The historic former St Joseph’s Convent in Grey Lynn in Auckland is for sale for the first time in 20 years. Brokers are marketing the building, opened in 1922 but in private ownership since 1996, as having “huge development potential”. It is currently being run as a boarding house for low income earners. Expressions of Read more
New Zealand
Family prayer challenge posed by Cardinal Dew
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
Cardinal John Dew of Wellington has told Catholic educators that a major challenge today is helping families to pray together. In a homily at a teachers’ commissioning Mass at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart last month, Cardinal Dew said “prayer must be learned and discovered in families”. “I believe one of our major challenges Read more
St Mary of the Angels work not the cause of traffic hell
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
Work to seismically strengthen St Mary of the Angels church in Wellington is not a contributing factor to traffic congestion in the area, a priest says. Four major construction projects are underway in Boulcott St, which has been labelled several hundred metres of motoring hell, with cars regularly bumper to bumper. The projects are a Read more
Mt Maunganui Catholic school evacuated after bomb threat
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
St Thomas More Catholic School in Mt Maunganui was evacuated on March 10 after it received a bomb threat. The school was one of 13 schools around New Zealand to receive a bomb threat that day. The calls came between 11.20 am and midday. These came after 27 schools around New Zealand received bomb threat Read more
Man who lay dead for weeks has cathedral funeral
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016Jimmy Grant, 78, who may have died as long ago as January, was farewelled during a Sunday Mass at Wellington’s Catholic cathedral on March 13. His body was found at his Mulgrave St apartment, near Parliament, on March 2. When his body was found, police also found a newspaper, a Bible and Mr Grant’s cat’s Read more
Pupil numbers decline at Blenheim’s only Catholic school
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016Dwindling numbers at Blenheim’s only Catholic school is the result of parents having more high-quality schools to choose from, its principal says. Numbers at St Mary’s School have dropped by more than half in the past 11 years, from nearly 400 to 175 pupils. Continue reading
De La Salle College to get Health Science programme
Tuesday, March 15th, 2016The Ministry of Health is to fund a programme at De La Salle College in Mangere aimed at growing the number of Maori and Pacific health workers. Health Science Academies, supported by the Counties Manukau DHB, have been operating for several years at some other south Auckland secondary schools. The goal is to develop a Read more
Father Jack Smith is returning to his roots
Friday, March 11th, 2016
Father Jack Wiremu Smith has arrived in Gisborne as the new assistant to Monsignor Frank Eggleton at Saint Mary’s Star of the Sea church. Now in his late 70s, Father Smith comes from Ngati Kahungunu and was born near Wairoa. But a great grandmother came from the Coast so he does have connections here, he says. Read more
Auckland church puts up anti Trump billboard
Friday, March 11th, 2016
Donald Trump has been pictured crucifying Jesus Christ in a hard-hitting campaign against him by an Auckland church. St Luke’s in Remuera has put up an Easter-themed cartoon which aims to show how Trump’s views contradict the messages of Jesus Christ. St Luke’s minister Glynn Cardy said Christ would have been considered a “loser” by Read more
Peter Beck moves from one shaky town to another
Friday, March 11th, 2016
Peter Beck, the former Christ Church Cathedral dean and Christchurch city councillor will move to New Plymouth in April to take over the role of dean of Taranaki Cathedral. St Mary’s cathedral in New Plymouth was closed in January because it meets only 15% of the new building standards. The Bishop of Taranaki, Archbishop Philip Read more