A new monthly digital publication, which will retain the title NZ Catholic, will be developed and shared in the coming months.

The publisher of NZ Catholic, Bishop Stephen Lowe, sent a letter to subscribers, supporters, readers and friends of NZ Catholic outlining the changes.

“NZ Catholic and its predecessors, the Tablet from Dunedin and the Zealandia have been part of our Catholic print media since 1873,” the bishop stated in his letter, dated May 21.

The bishop added that much has changed in the last 150 years, and that the rate of change seems to be becoming even more rapid.

“In more recent years, we have seen dramatic changes in the media landscape with audiences moving away from print and the TV news towards digital, social, and video news, entertainment and networking platforms.

“Like all other newspapers, NZ Catholic has been impacted by falling circulation numbers, subscribers and advertisers.

Bishop Lowe noted that NZ Catholic now has fewer than a 1000 subscribers, and has reached the point at which “it is no longer sustainable to publish a printed Catholic newspaper and it is my sad duty to inform you that the issue published on 30 June will be NZ Catholic’s last printed fortnightly edition”.

“At this time, it is right to give thanks for the work of the NZ Catholic staff, past and present. They have been amazing. They have told the stories of our Church and society. They have published the joys and the sorrows of people’s lives. They have sincerely used the written word to point to Jesus Christ the Word. Thank you also to the contributors from across the country and the promoters in parishes. Your stories of people and communities will remain a treasure of the Church’s history in New Zealand,” the bishop wrote.

“While this might mark the end of a regular printed newspaper, the diocese remains committed to sharing our Catholic news and stories, and we intend developing a new monthly digital publication with enhanced use of video,” Bishop Lowe continued.

“This will allow us to continue to share news, comment, and reflections to inform, record, form, and inspire our community in the Diocese of Auckland and beyond. The digital news publication will be made available for free, and I want to encourage parishes, ethnic chaplaincies, schools and other communities to share through their newsletters, websites and social media pages.

“A digital/ video storytelling role will be added to the team to enhance our capability to use video and other digital platforms to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. This role will focus initially on producing videos that include prayer, homilies, event highlights, appeals, teaching, explaining, and helping to encourage a healthy dialogue [that] our world so desperately need

Bishop Lowe thanked the readers of NZ Catholic for their faithful support.

“You have enabled us to keep publishing the newspaper for as long as we have,” he wrote.

“For subscribers a refund of your subscription balance can be sought by completing the attached form and returning it to us or alternatively go to www.nzcatholic.org.nz/refund

“Unclaimed subscription balances will be used to launch the new digital version.”

Bishop Lowe concluded the letter by stating, “It is my hope that the digital NZ Catholic will continue to celebrate and promote our faith and to help continue to knit our diverse community into one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church”.

“I ask for your prayerful support as we make this transition.”

The June 2 and June 16 editions of NZ Catholic will be normal editions. The final edition, with a publication date of June 30, will be a commemorative edition making use of photographs to remember major events covered by NZ Catholic since it started in 1996.

It is understood that readers will be able to opt for a printed version of the new digital NZ Catholic if they cannot receive email communication. There is no mention of any cost.

The post NZ Catholic to cease printing, and transition to a new digital publication appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Newly- appointed rector Fr David Dowling expressed hope that these young men will approach their formation with humility.

“My hope is that these young men will open themselves to be conformed to Jesus, who ‘did not come to be served, but to serve.’,” Fr Dowling said.

“I hope that they will humbly approach their formation, like clay to be moulded, so that the Holy Spirit, with the collaboration of seminary formators can shape them to be good pastors in the image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.”

Auckland

Zecharia Mathew, 24, said  he considers his vocation story as a “conversion” and a “love story between myself and God”.

He said he fell in love with the Lord when he was eight years old when he received his first Holy Communion.

“When I received Jesus for the first time, I was like, ‘oh, snap!’ I want to do that. I want to be able to give Jesus to others,” he said.

As he grew up, he had thought of becoming a doctor as well as a professional football player but the call to priesthood got stronger during his student years at Liston Catholic College.

“I had a massive conversion experience there,” he said.

Straight out of high school, Mr Mathew joined the religious order of the Capuchin Franciscans. He went to the Philippines and stayed there for three years for his initial formation. Then, he went back to New Zealand, took his first vows and a little bit of ministry here.

“I get assigned to India and then, in my prayer and my discernment in India, I realised… that I didn’t want to serve anywhere else in the world, except here in New Zealand,” he said.

Mr Mathew said a religious priest would not have any say in where he will be assigned.

“New Zealand is my home. New Zealand is the country that I love, and this is the people that I want to serve. So, after much prayer and discernment, I discerned to come back home and join the diocese of Auckland,” he said.

Although he had years of training already, he came in as a first-year seminarian because of the differences between the formation of a religious and diocesan seminarian.

As for going straight from high school to the seminary, he said he does not feel that he has missed out on anything.

“It only fulfilled me all the more. My vocation has enabled me to live life to the fullest and to give myself completely to the Lord and to his Church,” he said.

Mr Mathew said he hopes to be a priest to the youth, one who is joyful, orthodox and holy.

Joshua Brodie, 24, was born and raised in West Auckland in a loving and practicing Catholic family.

“My childhood and teenage years were filled with really good, positive memories all around with friends and family and Church. I also had positive experiences just filled with love with school, college, university and work,” he said.

He said his vocation journey started four years ago on Divine Mercy Sunday after Confession and receiving the Holy Eucharist.

