On Sunday February 14 TVNZ’s Sunday programme featured an interview with Maria Hall. Hall was described as an ex-nun. After spending 8 years as a member of the Palmarian Catholic Church she suffered a mental breakdown and walked away. “I probably had to lose my mind in order to lose my faith,” Maria Hall told the Sunday Read more
“The approach to education is very different in New Zealand to that in China but kids here were lovely,” says Han Yu. “In China children in primary schools sit quietly and the teacher tells them everything but over here a teacher is just a facilitator of their learning so it is very different,” she said. Read more
New Zealand prime minister John Key has opened the door to accepting 37 asylum seeker children destined for Nauru, offering a solution to the current immigration standoff. Speaking ahead of a meeting with Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull this week, Key said it was “potentially possible” for New Zealand to accept any genuine refugees from Read more
The latest report from the Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit examines how even just a small dip in economic fortunes could see many more Kiwi families fall into poverty and severe social distress, despite recent economic upturn. December 2015 job figures paint an encouraging picture of the resilience of the New Zealand economy. But just Read more
The Anglican Church plans to get a fresh assessment of Christ Church Cathedral amid concern the Valentines Day earthquake has further damaged the building. Sunday’s 5.7 magnitude earthquake appeared to cause more of the historic cathedral to crumble and fall away from the steel props that have held up the front of the building for Read more
Father Noel Delaney died in Wellington last Saturday. He was 93. Fr Noel’s death brings to 4 the number of priests, who had a long association with the pastoral care of Maori Catholics, that have died in recent months. He was ordained in 1942 and worked in a number of the Society of Mary’s schools Read more
New Zealand was one the countries mentioned in a recent communiqué from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The statement from the commission set up to advise Pope Francis on best practice in the fight against child sexual abuse came after its most recent meeting in Rome. In order to comply with one Read more
Expat Kiwi, now Australian Jesuit priest, Fr Richard Shortall was commissioned a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis on Ash Wednesday. In his letter announcing the Year of Mercy, Pope Francis reflects on the need for some priests to take on a more significant role in extending God’s mercy to the people. The Holy Father is Read more
Requiem Mass for The Bishop of Christchurch, Barry Jones, who died on Saturday, will be held at 1pm on Friday. Burial will take place after the Mass at Bromley Cemetery. He will be taken to the Carmelite Monastery on Tuesday afternoon. On Wednesday afternoon the Bishop will rest at Te Rangimarie Centre. He will then lie Read more
On Sundays Pastor Matawalu Waqanituinayau, known as Mata, runs services at the Assemblies of God church but when he’s not preaching he’s following his other passion – rugby. The Matamata pastor, who has been in New Zealand for 18 years, is also acting as a player agent, a position that has attracted controversy recently because Read more