A pair of antique instruments brought each other new life in Feilding. A collection of silent films was played with a live organ accompaniment at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church last Saturday. Read more
New Zealand
Government abortion law announcement ‘weeks away’ . . . again
Thursday, July 11th, 2019Abortion law reform advocates are calling for the Government to “get the lead out” after what appears to be further delay to long-awaited legislation. Justice Minister Andrew Little has been looking at potential changes to New Zealand’s four-decade-old abortion laws, including whether to take abortion out of the Crimes Act, since early last year. Read Read more
Number of suicides reaches 10-year peak, new data reveals
Thursday, July 11th, 2019New Zealand had the highest number of suicides in 10 years in 2016, according to the latest provisional data released by the Ministry of Health. It was up from 529 in 2015, and 510 in 2014. Males were the most represented in the figures, with 412 committing suicide in 2016, compared to 141 females. Continue Read more
Food security: 1000s of New Zealanders live on about $6.50 a day
Monday, July 8th, 2019
Thousands of Auckland families are forced to feed themselves on about $6:50 a meal this winter, Auckland City Mission says. Its Social Services general manager Helen Robinson (pictured above) said that, for many families, once they had paid rent, debts, power, transport and medical costs, there was little left to spend on food. Robinson said that an economist’s assessment Read more
Populism getting louder in NZ but unlikely to gain traction
Monday, July 8th, 2019
No doubt thanks to Donald Trump, Brexit, and a string of anti-establishment leaders and parties in Europe, Latin America and Asia, everyone seems to be talking about populism. However, commentators think that it will be difficult for any right-wing populism political party to gain much support in New Zealand. Coalition New Zealand is a new Read more
Life a process of becoming; it never ends
Monday, July 8th, 2019
The emeritus bishop of Palmerston North, Peter Cullinane, has written a letter to senior secondary school students. Entitled It’s All About Becoming, Cullinane says the letter is aimed at closing the gap that often exists between Church language and people’s lived experience. He believes it is easier for young people to experience the wonder and Read more
Video about Catholic prison chaplains released
Monday, July 8th, 2019The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference has released a video on Catholic Prison Chaplaincy in New Zealand, to raise awareness around the work of the Church in our prisons. Interviews with four Catholic prison chaplains provide some insights into their experiences working with communities within our prisons. As well as the day-to-day chaplaincy role of Read more
Salvation Army to trial free GP clinic in West Auckland
Monday, July 8th, 2019The Salvation Army is to trial a free GP clinic in West Auckland because it says there’s an immediate demand for it. It is holding the clinic once a week over July at the army’s Waitākere centre. We want to respond to those most in need and we will also continue to support people, advocate Read more
Child Poverty Begins in the Womb
Monday, July 8th, 2019Why is the Prime Minister ignoring the poverty of children in the womb? Since she became Prime Minister nearly 19,000 innocent and defenceless children have been violently killed in their mother’s womb. Right to Life commends the Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern who is also the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction for her passionate commitment to Read more
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand celebrates its jubilee
Thursday, July 4th, 2019
Last Thursday, Cardinal John Dew and new Apostolic Nuncio to New Zealand Novatus Rugambwa celebrated a special Mass to mark the jubilee year of Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. Fifty years ago, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference/He Huinga o ngā Pīhopa Katorika o Aotearoa, established national bodies for Catholic overseas aid, justice and peace, and Read more