Ann, 79, and Bryan, 82, have also fostered about 12 children throughout their marriage.

The Watts still live in the four-bedroom home they moved into after their wedding day.

Bryan said he never imagined having such a large family.

"When we were starry-eyed teenagers we aimed to have about six children," he said.

"We had our first two children, and then there was a three-year break, so we decided to foster some children, and we relaxed a bit and had more children of our own."

The foster children included a set of twins who lived with the Watt family for about seven years. They still keep in contact and visit, Bryan said.

The most up-to-date census records there are three families with up to 14 children.

The number of families with 15 or more children is randomly rounded to protect privacy. However, an analyst believes that the number is below three.

"My parents are very giving and, for any families that for a number of reasons couldn't care for their own kids, Mum and Dad took them into their care," said Gerard, the ninth Watt child.

"It was always a very busy household, and one of the benefits of being part of such a large family was you pick up all sorts of skills such as how to socialise and being able to negotiate things like bathroom time.

"You also had to be well organised as we only had one bathroom and one toilet and there was a slot of time in the morning to get ready. You couldn't miss it."

Source

• pressreader.com
• www.stuff.co.nz
• Image: stuff.co.nz

Its current home, on Victoria Street, opened in 1993 and the congregation will celebrate its 25-year jubilee on December 16. Continue reading

A church service was held at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Church at Mt. Vaea yesterday evening to commemorate her achievement, which was attended by members of the S.M.S.M. sisters, families and friends. Continue reading

At this site a white cross that marks the place where the first mass celebrated in Tonga took place on 2 July 1842.

Pangaimotu is a small island in the Tongatapu group lying near the capital. It is reachable by a 10-minute boat trip from Nukuʻalofa.

The morning mass was attended by more a thousand Catholics from throughout Tongatapu and 'Eua who travelled to the island by boat.

A spokesperson from the Catholic Church Diocesan Centre, Toutaimana said a plaque was unveiled by Cardinal Mafi to mark the anniversary.

As part of the celebration Cardinal Mafi ordained Lutoviko 'Olie to the priesthood on 29 June, at Pea.

Pea was the first village to receive the Catholic Faith. Father Joseph Chevron of the Society of Mary came to Tongatapu under instruction from Bishop Pompallier, accompanied by Brother Altaic.

Chevron and Altaic were responding to an invitation sent to them at Lakeba in Fiji, through relatives of the chief of Pea, Moeaki.

Lutoviko began his training for the priesthood at Marist College Suva in 2008. In November last year he graduated from Pacific Regional Seminary with a Bachelor in Theology - Magna Cum Laude - accredited by the Urbanianum University, Rome.

Currently he teaches at Apifou College.

Source

• Matangi Tonga
• Oceania Marist Newsletter
• To Live Among the Stars
• Image: Talaki Matangi Tonga

On Friday, the archbishop of Suva, Peter Loy Chong was accorded a traditional welcoming ceremony in front of a crowd of over 800 guests of former scholars, parents, and students at Marist Brothers High School.

In his speech Chong spoke about the importance of education and how Catholic schools had played a pivotal role in Fiji

"The Catholic brothers and the whole Catholic education has been at this work for almost 130 years and we want to thank them as pioneers of the education," he said.

The Marist Brothers helped establish an education system in Fiji. They established Marist Brothers Primary, St Marcellin Primary School, St. John's College Cawaci, Marist Brothers High School, St Bedes College, and Napuka Secondary School.

Chong said that one of the many challenges faced at Catholic schools in Fiji is the reduced number of Marist Brothers serving at the schools.

Brother Terrence Costello was also the bicentennial celebrations and while he is in Fiji he will be setting up up a governing board as part of a plan to address the challenges ahead, including the diminishing number of Brothers who are available to serve in Catholic schools.

"My main focus is to get this governing board established so that our schools can get clear direction of its history and traditions," he said.

On Sunday the celebration concluded with a march from Marist Brothers Primary School at Suva Street to Marist Brothers High School at Flagstaff.

Source

• fijisun.com.fj
• fijitimes.com
• fijitimes.com
• Image: fijisun.com.fj

St Johns is the theological college for the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. It has been located at Meadowbank for 170 years.

It was established in 1843 by George Augustus Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand.

St John's College Chapel was built on the grounds in 1847 and is the oldest surviving church building in Auckland. It also has a Historic Places Trust 'A' grading.

The graveyard, lying to the west and south of the chapel, holds the remains of some of New Zealand's earliest settlers.

This includes early Maori and Pacific Island college scholars, early missionaries and their families.

The anniversary celebrations included student lectures, a formal dinner, a church service, and tours around the site.

Moxon presented three lectures during his visit. The first lecture focused on his work in Rome and the Anglican Centre, the second was about ecumenical work and the third focused on what is required for men and women training for mission work.

Archbishop Moxon, permanently based at the Vatican, has a 35-year relationship with the college that he describes as "an enormously enriching place, like no other where students live and must continually encounter issues and people in one place".

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• Image: teara.govt.nz

During his weekly blessing on Sunday, Pope Francis reinforced his message of mercy by telling the faithful about the Biblical story of the adulterous woman whom Jesus refused to condemn.

"This woman represents all of us, adulterers before God, traitors of his trust. And her experience represents the will of God for all of us: Not our condemnation, but our salvation through Jesus," the pope said.

Pope Francis began his papacy in 2013 by stressing a mercy-over-morals message.

A report by Reuters, however, said three years after the election of Pope Francis, Catholic conservatives worry that "behind the gentle facade lies a dangerous reformer who is diluting Catholic teaching on moral issues like homosexuality and divorce."

The report said conservatives are also worried about the pope's drive to devolve decision-making power on several issues from the Vatican to regional, national or diocesan levels, in has been called "a healthy decentralization."

US Secretary of State John Kerry, meanwhile, thanked Pope Francis for his role in renewing the country's diplomatic ties with Cuba.

"The Holy Father was instrumental in encouraging talks between our two countries, and the United States will continue to seek his support as we proceed with our renewed bilateral relationship with Cuba," Kerry said in a statement quoted by Vatican Radio.

Sources

Reuters
AP/NBC News
Fox News Latino
Vatican Radio
Image: Fox News Latino