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.

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SYDNEY (OSV News) – The joy of Eastertide has turned to shock and bewilderment across Sydney’s Catholic community in the wake of a deadly knife attack at Bondi Junction Westfield shopping centre on April 13, in which seven people were killed and a dozen injured, including a nine-month-old baby.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney joined fellow Australians in mourning the victims, in remarks made at Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on April 14, the day after the attack, which was by coincidence the Day of the Unborn Child, one of Sydney’s biggest pro-life commemorations.

“At a time of universal grief and horror at the multiple murders and injuries at Bondi Junction yesterday, including the stabbing of a baby – as well as celebration of the courage of the baby’s mother, the policewoman, and other bystanders – we reflect upon our community’s profound commitment to the value of every human life,” Archbishop Fisher said, as reported by The Catholic Weekly.

“In this Mass, we recommit ourselves and our community to that principle, even as we pray for eternal life for yesterday’s victims,” he said.

“We acknowledge that all human life is made in the image of God, made for a full life on earth and eternal life in heaven, and so demands our reverence and protection, especially when most vulnerable.”

Masses and prayers were offered across Sydney for the victims, with the Bondi Parish of St Patrick’s and St Anne’s offering three Masses for its grieving community.

At least two parishioners knew 38-year-old osteopath Ashlee Good – the mother of the nine-month-old baby currently recovering from the attack at Sydney Children’s Hospital.

Despite the best attempts of bystanders and doctors to save her life, Good died from her wounds at St Vincent’s Hospital, after pushing her baby into the arms of strangers.

Several members of the congregation at St Patrick’s Church in Bondi wept as visiting priest Father Ninian Doohan offered words of comfort in his homily at the morning Mass on April 14.

Around 60 – many of them from Bondi parish’s thriving community of young adults – remained to pray the rosary and comfort each other immediately afterwards.

Father Doohan was likewise among those on the scene shortly after the attack, emerging from Bondi Junction train station minutes after the chaos had taken place.

A delay in catching public transport to go shopping meant he missed the events by less than 15 minutes, arriving to see a large crowd and emergency response presence.

The priest blessed the ambulances and emergency crews as they were departing, adding in his homily that he “did under-estimate the danger even with the police presence there”.

While he felt “totally inadequate to the task” of pastoral support in the face of such horror, Father Doohan urged the congregation to reach out for support and offered to be available to anyone who wished a pastoral visit.

“The only thing that sounds clear in my mind is that God put me in the close proximity of horror and tragedy so that therefore I can be . . . one with you, and with them, and not an outsider to it,” he said.

“I ask that we would all be prepared to ask God for forgiveness and also be prepared to give forgiveness and to participate in his mercy,” he added.

“That challenge to live in and with and through his compassion, even when it is beyond our comprehension and even when injustices have been committed against us.”

The priest from Edinburgh, Scotland, had only been in the parish a week as a replacement for parish priest Father Anthony Robbie, who was on holiday.

Pope Francis sent a telegram to Archbishop Fisher soon after the knife attack, expressing his “spiritual closeness” with Sydney.

“Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the violent attack in Sydney, and he sends the assurance of his spiritual closeness to all affected by this senseless tragedy, especially those who are now mourning the loss of a loved one,” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said in a telegram on April 13.

“He likewise offers his prayers for the dead, the injured, as well as the first responders, and invokes upon the nation the divine blessings of consolation and strength.”

Police identified the attacker, who was shot and killed by New South Wales Police Inspector Amy Scott, as 40-year-old Queensland man Joel Cauchi.

The police officer entered the Bondi Junction shopping centre alone after being guided to the scene by bystanders.

According to reports in The Weekend Australian, Cauchi was known to police for mental health issues, and had previously advertised his services as a male escort.

The dean of St Mary’s Cathedral, Father Don Richardson, also posted a call for prayers on social media for all affected by the tragedy.

“Many people who come to St Mary’s Cathedral for Mass or other prayers live in that area and the mall at Bondi Junction is a place they know well,” he wrote.

“Holy Cross Catholic Church is just down the street from the Bondi Junction Westfield. May its tall spire and cross be a beacon of hope to all the people affected by this tragedy,” he said.

“Let us all remember in our prayers the souls of those who have died,” Father Richardson added, “and pray too for those who have been wounded, their families and friends, the police, emergency paramedics, the staff and all who witnessed those traumatic scenes on what should have been a beautiful Saturday afternoon.”

Marilyn Rodrigues is a senior journalist at The Catholic Weekly.

