing restaurants and supermarkets to donate perishable foods without the liability they currently face.

Nikki Kaye says the amendment, currently before the Select Committee, will reduce the liability of donors and better protect businesses that "give good food in good faith".

A report published Wednesday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation found that each year about a third of the food produced for human consumption worldwide is wasted.

The approximately 1.3 billion metric tons emits the equivalent of about 3.3 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases which is about twice the amount of carbon emitted from the U.S.'s transportation sector and close to twice the yearly emissions of India.

That wasted food also wastes water and the report states that about 250 cubic kilometres of ground and surface water is used each year to produce food that is ultimately wasted.

The Sister of Compassion have been running the Soup Kitchen in Wellington for more than a century. They offer daily a 'no questions asked' free breakfast and a $2 'family style' dinner.

This week the Soup Kitchen is looking for donations of milk, potatoes, canned tomatoes and eggs.

Sources

• RNZ
• Soup Kitchen
• UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (pdf)
• Image: Soup Kitchen

Sister Maria Casey, former postulator for Australia's first saint, Mary MacKillop, is visiting to push along Sister Aubert's claim for sainthood, a long and complicated process.

"So that there's a real integrity and there is not room for future contradiction or for skullduggery, for want of a better word," says Sister Casey.

Father Maurice Carmody has already presented the case to the Vatican.

"It's then examined by a committee of three historians and three theologians and that's the stage it's at now," he says.

But getting help from the Australian who was instrumental in getting that country's first saint recognised, is being seen as a significant boost towards Suzanne Aubert's claim.

Watch Video
Source

• 3News
• Image: ScreenShot 3News

Saturday's DomPost Your Weekend section ran an article "$2.25 Buys a big Lesson" where Ruth Nichol recalls her family being part of last year's "Live Below the Line" challenge. When she shopped for the minuscule amounts she could afford she was humbled to see other shoppers doing the same. But they weren't economising for just a few days. They shopped like this all the time. She was struck by how privileged her life is.

Many years ago with a couple of other Sisters I ran a Mission in the west of New South Wales with the local Aboriginal people. We ran a medical clinic, pre-school and junior school on a pittance and aimed to live as closely as possible to the people around us.

But I learnt that despite all our intentions we could never truly live their lives. We had the education and the networks, which enabled us to escape. We never faced the despair and sense of helplessness that seemingly never-ending poverty can bring.

Probably the big thing "Live Below the Line" achieves is that it raises the awareness of the general population of how others are struggling to survive.

And these are not only the 1.4 billion people in developing countries but also thousands of low-income New Zealanders.

Perhaps with celebrities raising the consciousness of many of us it may prevent the snide remarks of some prominent businessmen when the organisation "The Living Wage" was launched last week. Perhaps some celebrities may even lend their fame to help New Zealanders who are finding it so difficult to raise their families despite their hard work. Perhaps they may join "The Living Wage."

Source

• Sr. Catherine Hannan

Hastings Deputy Mayor and member of the Landmarks Advisory Group Cynthia Bowers says Suzanne Aubert was Hawke's Bay's first ‘district nurse' and studied Rongoa; traditional Maori medicine.

"Mother Aubert was known as ‘The Sister' to the sick and poor she visited, and ‘Meri' to her Maori friends," said Cr Bowers.

Source

• YahooNews

The medal was given to Sister Felix primarily for the work she did in the Wellington soup kitchen which was then in Buckle St.

For more than 12 years she cooked breakfast and dinner every day, visiting sick, elderly, and lonely people in the community in between meals.

She was attacked by a drug addict at age 84, was back at work the next day to cook for the masses, and knows how to make tripe edible.

At Upper Hutt's Home of Compassion yesterday, Sister Felix was mortified that one-time fellow soup kitchen worker Eddie Mollier had nominated her for a New Zealand Local Hero medal.

"I'd like to wring his neck," she said with a chuckle, eyes twinkling. "He thought the sun and the stars shone out of me - I was his pin-up girl," said Sister Felix.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: Hutt News