“I went and prayed really deeply in adoration,” he said. “It was this one time. I really felt called to the priesthood. [Priesthood] was not something I’ve seriously taken before that even though I did have inclinations or feeling wanting to join.”

“He said it suddenly made sense to him that “everything the Catholic Church teaches in its deposit [of faith] is fully true and I received enormous grace that day.”

Mr Brodie finished his university degree in Commerce at the University of Auckland and did some research work there as well. He also worked in the corporate world before going to the seminary.

Mr Brodie who was also consecrated to the Blessed Virgin Mary according to St Louis de Monfort said he had “a lot of miracles of Jesus and Mary making it obvious that I should consider priesthood”.

Mr Brodie said a year after his Divine Mercy experience, he deep and meaningful conversations with priests, especially those in Auckland. After tests, evaluations and discussions, they told him he would be a good fit for the seminary.

He said everyone should do God’s will because it is what is best for them. He added that he will “leave it to God” as to what kind of priest he may become.

“I also want to mention that we also really need prayers. Because without Jesus and Mary, we won’t get there. We won’t be holy men and holy priests,” he said.

Christchurch

 Matthew Clark, 27, said teen angst had him confused and frustrated about life.

“I really didn’t understand what was going on. I was searching but I never really came to an answer definitively,” he said.

He went to Catholic schools in Wellington. When he was in college, he said a good friend  persuaded him to attend a camp called “Jesus for Real”.

“I went because I didn’t really have any expectations. I just thought that going to a camp would be cool. I walked in and everyone was happy. That didn’t make sense to me,” he said.

Mr Clark said he met “a really amazing priest, Fr Kevin Connors, the chaplain of the group, who made a profound impact on him (Mr Clark).

“He (Fr Connors) was always happy. And that really struck me because, for me, a priest is someone who sacrificed a lot and didn’t have a lot. But he was still happy,” Mr Clark said.

He said near the end of the camp, he had a personal encounter with God during the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

“I felt so overwhelmed with love in my heart for the first time that I reasoned that that was God. And that was really Jesus for me, an interaction with me and just for me, to know the love of God for me,” he said.

He did some youth work in Wellington and later moved to the Christchurch diocese to join the Mission Team. “That really set my heart of fire for the mission in Christchurch,” he said.  He, then, was invited to do youth ministry in America.

When he went back to New Zealand, he fulfilled his grandfather’s dying wish for him (Mr Clark) to become a teacher. He taught at a primary school.

Mr Clark said teaching gave him a foresight of how life would be as a priest.

“I still struggled with the idea of sacrificing a lot to enter the priesthood and being a gift of ourselves as well,” he said. “But working with some really incredible mothers, I saw the sacrifice and the gift of their life that they had for their kids and that really inspired me to say yes to the Lord.”

He said, like St Therese of Liseux, he will be faithful to what kind of priest God calls him to be.

Tuong Duong, 27, was born to and raised in a devout Catholic family in Vietnam, however, he did not really consider the priesthood until he was in high school.

“My parents introduced me to a priest. They wanted me to stay in the presbytery with the priest. At that time, I didn’t think about becoming a priest, but I obeyed them,” he said.

He helped the priest with whatever work was needed in the parish. During this time, he grew to love the work he was doing for the people in the parish.

“I think that is when I fell in love with priesthood,” he said. “I prayed and discerned, and I was advised by a priest so that I decided to follow the vocation in Vietnam.”

While he was helping out at the parish, Mr Duong was studying IT at a university. He also joined a group of people discerning their call.

After graduating from university in 2021, he took the entrance exam to the seminary of the Vinh diocese but failed the examination.

This didn’t discourage him, however. “I think I still had a chance to become a priest, that’s why I kept waiting for the next exam. I still studied more and more to get more knowledge [so I can] be confident in the next exam. But suddenly, I received a call from New Zealand,” he said.

It was Christchurch vocations director Fr Tien Cao, also the nephew of Vinh Auxiliary Bishop Pierre Nguyên Văn Viên. It was Bishop Viên who recommended Mr Duong to Fr Cao.

“It took me half a year thinking about this call. And by Christmas 2021, I said yes. I came here in October 2022,” he said.

Mr Duong said his parents were not exactly happy that he was leaving Vietnam but he was able to convince that that this was what he was called to do.

He said is open to be moulded to the kind of priest God wants him to be.

Hamilton

Nhat Cao, 23, was born and raised in Vietnam. He said he did not really want to become a priest when he was in high school.

“I wanted to be a famous person,” he said. “I wanted to be a manager of famous singers. This is a way to become famous [in Vietnam].”

He said because a number of talent managers went to the same university he got into, he was able to talk to these managers to find out how he can get into show business.

“I feel that my life is not going to be peaceful if I step into showbiz,” he said. “That environment is not good for me to be a good person. Because my personality would be changed. Because I have to adapt to that toxic environment. When I heard that, I changed my mind.”

His path to the priesthood became clearer when his godfather asked him to come to his (godfather’s) parish to teach people to play the piano so that these people can serve in the church.

“I felt that it was very peaceful, and my life is better than [if I were to] spend all of the time doing toxic things in a bad environment. And after that, I always prayed constantly to realise my vocation,” he said.

In his second year in university, he received a call from Bishop Viên. Mr Cao said he did give his answer right away.

“It took me one week to think about that, to reflect about that. After nearly one week, I decided to go to New Zealand,” he said.