Photo: Parishioners pray and grieve at St. Patrick’s Church, in Sydney’s Bondi neighborhood, in the wake of the horrific knife attack at Bondi Junction on April 13, 2024. Father Ninian Doohan, visiting from Edinburgh, Scotland, was present at Bondi Junction in the aftermath of the attack. (OSV News photo/Patrick Lee, The Catholic Weekly).kly

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CSS manager Luis Arevalo announced the decision on a post on the diocese’s Facebook page.

“We’ve been running the foodbank here are Catholic Social Services since its inception. Unfortunately, due to the rising costs of food because we have to purchase all our food, we’ve had to shut it down,” he said in a video message.

He said clients who need food will be put in touch with the St Vincent de Paul (Christchurch) team. The CSS’s last boxes of food had already been sent over to them (St Vincent de Paul).

Mr Arevalo said CSS will continue to serve the community through  free counselling,

free child and family psychology as well as free learning assessments into our schools.

They will also continue with their free group courses, particularly their new Community Connector Pilot Programme and soup kitchens and other initiatives in the coming 12 months which reach out to the most vulnerable.

“We’re not going anywhere. We’re looking forward to seeing you,” Mr Arevalo said.

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                    Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa

Auckland Bishop Stephen Lowe, president of the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference asked Catholics to keep Archbishop Rugambwa in their prayers.

“It is with much sadness that we farewell Archbishop Novatus,” says Bishop Lowe. “The bishops acknowledge our deep gratitude for his services to the Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific. We pray for his safe travels to Rome and we invoke the prayers of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, our New Zealand patroness, for his healing and continued wellbeing.”

Bishop Lowe noted Archbishop Rugambwa had overseen the appointment of bishops in five of the country’s six dioceses during his time here – Bishop Lowe in Auckland, Archbishop Paul Martin SM in Wellington, Bishop Michael Gielen in Christchurch, Bishop John Adams in Palmerston North and Bishop Richard Laurenson in Hamilton.

Archbishop Rugambwa was appointed the Apostolic Nuncio – the Pope’s chief diplomatic representative in New Zealand – in March 2019.

He suffered a stroke in October last year and has been recovering and undergoing rehabilitation in Wellington since.

Archbishop Rugambwa left Wellington accompanied by Sr Maria Ann Singer, LSP (Little Sisters of the Poor) and Fr Giosuè Busti, First Secretary-Deputy Head of Mission at the Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See (papal embassy). He will continue his rehabilitation at a Catholic facility in Rome.

Some two years of Archbishop Rugambwa’s time in New Zealand encompassed the period of the Covid-19 pandemic, with churches often closed by government decree as a public health measure.

Archbishop Novatus has arrived in Rome the following day after a smooth journey.

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This was an initiative of the Roman Catholic/Lutheran Dialogue, who in a statement stressed, “we have all been baptised in Christ and, realising this provides a starting point for the seeds of unity to take root”.

RC/Lutheran dialogue member Fr James Lyons told NZ Catholic that the NZCBC agreed to the initiative last year, but the Lutheran dialogue group only complete their arrangements last month.

The other members of the dialogue are Sr Kathleen Rushton rsm, Fr Tom Rouse ssc, Rev Mark Whitfield, Mr Petrus Simons and Mr Jim McAloon.

In the statement, the dialogue said the first disciples were urged by Jesus to remain in his love, commanding them to “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 15). This is also the Gospel reading on May 5.

“No Christian community has consistently lived that commandment, but in our own time, we are witnessing hearts changing, prejudices disappearing and good will coming to the fore.

“By designating the Sixth Sunday of Easter as a Festival of New Life, our bishops signal both hope and confidence in the movement towards Christian unity,” the group said.

The dialogue’s statement invited parishes to “appreciate the gift of faith through baptism”.

“Baptism is the sacrament that unites Christians in the Body of Christ, the People of God,” the dialogue said in their statement.

“Whether or not there is a parish celebration, we can each make the Sixth Sunday a personal ‘Festival’, giving thanks for the amazing gift of faith and sincerely praying for all who share faith with us,” they added.

This is the first time a Catholic/Lutheran initiative is offered to all New Zealand parishes according to the statement.

The dialogue explained in its statement that for the last 500 years, the Church of Jesus “looked and acted as very divided” with many sects and denomination.

However, over the last century, there was a desire among the different Christian churches to restore unity.

“Just as every new life signals a new beginning, may this Festival of New Life become a sure stepping stone on our journey to unity,” they said.

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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.

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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 pope had cancelled his appointments on February 24 and February 26 because of what the Vatican press office described as “mild flu-symptoms”, but Pope Francis led the recitation of the Angelus prayer on February 25 without obvious difficulty.

