Featured Catholic News

by MICHAEL OTTO THAMES — The mornings might be frosty of late, but the spirit of about a dozen sidewalk pro-life witnesses in Thames is cheery. On Friday mornings since November...

by MICHAEL OTTO The first bishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church to visit New Zealand has heard of the deep love that migrants who belong to this rite have for...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — Auckland diocese’s newest priest Fr Alfredo Garcia likes the multicultural character of his adopted home, New Zealand. “It is like serving the whole world in a...

by NZ CATHOLIC staff TE KUITI — The centenary of St George’s Catholic church in Te Kuiti was celebrated in true King Country style on March 10, with about 120...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — Sometimes when Dr Deborah Weissman teaches Christian students from Third World nations who are visiting Jerusalem, they ask if the Jewish religion still practises animal...

SYDNEY (CW) — The principal of a New Zealand school destroyed by the Christchurch earthquake last year visited Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta, last week to thank students...

by LYNDSAY FREER WELLINGTON — The Society of Mary has moved into a new province centre in Thorndon Quay in Wellington. It is the culmination of many moves over the...

by PETER GRACE AUCKLAND — A Catholic missionary who became a Kiwi is now working with poor communities in India. Tony Vijayraj told NZ Catholic on a visit to Auckland in...

by PETER GRACE AUCKLAND — Fr Peter Murphy of St Mary’s Parish, Papakura, may be the Johnny Appleseed of meditation. It seems that wherever Fr Murphy goes, meditation grows. And some...

by KATHLEEN CASEY CHRISTCHURCH — Earthquakes have plunged Christchurch into a city of contrasts, from badly damaged to almost normal, a situation reflected in Catholic primary schools. School is not usually...

by MICHAEL OTTO WELLINGTON — The many years of work among Wellington’s poor and forgotten by Sr Felix Breen, DOLC, has been acknowledged with a Local Heroes Award. A Sister of...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — The most difficult task Claudette Habesch faced in raising her children in Palestine was not letting hatred grow in their hearts. “It has not been easy,”...

by PETER GRACE AUCKLAND — God’s job description is mission, Jesus’ is evangelisation, and ours is discipleship, says priest and professor Fr Anthony Gittins, CSSp. But the concepts of mission and...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — Economist and journalist Rod Oram has issued a challenge to Christians who advocate for social justice — that they update their message in contemporary,...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — Five New Zealand dioceses have seminarians starting at Holy Cross Seminary in Ponsonby in 2012. The diverse group of 10 new seminarians features Kiwis, an American...

by PETER GRACE RONGOTEA, Manawatu — There must be something in the Manawatu water that develops apostolates and service. Three parishioners from the country parish of Rongotea received Benemerenti medals and...

by PETER MURPHY It is so easy to take sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In the early years Israel had the support of the Western world, appearing as the underdog...

by PETER MURPHY What are the social and political realities of the land of the Bible today? It was my good fortune to have been in Israel for three months recently...

by CHERRY C. THELMO-FERNANDEZ AUCKLAND — Nearly 10,000 people took part in a Catholic event, Sinulog 2012, at the North Shore Events Centre last month. In 1521, Queen Juana (formerly Hara...

by PETER GRACE AUCKLAND — Thirteen-year-old Aaron Dahmen scored the winning goal for New Zealand in a football match against Australia in January — but, sadly, his Dad was not...

VATICAN CITY — Calls by a British minister who is a Muslim to follow the Pope's example and reject intolerant secularisation in Europe have made the Vatican happy, a...

by JOY COWLEY The Holy Sites of Europe and the Middle East are popular with New Zealand pilgrims, but there is much inspiration reinforcing our Catholic identity, here on our...

by NZ CATHOLIC staff AUCKLAND — New Zealand's only diocesan seminary, Holy Cross in Auckland, is to get a new rector. Msgr Peter Jeffrey from Australia will take up the position...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — Maori, Pasifika and Asian children and young people make up about 40 per cent of students enrolled in Catholic schools in New Zealand, according to...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — The last few weeks were hectic for Black Fern Karina Penetito as she prepared for three rugby internationals against England, followed by her wedding to...

NZ Catholic, ‘The true meaning of Christmas’ art competiton 2011, winners. Year 5 winner Dominic Chanwai Titled: Birth of Jesus Mt Carmel School, Meadowbank, Auckland Year 6 winner Georgia Healy Titled: Jesus is born St Joseph’s School, Temuka. Year 7 winner (NZC HOME PAGE) Hannah Wildash-Chan Titled: The 3 Kings St Benedict’s School, Khandallah, Wellington Year 8 winner Sean Kilkelly Titled: Jesus’ birth to all nations Home-schooled, Rotorua. Year 9 winner Chelsie Struik Titled: Family of Stars Sacred Heart College, Wellington. Year 10 winner Josiah Francis Kilkelly Titled: Gods Greatest Gift Home-schooled, Rotorua. NZ Catholic, ‘The true meaning of Christmas’ art competiton 2011, finalists. Elizabeth KJC Nahu, Year 5, St Benedict’s Primary, Khandallah, Wellington. Holly Brittain, Year 5, St Mary’s School, Tauranga. Samantha Samaniego, Year 5, St Benedict’s Primary, Khandallah, Wellington. Tayla Coochey, Year 5, St Joseph’s School, Temuka. Sophia Suminski, Year 10, St Mary’s School, Blenheim. George, Year 4, St Theresa’s, Invercargill. Jack Browning, Year 4, St Theresa’s, Invercargill. Alex Garcia, Year 10, Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt. Anastasia Williams, Year 9, Sacred Heart College, Lower Hutt. Joaquin Ramos, Year 5, St Brigid’s School, Johnsonville, Wellington. Joshua Trotter, Year 5, St Benedict’s Primary, Khandallah, Wellington. Mariana McClean Year 5, St Benedict’s Primary, Khandallah, Wellington. Xavier Barry, Year 5, St Mary’s School, Tauranga. Mary Spring, Year 8, Campion College, Gisborne Mitchell, Finlay and Xavier, Year 6, St Theresa’s School, Invercargill. Charlotte McIntyre Year 7, St Benedict’s Primary, Khandallah, Wellington. Akena Frisby, Year 7, St Joseph’s School, Temuka. Results with photos of top entries in the next two issues of NZ Catholic, published on December 18 and December 25.

by PETER GRACE AUCKLAND — Freedom and democracy are not enough for a flourishing society — virtue is also essential, says American author and intellectual George Weigel, who spoke in...

by DAN STOLLENWERK AUCKLAND — Instead of asking what other denominations might learn from our beliefs, we must begin to ask how we might receive practical wisdom from the way...

by NZ CATHOLIC staff WELLINGTON — The new translation of the Roman Missal will not be introduced in New Zealand on the first Sunday of Advent — November 27 —...

by MICHAEL OTTO AUCKLAND — Roye Hammond is 93 years of age and still swings a pick and shovel with a vigour that would put men decades younger to shame. For...