Mr Cao said when he started his university studies, he decided to take up English. He said this was unusual because he found studying the English grammar “boring”.

However, after Bishop Viên’s call, he linked the two together and thought that he must have been directed by God towards studying English so that he can be prepared for priesthood in New Zealand.

He said he would simply like to be a priest who can bring people to the Church.

Wellington

 Max Copley, 34, said for him, the call to priesthood “wasn’t a one moment flash of light”.

“I just know that, at a certain point, after ignoring the call to priesthood for many years…I became convinced that Christ was actually saying to me, ‘Come follow me!’,” he said.

“There was a clear sense that what I heard in my heart was no human voice, nor was it just an idea of my own. Christ was calling me to serve him as priest. It was a desire in my heart that I couldn’t keep a secret anymore so I decided to take action and apply for seminary,” he said.

Mr Copley graduated in 2017 from the Victoria University with a Bachelor of Software Engineering decree. He, then, worked in the areas of Information Technology, Transportation as well as for the New Zealand Defence Force.

“As a young child, I do remember having a particular devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus because of a family painting we used to hang over the kitchen table,” he said.

Mr Copley said his vocational discernment lasted many years during which he developed his prayer life with the following devotions: The Flame of Love Rosary by Elizabeth Kindelmann and the Divine Mercy Devotion by Sr Faustine. He said praying and being a part of Opus Dei New Zealand helped his discern his path.

Mr Copley said former Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand Archbishop Patrick Coveney inspired him to become a priest. He remembered attending the Mass at the Apostolic Nunciature in Wellington at a young age.

He said he used to ask, “Lord, why me?”

He attended many vocations meetings hosted by the Wellington Archdiocese since 2022 and finally made the decision to follow Christ.

Mr Copley said he wants to be a priest “that shares the mercy and love of Jesus Christ”.

The post Introducing first year seminarians, 2024 appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

It was in late January that parishioners throughout the diocese were alerted to the problem confronting finance committees as the time for renewal of insurance policies fast approached.

A video presentation was put together by the vicar-general, Fr Gerard Aynsley, and the newly appointed diocesan operations manager, Paul Olsen, setting out the rationale for a new approach to the vexed question of risk protection.

In the presentation, Fr Aynsley outlined a proposal for parishes not to continue to renew existing insurances for parish assets such as churches and presbyteries in the face of impending insurance premium increases. Instead, parishes would seek to build a “self-insurance” trust fund that would provide some level of protection in the event of a mishap. Of course, parishes would still have to insure their parish schools, as required by the Government.

Mr Olsen then outlined details of the fund which would see the parishes opting in to pay the money they would have spent on insurance into a trust fund established by the diocese. The aim would be to build the fund over a 5-year period to a $1 million pool of money. In order to preserve the fund, contributions would be increased by the rate of inflation each year. For audit purposes, the money held in the trust would be in the name of each parish.

The need to rethink how to provide some protection in case of a significant event arose with the prediction that current insurance premiums are to rise about 27 per cent in 2024, and by a similar amount again in 2025. Already several parishes had been considering ceasing their insurance cover because of the present drain on parish funds.

Charts in the video presentation showed what various diocesan parishes had paid for insurance in 2022, and the predicted premiums for 2024, and invariably it indicated a significant increase in premiums by this year.

For example the Cathedral and Hill Suburbs Pastoral Area (which includes the Cathedral, Kaikorai parish and Mornington parish) paid $14,727 in 2022, which increased to $22,065 in 2023, and is predicted to be $ 28,022 this year. Predictions for most parishes in the diocese also mirrored a doubling of premiums.

Another angle in support of the proposal was provided by graphing the payment of annual diocesan premium totals year-on-year from 2015 to the present and comparing this to claims. The average over the years was a total of $150,000 in premiums, with very minor claims most years. There was only one year when the claim exceeded the premium cost and that was when an arson took place at an Invercargill presbytery and resulted in a significant claim in 2017. In fact, that would still be the case if a 30-year period was selected.

It was also indicated that, while it was obvious that individual people would be wise to have insurance cover on their properties to mitigate risk, the situation was not the same for the diocese as it was a collective and not an individual. So being a collective entity provided it with some degree of flexibility, and hence the idea of the trust fund.

Such a move still brings risk. For instance, St Joseph Cathedral alone in 2023/24 had insurance cover for material damage including fire insurance for just over $18 million, and even then that would not provide for a like-for-like replacement in case of a major damage event. The cathedral and the three basilicas in the diocese ( South Dunedin, Oamaru and Invercargill) are the most expensive buildings to insure.

Individual parishes had to consider the proposal and respond by February 20 so that the Diocesan Finance Committee knew what it was to do and could advise their insurance providers. Many of the 29 parishes have indicated a positive response, with a couple at late February still considering their view.

In the case of the Cathedral and Mornington Parish Finance committees, they have both decided to favour paying contributions into the trust fund. In order to lessen the risk as much as possible, limited works will take place on the properties to inspect electrics and install simple fire and security systems, where possible.

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She joins Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard, appointed in April 2022, as Māori Tumu Whakarae / Co-Chief Executive of the group.

Deacon Packer previously worked at Crown Law, specialising in public law. She is very familiar with the sisters’ mission, having served on the Mother Aubert Home of Compassion Trust Board and the Sisters of Compassion Group Board for several years.

She and her husband, Matthew, were recently ordained as deacons in the Anglican Church.

