12-year-old to represent NZ in the USA
by ROWENA OREJANA
WELLINGTON — Excitement is evident in the bright eyes of 12-year-old Zoe Ferguson. The year 8 Sacred Heart Cathedral College student, and Jemma Matthewson, a 12-year-old Aucklander,
were...
Central parishes get more time
by JULIE SOUTH
HAMILTON — When NZ Catholic talked to people in the pews of Hamilton city earlier this year (NZ Catholic, April 20) about the proposed new Strategic Plan...
Rural areas may lose the faith, says priest
by ROWENA OREJANA
GORE — A parish priest in one of the remotest towns of New Zealand has warned of the the urbanisation of the Catholic Church and expressed concern...
535 years of ministry celebrated
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — A total of 535 years of priestly ministry was celebrated in Auckland as 13 priests were acknowledged and appreciated for their years of service to...
Exult brings young people from Kaitaia to Dunedin
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — More than 100 young people from Kaitaia to Dunedin took part in Exult 2014, an annual retreat camp organised by Catholic charismatic group Jesus Youth...
Deacon ordained for Palm. North
by NZ CATHOLIC staff
PALMERSTON NORTH — Danny Karatea-Goddard of Palmerston North was ordained to the diaconate on June 7 by the Bishop of Palmerston North, Bishop Charles Drennan.
About 600...
Group boosts Catholicism and Samoan culture
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — The Ta’imua Malaeola Youth Group is keeping both the Catholic faith and the Samoan
culture alive among New Zealand-born Samoan youth.
Ta’imua chairman Michael Tanoai said the...
Health forces rector to depart early
by PETER GRACE and ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — The rector of Holy Cross Seminary from early 2012, Msgr Peter Jeffrey, has returned to Australia for medical treatment.
After Mass at Sacred...
NZ asked to help in Holy Land
by PAT McCARTHY
AUCKLAND — New Zealand’s knights and dames of the Holy Sepulchre are helping to establish
a centre for Catholic Scouts in the Holy Land city of Bethlehem.
The fundraising...
McAuley girls win world problem-solving trophy
by PETER GRACE
AUCKLAND — Five Catholic college girls from New Zealand are among the best student problem-solvers in the world.
A McAuley High School team won the Education category in...
Painting of a younger Suzanne Aubert unveiled
by NZ CATHOLIC staff
WELLINGTON — A painting of a youthful Suzanne Aubert was unveiled last month at a gathering of 80 Oceania bishops at the Home of Compassion in...
End in sight in project to renew Dunedin basilica
by ROWENA OREJANA
DUNEDIN — The last stage of the revitalisation of St Patrick’s Basilica, which will start towards the end of the year, is expected to cement its role...
Participation seen as key to vibrant Church in PNG
by ROWENA OREJANA
DARU-KIUNGA, Papua New Guinea — Participation is how the Catholic Church is kept alive in the
wilds of the Western Province of Papua New Guinea, despite many physical,...
Maronite bishop meets NZ community
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — Maronite Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay has encouraged the Maronites in New Zealand to keep the faith and traditions of the Eastern Churches alive in their families...
80 interesting letters
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — The more than 80 participants of the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Conference last month will get a letter from themselves reminding them of the...
Parish pretty in pink
by SUE SECONI
WANGANUI — For St Mary’s Wanganui, the sixth Sunday of Easter became Pink Sunday. Sunday best for Mass was replaced with pink for parishioners, including the blokes....
Fit for Mission plan launched in diocese
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — Parishes in Auckland started the launch of Fit for Mission, a grassroots diocesan pastoral plan, on Pentecost Sunday. The plan calls for Catholics to look...
Deaf Missal on DVD this year?
by ROWENA OREJANA
PALMERSTON NORTH — The official New Zealand Sign Language translation of the Missal may be available in DVD form by the end of the year.
Palmerston North deaf...
Priest tells Blessie’s family, ‘We are here’
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — There are no magic words to ease the pain of the family of killed Auckland woman, Blesilda “Blessie” Gotingco, but friends and community can continue...
Southern Polish community celebrate
by JEFF DILLON
DUNEDIN — The southern most Polish-built church, formerly at Allanton south of Dunedin but now at Broad Bay on the Otago Peninsula, was the focus of a...
‘Saintly’ mural donated to faith-filled refuge
by BILL MOORE
AUCKLAND — A stunning, handpainted mural, created by the Studio of
John the Baptist to mark the canonisation of St John Paul II and St John XXIII, has...
Fright night popular at Napier school
by CRYSTAL HEWETT
NAPIER — Hundreds of eager children and families queued on a Friday night, May 16, to get the extreme fright of their lives.
The original Marist building, which...
Many priests in NZ now from overseas
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — As the Catholic Church in New Zealand becomes more diverse, priests from overseas have helped ease the shortage of clergy in various dioceses.
Auckland Bishop Patrick...
Kindness spreads to Malawi
by ROWENA OREJANA
CHIFUNGA, Malawi — Former Baradene head girl, Maddie Little,
has found a way to carry on with the Kindness Club all the way to
Malawi.
Miss Little, 18, is in...
Little church and parish on the move
by KATHLEEN CASEY
CHRISTCHURCH — Mairehau parish is again on the move.
The small church at St Francis of Assisi parish has been relocated
near the road where the large Our Lady...
God’s plan for marriage the best
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — God has a plan for marriage and his plan works.
This is what Blenheim couple Bill and Jenny McElhinney, members of
the Lamb of God community, stressed...
41 enjoy Wellington camp
by ROWENA OREJANA
WELLINGTON — Youth For Christ in Wellington recently concluded its
“discovery camp” that allowed 41 young members to discover their talents and how they can use these to...
Chaplains seek community support
by ROWENA OREJANA
AUCKLAND — Auckland prison chaplain Mary Thorne is one of the lucky ones. She has strong community support from St Mary’s parish in Papakura.
“There has always been...
Friar Fr Bernie is knitting pretty
by PETER GRACE
AUCKLAND — Some might say Fr Bernie Thomas, OFM, should
have been a sheep farmer, because he likes woolly jumpers — at least
he’s knitted quite a few.
The Franciscan...
Seminary opens its doors
by MICHAEL OTTO
AUCKLAND — They came, they saw and they had a jolly good time at Holy Cross Seminary’s first open day on its Vermont St, Ponsonby, site.
A glorious...