At his general audience on February 28, his voice was hoarser and softer. Besides briefly telling the crowd he would not be reading his prepared text, he took the microphone only to pray at the beginning and end of the gathering, and to read his appeals for peace and for an end to the use of landmines.

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that Pope Francis went from the audience to Rome’s Gemelli Isola Hospital for a checkup before returning to the Vatican. In late November when he was suffering similar symptoms, he had gone to that hospital for a CT scan of his lungs.

Pope Francis’ main audience talk focused on envy and vainglory, or exaggerated pride, as part of his continuing series of audience talks about vices and virtues.

Envy and vainglory “go hand in hand,” the Pope wrote. “Together these two vices are characteristic of a person who aspires to be the centre of the world, free to exploit everything and everyone, the object of all praise and love.”

Reading the Book of Genesis, envy appears to be “one of the oldest vices: Cain’s hatred of Abel is unleashed when he realises that his brother’s sacrifices are pleasing to God,” he wrote.

“The face of the envious man is always sad: he’s always looking down, he seems to be continually investigating the ground; but in reality, he sees nothing, because his mind is wrapped up in thoughts full of wickedness,” he said. “Envy, if unchecked, leads to hatred of the other. Abel would be killed at the hands of Cain, who could not bear his brother’s happiness.”

The root of the vice and sin of envy, he said, “is a false idea of God: we do not accept that God has His own ‘math.'”

As an example, Pope Francis cited the parable from Matthew 20:1-16 about workers hired at different times of the day to work in a vineyard, but the owner pays them all the same.

When those who worked longest protest, the owner says, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?”

“We would like to impose our own selfish logic on God; instead, the logic of God is love,” the pope’s text said. “The good things he gives us are meant to be shared. This is why St. Paul exhorts Christians, ‘Love one another with brotherly affection; outdo one another in showing honor’ (Rom. 12:10). Here is the remedy for envy!”

Pope Francis described vainglory as “an inflated and baseless self-esteem,” which leads to having no empathy and to seeing others only as objects to be used.

The vainglorious person “is a perpetual beggar for attention,” the pope wrote, and when recognition is not given, “he becomes fiercely angry.”

Usually, he said, the remedy for such pride comes automatically when people offer criticism rather than praise.

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before disaster, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

A wise person recognises, as St. Paul did, that freedom comes from recognizing one’s weaknesses and failures, relying only on God for strength, Pope Francis’ text said.

Photo: As Pope Francis exits the Paul VI Audience Hall after his weekly general audience at the Vatican Feb. 28, 2024, a group of people greet him. (CNS photo/Vatican Media)

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Father David Dowling has been appointed the new rector of Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland.

The appointment has been confirmed by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Evangelisation. Fr Dowling is at present the Human Formator at Holy Cross. He will take over the role in April from the present Interim Rector, Bishop Emeritus Colin Campbell.

Holy Cross Seminary is the national seminary for the education and formation of diocesan priests for the Catholic Church in New Zealand.

Fr Dowling is a priest of the Archdiocese of Wellington whose priestly journey began when he entered Holy Cross in 2001 after an 18-year career as a customs officer. A born Wellingtonian and proud supporter of the Hurricanes, he attended St Patrick’s College, Wellington before his customs career. He studied for the priesthood at Holy Cross from 2001 to 2007 and was ordained in Wellington on September 1, 2007 by Cardinal John Dew. He has a Bachelor of Theology degree from Sydney College of Divinity and a Graduate Diploma in Theology from Good Shepherd College.

Fr Dowling said that he is committed as rector to following the example of Pope Francis in cultivating the joy of the Gospel with a sense of being part of God’s people.

Father David Dowling has been appointed the new rector of Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland.

“I am inspired and encouraged by the teaching of Pope Francis, who sees priestly formation as service, not simply as the transmission of a body of teachings, but also the art of concentrating on others, bringing out all their beauty and all the good that they carry within.

“As Francis has said, ‘we can only be missionary disciples all together.’ As a human formator at the seminary, I have endeavoured to encourage and challenge our seminarians to be fully human, mature, and capable of healthy relationships. We minister through our humanity and personality, opening ourselves to being transformed by the Spirit of Jesus.

“I hope to help form our seminarians to understand what it means to live ‘generative service’, which Pope Francis describes as ‘the identity card’ of Christ’s ministers.”

Auckland Bishop Stephen Lowe, who is president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, said that the bishops are delighted with Fr David’s appointment as Rector.

“He is a prayerful man, who has had a rich pastoral experience as a priest of Wellington and who has done an excellent job of being the human formator. These qualities will enrich his overseeing the forming of the new priests for our dioceses,” said Bishop Lowe.

Bishop Emeritus Campbell has been Interim Rector since April, 2023, after the former rector, Fr Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil, left.

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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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