In her work in the justice sector, her governance responsibilities, academic study, and voluntary activities, she has remained committed to advocacy on behalf of the marginalised and to the pursuit of justice and reconciliation.

A morning pōwhiri was held at Our Lady’s Home of Compassion in Island Bay, to welcome the new CoCE Tumu Whakarae and other staff who have joined the Sisters of Compassion Group.

“It is a privilege to step into the role of Tumu Whakarae / Co-Chief Executive of the Sisters of Compassion Group at this time.

“I look forward to partnering with Compassion whānau to build on the strong foundation of prayerful and practical service established by Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert and faithfully embodied by the Sisters of Compassion and by supporters and volunteers over many years,” she said.

“I am very pleased to take up this opportunity and to help ensure the transformational work of Compassion continues to flourish in Aotearoa New Zealand, for the benefit of our communities and to the glory of God,” she added.

The Venerable Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert (1835-1926) founded the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion (the Sisters of Compassion) in 1892.

Mother Aubert was a friend and advocate for Māori, children, the poor and the sick, with the Sisters continuing her work to this day. Among her many achievements, she founded the Compassion Soup Kitchen in Wellington which is still run by the Sisters.

The Sisters are at present considering their next step in Meri Hōhepa Suzanne Aubert’s path to sainthood, which has been delayed by a Vatican committee ruling a possible miracle attributed to her could be explained by medical science.

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The leaders of the Vinnies (Society of St Vincent de Paul) in Auckland are gearing up for 2024, which they anticipate will be a momentous year for them.

The general manager for the Vinnies Tamaki Makaurau hub in Onehunga, Delphina Soti, said that the Young Vinnies Programme typically attracts between 500 and 1600 secondary students annually. This year’s participation is expected to hit north of 1600.

“Over the past three years, nearly 4000 secondary students from approximately 17 different schools, mainly Catholic, have engaged in the programme,” said Ms Soti.

According to Ms Soti, students describe the experience as “eye-opening”. They choose areas of focus such as food insecurity, poverty, or homelessness, with opportunities to visit SVDP hubs and engage with social services in the community to gain first-hand experience.

“They didn’t understand the cause and effect of poverty, or understand that there are a lot of people who are food-insecure, [and] so many homeless. We have a lot of people who have never experienced the cost of living [crisis] before.

“Packing as simple as a sugar bag, they ask ‘why are we packing sugar? Do they not have sugar?’”

In fact, one in five children in New Zealand live with food insecurity, said Ms Soti.

According to the Growing Up in New Zealand website, children living in households with moderate to severe food insecurity are less likely to receive the nutrition they need for healthy development. (Growing Up in New Zealand is this country’s largest longitudinal study of child health and well-being, following the lives of more than 6000 children and their families. The University of Auckland study has been following the lives of these children since 2009 and 2010 – before they were born.)

“Compared to children in food-secure households, children with food insecurity have lower fruit and vegetable intake, are less likely to eat breakfast at home before school, and have more fast food and more fizzy drinks because these are cheap, filling alternatives,” a report from Growing Up in New Zealand stated.

Food insecurity is related to low disposable household income and material deprivation. It is being used as an indicator to monitor progress, in line with the Child Poverty Reduction Act.

There is a downward trend since 2012/13 in the proportion of children living in households where food runs out often or sometimes.

Some of the participants in the youth programme in recent years have sought support for well-being and mental health, Ms Soti said.

This was especially the case for some young adults and school leaders, notably during the Covid pandemic years, she said.

There has been a real need to engage with these young people, who had been enduring isolation, the pressures of studying remotely, and who experienced the grief of not being able to complete final school year events with classmates and friends. Students also had to juggle studies and employment to assist their families at this time.

After the Covid restrictions ended, Vinnies has been helping young people attend youth evenings by providing support vouchers for transport. Food support has also been given during and after the Covid years.

Ms Soti said that there was a need to help young people “de-stress”. So, it was important for Vinnies to create gatherings involving fun activities, and centred around supporting mental health, helping well-being, safeguarding, and positive socialisation.

“We also brought in some mental health, psychotherapist, [and] social worker practitioners and mentors, to support students one-on-one and in group sessions,” Ms Soti said.

Young people involved with Vinnies also carried out advocacy work on issues that they were concerned about at their schools.

The Vinnies student programmes cover various social justice and awareness themes throughout the year, including social exclusion, diversity, and homelessness. For the homelessness programmes, the Vinnies work with Auckland City Mission staff to facilitate overnight retreats, giving students first-hand experiences and perspectives.

Ms Soti said that the Vinnies Youth Programme is about putting faith into action, providing opportunities for spiritual exploration, understanding, empathy, and advocacy. It serves as a safe space for young people to connect, grow, and find belonging.

The students look forward to meeting students from other schools, said Ms Soti. In fact, it became more apparent following the pandemic that more students were enjoying the socialising aspect of the programme after feeling isolated at home.

This prompted some tweaking of the programme so as to meet the needs of the young people. She also noted that community volunteering and well-being programmes attract many other groups.

“Throughout the year we have all sorts of communities come through, this includes, and are not limited to, corporate groups, businesses, families, clubs and sports groups, university teams, parish and youth groups and school staff.

“The other week we had the entire staff of McAuley High School, who volunteered for half of their working day.  As part of this community volunteer programme, we always start in karakia (prayer), and integrate whakawhanaungatanga (relationship building), and manaakitanga (hospitality).”

