The Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand (FIANZ) has obtained permission to build an Islamic Vocational Centre in Auckland. The purpose of the Centre is also to attract members of other communities to come and to get to know Islam better. It is hoped it will to promote friendship and understanding between the communities Read more
The Secular Education Network is decrying government-funded driver licence courses using education techniques inspired by the teaching methodology of the Church of Scientology. The Network says any influence of the church on the education material meant a “biased education” was being delivered. Registered charity Rule Education Trust, run by David Rule, is delivering driver licence Read more
25 pensioner units at Liston Village in Delargey Ave, Auckland, are under threat. Liston Village, owned by the Auckland Catholic diocese, could face demolition for parkland under a long-term plan for the development of Monte Cecilia Park. Puketapapa Local Board member, Michael Wood, said the local board was commissioning a report to investigate options to Read more
Caritas’ SINGout4JUSTICE annual school song writing competition for Years 7-13 students will be judged by a panel that includes Laura Collins, a Wellington singer/songwriter who performed at the Vatican earlier this year. Ms Collins performed at the Voices of Faith women’s storytelling event in Rome last month, singing a ballad written by fellow Kiwi musician Steve Read more
New welfare benefit figures confirm that New Zealand is splitting into “two nations”, with big improvements in Auckland and Christchurch but most provincial areas lagging far behind. Benefit numbers have dropped by 6.9 per cent in Canterbury and by 6.2 per cent in Auckland in the year to March, well ahead of a national decline Read more
Dunedin woman Stephanie Sommers first saw the picture of the little church, apparently somewhere near Ahipara, more than 20 years ago. Since then she has dreamed of finding it – she still does – and is now hoping that a Northland Age reader will be able to tell her where it is. It all began Read more
On Good Friday a group of people made a pilgrimage walk from the Okarito Domain next to the beach, to the trig. It is a distance of about 1.8km each way and a height gain of 250 metres. Okarito is a small settlement the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It is famous for its scenic Read more
In what may be a world first a religious group representing Christian and Jewish communities has expanded to include Muslims in an effort to foster friendship and dialogue between religions. The group celebrated its relaunch as the Wellington Abrahamic Council of Jews, Christians and Muslims at Parliament on Tuesday night. Council Christian co-chair Reverend Jenny Read more
The two recently appointed Pacific cardinals have been assigned to Roman Curia offices. Pope Francis named Cardinal John Dew of Wellington, New Zealand, to be a member of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Cardinal Soane Mafi of Tonga was named a member of the Read more
Father Michael Hill, a Rosminian and long-time Dunedin resident, has produced the first English-language biography of Antonio Rosmini for almost 60 years. His Provincial, Fr David Myers, had said that if Fr Hill ”didn’t write this biography he didn’t think anyone else would,” so Fr Hill, now ”retired”, put his golfing on hold, and Read more