Damian Dempsey has been appointed the new Executive Director of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference. Dempsey brings a strong justice and mission lens and executive management experience to the appointment. He was a member of the Society of Mary for 25 years, working in formation, education, and community development in New Zealand and in Read more
Upset, disappointment and, for some, ‘resigned understanding’ has greeted the announcement that the March edition of the Marist Messenger is the final edition. “What a shock and great disappointment! I appreciate commercial realities to which we are all subject, but it does not dull the pain,” one reader wrote. “The Marist Messenger has been an Read more
Māori Catholic boys’ school, Hato Pāora College, celebrated its 75th jubilee over Labour Weekend. Generations of former students gathered to reminisce about their time at the celebrated school. As one past pupil said: “We are unique. We are the only Māori Catholic Boys College in the world! So let’s remember; let’s celebrate; let’s build a Read more
Father John O’Neill died in Wellington on Wednesday, August 28. He made a significant contribution to education in New Zealand not just in Catholic Schools, but nationally. O’Neill was a teacher at St Patrick’s College in Wellington from 1953 until 1981. In 1960 he took a break from teaching to attend Cambridge University, returning to Read more
A New Zealand priest has been elected superior general of the Marist Fathers and Brothers (Society of Mary). Fr John Larsen is a member of the Society’s district of Asia and has been on loan to its international formation programme based in Rome. He succeeds Fr John Hannan and is the first non-European to hold the position in Read more
The purchase of a property in Johnsonville to be used as a base and outreach centre for Challenge 2000, has been announced by Fr David Kennerley sm, Provincial of the Society of Mary, and Steve O’Connor, Challenge 2000 Director. Kennerley said, ‘As part of our ongoing support of Challenge 2000 and commitment to working with Read more
St. Mary’s School at Savalalo, in Samoa, has ended the school term with a commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the Marist Family. The Marist Family is made up of the Marist Brothers, Marist Sisters, Marist Fathers and Brothers, Missionary Sisters of the Society of Mary and Marist Laity. The school was divided into four Read more
Last Saturday, forty staff, volunteers, friends and supporters of the Logos Project in Auckland attended a Mass at which Jennifer Martinez was commission as the leader of the Logos Project. Martinez has worked at The Logos project for more than ten years. “The experiences and opportunities I received in my younger years have had a Read more
In his last year at school David Gledhill was asked about his future plans. Put on the spot, David admitted that he was considering study for the priesthood… “I thought ‘I’ll give it a go. They’ll discover I’m not suitable. Then I’ll go home and get on with the rest of my life’.” But they never Read more
The Marist Fathers in New Zealand are accepting donations to alleviate people’s suffering and aid the re-establishment of their lives in Fiji. New Zealand Marist Mission promoter, Fr Tim Duckworth, SM, confirmed the move on Tuesday evening. “The people of Fiji are resilient, but in many cases will have to start again from the foundations,” Fr Read more