These programmes are run by the Vinnies management team, warehouse staff, and youth workers, and offer various activities and reflection opportunities, concluding with the breaking of bread together in a communal lunch whipped up by the Vinnies chef and cooks.

The Vinnies Youth Programme engages with colleges, both Catholic and non-Catholic, offering programmes centred around service, charism, faith, and leadership.

This year’s activities started with a leadership session in late February [Youth Leadership Programme], at which some 70 leaders from the 17 colleges in Auckland diocese gathered. The leaders will attend a training camp, and later be commissioned for the year at a Mass celebrated at St Patrick’s Cathedral. These leaders then lead their Young Vinnies cohort at their colleges in their service activity for the year.

Beyond the Young Vinnies Programme, Vinnies centres throughout Auckland offer a wide range of social services, including Op Shops, social enterprise initiatives, food banks, budgeting services, well-being programmes, community connections, and mentoring.

The post Big year for Vinnies working with students appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

A survey looking into church culture in New Zealand has found that the majority of Catholics are not involved in their parishes and are not tithing, prompting questions around engagement levels and their sense of belonging within their church.

The 2023 Church Life Survey NZ had feedback from nearly 25,000 Christians in Aotearoa New Zealand last year. Respondents came from some 500 churches, including Catholics, Anglicans, Presbyterians and Baptists.

People were asked questions around demographics, church life, community engagement, spiritual health and leadership.

Details of findings for Catholics

Survey committee member and historian Professor Peter Lineham said that there isn’t a strong sense of engagement in the local church for many Catholics outside Auckland, unlike their Protestant counterparts.

“The question around midweek activities – for events around the church other than the Sunday Mass, the figures show that there aren’t such events, or the proportion of people who attend is much lower than typical Protestants.

“For quite a lot of Catholics, the preaching does not engage them into action,” he said.

There is however a stronger sense of belonging in Auckland, as migrants make up a dominant majority, and therefore the church is a “critical basis upon which they’re able to feel a part of New Zealand”.

Some 44 per cent of Catholics surveyed said that they had no role within the life of the Church.

“They probably learned these habits from the tradition of leaving the work to the priests and religious orders; but another factor today is that Catholic churches are much larger than most other local churches, and so fewer participants can have roles,” said a report into insights from the survey.

The lower engagement could have possibly determined the poor sense of giving from Catholics, said Professor Lineham.

“If you’re engaged in the life of the parish, you’re more likely for example to sense that there’s a need, and therefore to be engaged in and participate in, and support the activities that are going on.”

Catholics have the lowest levels of giving, with just five percent giving 10 per cent or more of their earnings. This is driven by the reluctance of younger and overseas-born Catholics to give. Low levels of commitment beyond Mass are more common for new migrants, who are understandably preoccupied with settling into New Zealand.

There are striking differences across overall age groups, with 41 per cent of young people giving nothing.

Age, Education and Covid-19 Impact

Considering all the denominations surveyed, churches are gravely lacking in young people, and are over-represented in the older age groups when compared to the general population in the census. But the Catholic Church has a much younger cohort due to migrants, said the report.

Amongst Catholics, the percentage born overseas is 74 per cent in Auckland diocese, but 34 per cent in Wellington Archdiocese, and lower elsewhere.

“In the extreme case of Catholics, the median age of the New Zealand-born is 69, and the median age of migrants is 49. This means that the Auckland churches are significantly younger than other regions.”

Within Catholic churches, some 41 per cent are from Asia, concentrated in Auckland which is 55 per cent Asian.

When compared to the census, church attendees are significantly better educated than the general population.

“We may deduce that churches attract middle class people more than working class people,” said the report.

In fact church attendees are more likely to have a university qualification today (53 per cent) than 20 years ago (25 per cent). Nearly 67 per cent of overseas-born church attendees have a degree, as against 43 per cent of New Zealand-born respondents.

“This reflects trends in wider society, with the rising demand for education in the new generation and amog migrants.”

Church participation after Covid-19 [in 2023] is similar to pre-Covid-19 levels.

Anglican numbers declined by 3 per cent, Baptists 3 per cent, and Catholics 2 per cent. Major net gains were recorded by Independent (9 per cent), Christian Community Churches of NZ (7 per cent), and Confessing Anglicans.

God’s Presence, Values, Spiritual Growth

Some 58 per cent of Catholics responded that they nearly always feel God’s presence, while just 35 per cent of Baptists said the same. That sense of adoration of God curated at Mass seems to powerfully influence attendees’ perceptions, said the report.

In fact, Catholics value Communion the most (51 per cent say that this is one of their most-valued aspects), but this has dropped significantly from the figure of 63 per cent for Catholics in 2001. Traditional worship is significantly more popular among Catholic respondents than in 2001, rising from 28 per cent to 37 per cent.

Overall, nearly half of all church attendees consider that they have grown significantly in a spiritual sense over the past year, and the local church was identified as the key factor by many.

All denominations reported that churches are resourcing spiritual journeys of their attendees well. The results for Auckland Catholics are particularly strong, especially for those born overseas, who value the Church highly for resourcing their spiritual journey. Perhaps there is something in New Zealand Catholicism which really helps migrants, said the report.

However, local born New Zealanders, both Catholic and Protestant, do not feel so strongly on this question.

The survey showed that young people are only moderately satisfied with what is currently offered to support their participation.

