Born in the midst of a housing crisis, the St Joseph’s Parish Environment Justice and Peace Group founded The Upper Hutt Housing Trust. Starting with only $10 in the bank, the transformed Housing Trust now manages 31 rental spaces, housing 110 individuals across 41 households. It also owns its first property. Emboldened by their mission, Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) warns that two social media accounts of Bishop Steve Lowe on Facebook have been faked. Lowe serves both as the Catholic Bishop of Auckland and President of the New Zealand Bishops’ Conference. The fake social media accounts impersonating Lowe have surfaced on Meta’s Facebook and Messenger platforms and, Read more
The narrative of the “The Parable of the Sower” draws our attention to the varying types of ground upon which the seed falls. The type of ground prompts introspection: which parts of me are rocky, shallow, or overrun with thorns? However, suddenly, I find myself at the centre of the narrative. I recommend reading verses Read more
Often we hear some Catholics speak of other Catholics as cafeteria Catholics. This is often a subtle criticism of those who appear to pick and choose from the cafeteria food booth what they want, leaving behind the distasteful or uninviting parts of the menu. The term gives the impression of a person not serious about Read more
Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernández publicly acknowledged on Sunday that he made mistakes in handling a case involving a priest accused of sexually abusing minors in 2019. Archbishop Fernández (pictured) has been accused by critics of attempting to protect the priest. Fernández has vehemently denied the allegations. However, in an interview after conducting Mass in La Read more
Stella Assange, the wife of imprisoned WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, met Pope Francis in the Vatican last Friday. The two Assange children accompanied their mother to the meeting. Afterwards, she described the Holy Father as a “massive moral protection.” Stella Assange said they spoke about her husband’s “day-to-day suffering in prison, the cruelty of being Read more
“The ongoing issue of low attendance in NZ Catholic schools is a pressing concern” says Dr Kevin Shore, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office (NZCEO). “Student success is vital. It opens doors to life’s best opportunities and allows school graduates to contribute positively to society,” Shore told CathNews. Acknowledging that the factors Read more
Kiwis do not understand how best to fight climate change. A recent Ipsos poll reveals a significant disconnect between New Zealanders’ perceptions and the actual impact of individual actions on greenhouse gas emissions. As reported by Newsroom, the survey was conducted among 1002 participants in New Zealand, compared with responses from 21,231 individuals across 29 Read more
It was a crowded church in Singapore, and a young priest was talking about a recent first communion. A little girl had run back to her parents, shouting, “I just ate Jesus!” Later, the child asked her mother, “How does Jesus get from our stomach to our heart?” The mother replied, “Jesus can do anything.” Read more
The Church of England is considering renting out underused parish churches due to decreased regular worship attendance. The move aims to preserve the potential for these churches to reopen in the future rather than be sold off after merging with larger parishes. This proposal is set for discussion by the General Synod, the Church’s legislative Read more