by NZ CATHOLIC staff
At Palm Sunday Mass in Kaitaia the community celebrated a growing understanding that helps people as individuals and teachers.
At the Mass, the principal, teachers and support staff of Pompallier Catholic School in
Kaitaia, parish priest Fr Sean O’Connor, SSC, as well as the principal of Te Kura O Hata Maria in Pawarenga, all received Certificates in Understanding Sexuality.
They had completed a 24-hour-long course offered over three days by The Catholic Institute
of Aotearoa New Zealand (TCI).
Pompallier principal Kathryn Carey said they appreciated having Fr O’Connor and Marea Herbert-Pickering from Pawarenga at the course, which was presented by Dianna Fouhy,
coordinator of the Understanding Sexuality Programme for Auckland diocese.
“We feel very blessed to work with Fr Sean to develop our learning around our faith,” Mrs
Carey said. She added that the course had “added depth to our personal journeys as well
as our teaching of religious education”.
“We were able to integrate this programme into our teaching programme for 2015 and
weave our Catholic perspective through this.”
On Palm Sunday, the certificates were presented by Wiga Autet, Northland religious education programme coordinator.
Mrs Autet said she enjoyed the Mass organised by Pompallier School, and the joyful atmosphere in their community of faith.
“It was very special,” she said.
Graeme says
I guess you have to attend the course to ascertain what it means to “adopt positive attitudes towards sexuality” (Catholic Schools website).