“These results suggest many churches have a lot of work to do, if they really want to attract or retain youth. In fact, 15-24 year olds who participated in the survey are more dissatisfied than those older.”

According to the survey, Catholics don’t read their Bibles. Significantly more than half said that they occasionally, hardly ever, or never read their Bibles. Only around 30 per cent of Catholics read the Bible everyday/most days, a few times a week or once a week.

Community Service and Evangelisation

The report found that more than a quarter of respondents are involved in community service or welfare activities [operated by the church]. This is up from 18 per cent in 2001. Also, overseas-born Catholics are much more likely to share the faith with others than those born in New Zealand (27 per cent versus 15 per cent respectively).

“It is another signal that the future of the NZ church increasingly sits with overseas-born Christians.”

Professor Lineham said that there wasn’t such a “bad representation” amongst the different denominations. He felt that there was a balance despite a poor uptake from mega-Pentecostal churches in New Zealand.

“Some of those Pentecostals with their very large churches, we have little idea of representation of them, which is a great pity.”

Findings from the survey showed that people favoured building stronger communities within the church, more spiritual growth, and that they needed worship services that nurtured faith.

“For Catholics, the potential is that, if a priest can engage members of the congregation, there’s a tremendous potential for actual involvement,” said Professor Lineham.

For the denominations that responded to the survey, there were some 8300 Catholics, about 5000 broad Protestants [Presbyterian, Anglican, Methodist, Uniting], and just over 6800 other Protestants [Baptist, The Salvation Army, Confessing Anglicans, Christian Community Churches [CCCNZ], Wesleyan Methodist and Independent].

The survey was made available online for the first time since its inception in mid 1990s, and has been running every five years in line with the NZ Census. It was also the largest since 2001, running from May to November.

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Wellington Archbishop Paul Martin SM released this information in a letter to all the people in the Church following media reports on the abuse allegations. The letter was dated March 7, 2024.

In the letter, Archbishop Martin clarified an ongoing Church inquiry will continue.

“Inquiries by the Church are not run concurrently to those being undertaken by the Police. Now that the Police investigation has concluded, Cardinal John continues to stand aside while Church inquiries proceed,” Archbishop Martin said.

The archbishop said Cardinal Dew stood aside from all public church activities when the allegations were brought to the Church’s attention.

In a separate statement, Cardinal Dew said the allegation was brought against him a day after he retired.

“I stated immediately, and I state again now, that there have never been any instances of improper or abusive behaviour in my 48 years of priesthood,” the cardinal stressed.

Cardinal Dew said police investigation had shown these allegations could not have happened.

“The police have informed me that this investigation had now been concluded, their file has been closed and no charges will be laid against me,” Cardinal Dew said.

He said he didn’t know and have not met the person who made the allegations.

“The allegations against me is false, it may come from a well of anguish and grief arising from other reasons.

“ I am acutely aware of how distressing this is for many: survivors who have put their trust in me, our church community, and my family and friends. I state once again that all incidents of abuse are wrong. I  hope and pray that all abuse victims will find peace and healing,” he said.

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Christchurch Bishop Michael Gielen has met with dozens of women from throughout the diocese, at an event aiming at connecting, inspiring and also sharing some laughs and banter.

Women often times feel as if they’re alone, isolated, or that they are the only ones feeling challenged, said Jacinta Stopforth, organiser of the event, which took place at the Lamb of God Centre in Mairehau on February 9.

“When you go to something and you go home thinking ‘I am not the only one in the diocese of faith. I’ve got other sisters around me. I’ve got other people who are passionate’, it is re-energising to actually move forward again.”

She said that women must remember to “know who you are, and whose you are”.

The night began with a bit of ice breakers, trivia, small group banter, then three women sharing their testimonies. The talked about their struggles, challenges and faith journeys, mixing it up with some laughs and humour.

Catherine Shaw shared her story of how she lost her first husband and two friends in a car accident two years after her marriage.

“My whole life had changed.”

She was constantly reminded of scripture to keep her strong and focused on God, like Proverbs 3:5,6: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight”.

Or Isaiah 55:8-9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways”.

And 1 Corinthians 2:9: “For as it is written, Eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has the human heart imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Ms Shaw found love again and got remarried, and she was “blessed” with four children. But her second marriage ended with her husband, Paul, being diagnosed with cancer. Shaw found herself a widow again a few years later.

“Once again you’re faced with these huge questions like, why have you done this to me God? But you just have to have faith that ‘My ways are not your ways. My thoughts are not your thoughts’.

“You’ve got to trust in the Lord, no matter where you are and what’s happening. I’ve had some tragedy in my life, but had so many blessings.”

She focused on the blessings, and on the fact that God had a good plan for her life. She said that she trusted, even though it was difficult.

“You’re on the journey, you just have to take each day at a time, and trust that the Lord is with you. Have faith, like there are so many times where I felt like giving up, but I just had to have that faith and say ‘I am going to go to Mass, or I am going to do that prayer hour, or I am going to get up and just pray a simple prayer and have the faith’.”

Good things happened for Ms Shaw, and she waved her engagement ring to the crowd with a smile.

“Just a proposal on top of the Eiffel Tower six months ago, so you know God is good, and he has a plan for our life.”

Christchurch North parishioner Samantha Lee-Bryce was glad that she came to hear this testimony and others, thanks to a friend who invited her to the event.

