Christchurch Transitional Cathedral and Theology House have announced they will co-host a public theology forum on the benefits and pitfalls of legalising euthanasia in Aotearoa New Zealand. The debate will take place at the Transitional Cathedral in Latimer Square, running from 9.30am – 2.30pm on Saturday 1 April, and will feature four speakers for and Read more
New Zealand
Anglicans host theology forum on the benefits and pitfalls of legalising euthanasia
Thursday, March 9th, 2017Wellington woman providing low-cost counselling service
Thursday, March 9th, 2017When funding cuts forced the closure of an anonymous, low-cost depression support group for women, Heidrun Lehmann decided she had to keep it going. She said Wellington Women’s Health Collective group helped her through the “despair” of depression, and the service was “too good to stop”. Since 2006, Lehmann and a handful of Wellington women Read more
Francis Douglas turns off Wi-fi during breaks in hope students will interact
Monday, March 6th, 2017
Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth has started turning off its wi-fi internet network during breaks to encourage students to talk and play with each other. School principal Martin Chamberlain said he wasn’t banning phones, but he was limiting their use. Wanting to see more students out playing in the sunshine is the reason Read more
Challenge 2000 – New base for youth and family development agency
Monday, March 6th, 2017
The purchase of a property in Johnsonville to be used as a base and outreach centre for Challenge 2000, has been announced by Fr David Kennerley sm, Provincial of the Society of Mary, and Steve O’Connor, Challenge 2000 Director. Kennerley said, ‘As part of our ongoing support of Challenge 2000 and commitment to working with Read more
Christchurch waits for new bishop to approve Cathedral re-build
Monday, March 6th, 2017
The Catholic diocese of Christchurch is waiting for the appointment of a new Bishop to get approval for the restoration of the earthquake damaged Cathedral. “We are ready to go in a sense, but we can’t do anything that compromises the bishop’s decision,” said the administrator of the Christchurch Diocese Fr Rick Loughnan. He said Read more
Teaching Christchurch prisoners to read, write and count
Monday, March 6th, 2017Seventy per cent of New Zealand’s prisoners are functionally illiterate. Most left school young with undiagnosed learning disabilities or care and protection issues that impacted their education. Prison education programmes boosted the literacy and numeracy skills of 42 per cent of prisoners last year, according to Corrections’ annual report, and there are plans to increase the number of prisoners Read more
Muslim critic calls for ‘assimilation centres’ for Muslim migrants and refugees
Monday, March 6th, 2017A leading world critic of Muslim extremism says New Zealand should establish “assimilation centres” for migrants and refugees from Muslim countries. Somali-born Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Netherlands MP for the right-wing People’s Party, has been under police protection since she made a film in 2004 about violence against women in some Muslim cultures. Continue Read more
Boycott the new series of The Bachelor NZ
Thursday, March 2nd, 2017
At least one commentator is suggesting a boycott of the third season of The Bachelor NZ set to be broadcast on Three in March. “The ship has sailed. The horse has bolted,” says Shelly Bridgeman in her opinion piece in the New Zealand Herald. “So now it’s up to the audience and the advertisers to Read more
Caritas humanitarian worker returning to South Sudan for famine response
Thursday, March 2nd, 2017
Following the declaration of famine in South Sudan, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand’s lead humanitarian aid worker, Mark Mitchell, is preparing to return to the world’s newest nation. He is going to help coordinate the Caritas response to the worsening situation. “I was in the country last year to bolster Caritas’ humanitarian response to the existing Read more
Pōwhiri for newly appointed Turanga Maori and his wife
Thursday, March 2nd, 2017
A pōwhiri at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart of Wellington, on Monday 27 February, welcomed Deacon Danny Karatea-Goddard and his wife Maru. Danny has been appointed the new Tūranga Māori in the Archdiocese of Wellington. Hundreds of whānau, students, staff and friends travelled to Wellington to join people from the Archdiocese at the pōwhiri. The bishop of Read more