“It’s been a good opportunity to connect with friends that I haven’t seen in a while, and meet new people, to be inspired by other women that’ve been through a whole Iot more than I have, and to learn from that and to be reminded of how important faith is,” she said.

The ladies also heard from Bishop Gielen, who touched on how the women in his life challenged him and helped him become the man he is today. He spoke of his early childhood years, being raised on a farm. He talked about how, as a young boy, he enjoyed the company of his brother and father more. But soon enough his mother was having girls.

“Those girls brought so much joy in my life. Some of my ‘bestest’ memories of my life are my little sisters.

“They have made me into the man I am. Grown me into the man I am. I love my brother and I love my father, but my sisters made me become who they knew God was calling me to be. They’ve challenged me and forced me and battled with me for me to become that man. So I want to honour them.

“I want to honour you as mothers, I want to honour you as wives, I want to honour you as sisters. You don’t know the joy you brought your husbands and your brothers and your fathers.”

But there was one more important woman in Bishop Gielen’s life – Mary, Jesus’ mother.

“If you go to my house, it’s covered in Marian images, because I love all her different faces.

“You don’t choose Mary, she chooses you. She chose me at a young age. I’ve always felt her profound presence and courage. Today, not by chance but by providence, we officially opened Marian school. I reflected on that young relatively unknown [woman], most [likely] poorly educated, definitely not set aside for any great role of leadership, and yet she’s shown some of the greatest courage that the world has ever seen.

“Because she answered God’s call [in] her life.”

Bishop Gielen challenged all women to a deeper relationship with Mary, and to devote themselves to her.

“She’s the reason, she’s the one who’s given me the strength and the courage to keep saying ‘yes’, whatever the Lord wants in my life.

“I know our world is going into a deeper and deeper crisis of loneliness. I know it. I know we’re becoming more isolated, we’re individualistic, and you’ve heard me say it before, I believe it’s only getting worse. I know it because I sense it in myself, and I see it in others.

He reminded women to make an effort to form little communities.

“You have to help me fight against that [individualism]. We have to find ways of doing this [women’s events] because in the past we did it so naturally. We had to, we couldn’t do it alone. Somehow now we have found ways of doing it alone. So I honour you for coming tonight.”

Women from far and wide attended, including Carly Mulqueen from St Peter Chanel Parish in Waimakariri [Rangiora, some 25km north of Christchurch]. She said that the testimonies touched her heart.

“I loved how three women, at completely different ages and stages, but I loved how they incorporated loss and tragedy, but God’s goodness, He was there and carried the women through their hard times.”

Ms Mulqueen was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago. She’s been under chemotherapy treatment, and says it was uplifting to be there, and fitting to hear the testimony of a woman whose brother is experiencing cancer treatment right now.

“I feel that now too. I love being able to talk to her about that afterwards too; you can make connective reconnections with people.”

Lourdes Mones-Cazan, from the Hurunui Parish [North Canterbury] drove some 50 minutes to get to the event, because she wanted to meet other women who are journeying in their faith as she is.

“To be encouraged by them and see what the bishop challenges us to do next. To love our Lady with all our hearts as a real mother that she is to us.”

Diocesan special projects assistant and event co-organiser Grace Challies said that the event was fully booked in a span of four weeks.

“There has been so much interest, we only started advertising on the 20th of December, and were at full capacity a month later (19th January). The event was asked for [by] women within the diocese, in response to the Men’s Breakfast event in May of 2023.”

The event was planned by a team of eight women who came from the central parishes in Christchurch city.

“Ultimately, we wanted women to have the opportunity to connect and be inspired. We also found that many of the parishes were striving to bring together women in their parish. And we thought that, by having this style of event, we might be able to attract more women who might not go to a parish level event, but also encourage those who come to keep connecting, and get involved with this style of event at their parish level,” Ms Challies said.

She added that they hope to run another, bigger event for women, later in the year.

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The thirty-first Hearts Aflame Catholic Summer School wrapped up this year, marking a significant milestone and an end of an era for its long-serving director, Jemma Brunton.

“For me, handing over Hearts had always been about the Lord’s timing and him providing the right person. I had always said I wouldn’t step down until the right person was there to take over. When [my replacement] Jess said ‘yes’, I admit there was a deep peace, some excitement that the next phase of Hearts was going to be in strong hands, and a little relief – God had once again been faithful, and in his perfect timing he had provided an answer to who I could hand over to.”

Ms Brunton served as director for nine years, and spent 13 years on the planning team. She made the decision to step down at the end of the 2024 School. She first attended the 2004/05 school.

She has made significant contributions to Hearts Aflame, steering the school through some tough years when registration numbers were low, to the point where it is flourishing today with high demand for registration spots.

Ms Brunton also had to raise $17,000 in six weeks one year to cover a shortfall needed to run the school.

The school fundraises $20,000 – $30,000 each year to cover the costs of accommodation for the planning team, religious, priests and speakers, travel costs for speakers, and many incidental costs such as candles for the chapel, registration packs, and tech equipment to record lectures.

“We owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Jemma Brunton who has served Hearts Aflame faithfully, tirelessly and through great personal sacrifice for more than a decade,” said Jessica Jackman, incoming director for Hearts Aflame Summer School.

“Jemma is an outstanding example of a humble and compassionate woman in leadership in the Church. God has truly used her trust in him to bless Hearts Aflame and countless young Catholics in New Zealand,” Miss Jackman said.

Miss Jackman will be stepping into the director’s role for the 2025 school. Originally from Hamilton, Miss Jackman has a background in missionary work in both France and the Philippines, and is now a teacher at a Catholic primary school in Christchurch. She has served on the planning team since 2020.

“It was very overwhelming to be asked! Hearts has been going for 30 years – almost my whole life, and there is a whole generation of Catholics who have been formed through Hearts, so taking it on seemed a bit crazy. But when I prayed about it there was a real peace,” Miss Jackman said.

Hearts Aflame played a crucial role in Miss Jackman’s own discernment and spiritual growth as a young adult, she said.

Demand for Hearts Aflame is on the rise, she added. Registrations for this year’s school were sold out within a week of advertising. Some 125 young adults gathered from across the country at Ngā Tawa Diocesan School, Marton, for 10 days of prayer, formation, and the experience of a community of faith.

2024 Summer School

The theme for 2024 was “behold I make all things new” (Revelations 21:5), which was broken open by Fr Justin Lee, CSJ, through his talks over the opening retreat weekend. The school then welcomed in the New Year with a small group competition and quiz, followed by 11pm Mass and, for some, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament overnight.

Monday morning marked the start of lectures, covering a wide variety of topics including the theology of money, spiritual warfare, being a Catholic doctor, and the virtue of prudence. Participants had the privilege to learn from knowledgeable priests, religious and lay people from around New Zealand and Australia.

There were some 20 priests (some diocesan and some from religious orders) and seven sisters from various religious orders. Among the religious orders and communities present this year were Marists, Community of St John, Beatitudes Community, and several overseas communities.

“Their presence was greatly appreciated by participants. For some, it was the first time they got to spend time with a priest or a sister, so it’s an incredible witness to their vocations, and the joy of giving your life to God,” said Miss Jackman.

The school is entirely run by lay volunteers, and it relies significantly on donations to run the programme and keep prices accessible for young adults.

“[The volunteers have a passion for] helping young adults to develop and foster an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ and his holy Catholic Church, through participation in the sacraments, prayer, formation, lived-out and experienced in a short-term community environment.”

Hearts Aflame has been running since 1992, and a significant number of vocations to the priesthood, religious life or marriages were fostered through the school, said Miss Jackman.

“It was particularly moving this year to have Bishop John Adams with us – as he shared in his homily. Bishop John’s vocation to the priesthood was born at a Hearts Aflame school. He attended it as a young adult, then a seminarian, a deacon, priest and now as a bishop. We were also blessed by the presence of Bishop Michael Gielen, who has a long history of involvement with Hearts Aflame, as well as numerous young priests whose vocations were fostered through Hearts. There were also a few participants whose parents attended Hearts Aflame 18 years ago,” Miss Jackman said.

Participants got a taste for daily Mass, adoration, a candle-lit rosary procession, praise and worship, a half-day of grand silence, reconciliation, prayer ministry, and sung morning, evening and night prayer.

Miss Jackman said that the school was privileged to have so many priests present, who were constantly busy with the sacrament of reconciliation, giving spiritual guidance, and just being with the participants. She said that the school had left an impact on people in many ways.

“[There are] those moments of joy when you notice someone who began the school looking like they were down and struggling with life, now meeting your gaze radiant with joy towards the end of the week, because the Lord has been healing them and they have opened their hearts to his love,” said Miss Jackman.

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Joy was definitely in the air on Gaudete Sunday (December 17) in Advent at St Joseph’s Cathedral, Dunedin, at the 10.30 am Mass, and it wasn’t just in anticipation of the lighting of the pink candle.

As the congregation began to assemble, people’s attention focused on the sanctuary area, and comments were whispered and nods exchanged. The focus of attention and admiration were the two recently re-installed sanctuary angels. They had grown wings overnight.

One whispered explanation was that the sanctuary angels had celebrated their release from storage in a room in the cathedral’s tower, and their subsequent restoration by having a bit of a party overnight. During the celebration, they had imbibed a well-advertised drink that has the desired effect.

However, a more mundane explanation came to light upon checking the composition of the congregation which was gathering. In one of the front pews sat what could be described as three wise men from the north – up Rangiora way, to be exact. One of them was clearly Damien Walker, the artist who had restored the angel figures at his Studio of St Philomena. He was accompanied by his brother, Chris and father, Noel.

The angel figures had once performed their guardian role in the sanctuary until the 1960s, but were discarded following some of the changes prompted by Vatican II. They were rescued from a skip destined for the rubbish tip, and went into storage up in a room in one of the cathedral towers. At the time, the wings were in a damaged state and were not retained. Part of the restoration contract included the making of new moulds to produce replacements. While the repair and installation of the angel figures was achieved on the desired date in November, the making and completion of the wings took longer. Hence the further delay of nearly a month.

In discussion after Mass, it transpired that the three Walkers had travelled down from Rangiora on the Saturday, arriving at the cathedral late in the afternoon. They set about fitting the now cured new set of wings. The sight of the sanctuary angels, complete with their new wings, generated a lot of interest, to the point where many parishioners were busy after Mass using their phone cameras to record the scene.

The addition of the wings produced a new dimension to the figures by increasing their height. The artist noted that the figures themselves were now about two metres in height, and much higher than their bodies had been, standing on their individual plinths. The wings added to the visual appeal of the figures, with gold paint featuring prominently along the leading edges.

Parishioners are very pleased with the changes brought about in the sanctuary with the completion of this well-supported project, initiated by parish priest Fr Vaughan Leslie.

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