Built in a style reminiscent of an open-sided whare (house), the new entrance structure helps welcome people into Garin College's wairua (soul).

It also protects the school's "story and curriculum", principal John Maguire says.

Bicultural story

That story began with the powhiri when the school opened in 2002.

The powhiri was held in exactly the same place where the new entranceway has been sited.

Today, the newly-opened entranceway serves a number of purposes, Maguire says.

It's a shelter for students who like gathering there each morning.

But it also represents "an exciting step" in the school's bi-cultural journey. Garin College's communities are two-fold: educational and Catholic, Maguire explains.

Whakairo - Carving

The whakaaro (concepts) represented on the building's facade are the fruit of bi-cultural research and consultation.

The school's Maori protocols leader, Matua Simon Pimm, undertook some of this while the school consulted with the Catholic parish community on the design.

The result "spoke to" the Maori who first arrived in Aotearoa and to local Maori's whakapapa and journey, Maguire says.

The symbolism continues within the structure, where four pou represent the Maori health model's four cornerstones, Te Whare Tapa Wha'.

In the centre, imagery of "an Atua or God, Christ at the centre, and the Trinity - or the mystery if you like - for both Maori and Christian, in terms of the mystery of faith" Maguire says.

Inside the structure there are four panels, each named after the school's house patrons.

That was a move to help students "reflect on the influence of those inspirational persons ... in Catholic education," Maguire says.

Garin College's founding patron Father Antoine Garin, and Bishop Pompallier, the first Catholic missionary to arrive in New Zealand, are named on the panels.

The church Garin established in Nelson some 150 years ago, St Mary's parish church, also features as a cut-out in the whare, Maguire says.

Other symbolism is encapsulated in the five boulders around the whare.

These represent the school's five current values. Maguire says these are generosity, aroha (love), rangimarie (peace), integrity and new life.

They were designed to show the values are "rock solid", Maguire says.

Funding

Funding for the new entranceway came from the Catholic Archdiocese of Wellington.

The Archdiocese in turn received the funds by way of a property-upgrade package provided to state-ontegrated schools four years ago by the government.

Plans

Between now and 2025, Garin College's building plans include four new classrooms and a multi-purpose area.

The $5.6m project is needed since the College is already nearing its capacity (670 students).

Next year's roll of 635 is far larger than the roll of about 500 five years ago.

Source

• Stuff

That was me at age five realising that my beliefs contradict each other.

Growing up in a Maori Catholic family, I struggled to exist within two worlds. My spirituality has never been here nor there, but a constant blend between both Catholicism and te Ao Maori.

Before primary school, I attended Te Kopae Piripono in Taranaki. At Te Kopae, I was enriched in te Ao Maori.

I always felt loved and protected by God and nga Atua.

But because my family have always been very devout Catholics, instead of attending kura kaupapa, I was sent to a Catholic primary school.

It was a huge culture shock.

When they started teaching about the commandments, I was baffled by the first one: "You shall have no other gods before me".

After that lesson, I stared into space, thinking, "Are Atua gods?

Have I been a bad Catholic?

Does God not love me?

Can I not say karakia anymore?"

In my naive mind, nga Atua and God had all existed in harmony, ensuring all was well in the world, and helping each other out.

I was quickly proved wrong.

At six years old, I watched some girls from class stab pointed sticks into the ground for fun.

In true Kaitiaki nature, I rushed to defend Papatuanuku. I sobbed, "Please stop, you're hurting my Mama!"

They ran away laughing and went to our teacher, supposedly ‘crying'.

Instead of my teacher explaining cultural differences, she yelled at me. I was scolded for spreading lies.

She said that Papatuanuku is just a character from a book—she pointed to the cover of In the Beginning, stating it was just a made-up story.

I was left wondering which creation story was true.

Experiences like this continued throughout the years.

At this point, you would be forgiven for thinking I would relinquish my Catholic faith out of resentment, but spirituality is embedded in me.

My spirituality gives me hope and peace of mind.

Don't get me wrong, I have found great conflict with the Catholic church and the weaponisation of religion—from its role in colonisation to the church's opinion on some topics.

I love my understanding of God, and I'll stand by Him, but my values clash with those of the men that speak on his ‘behalf'.

After years of being told my beliefs are wrong, and embarrassed to be a Maori who is also Catholic, I have come to the decision to bugger everyone who tells me my beliefs are wrong.

I've realised, who knows?

Who are they to tell me what's true and what's false?

At the end of the day, respecting other people's beliefs is all we need to do. We don't all need to believe the exact same thing.

If you're like me, struggling to blend your spirituality smoothie, I can only suggest keeping the blender going. Eventually, it will all smooth out.

• Whakairitaua Rukuwai (Taranaki, Te Atiawa) studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University Wellington.
• First published in Salient. Republished with permission of the author.

The diocesan documents were synthesised at a national meeting held in Wellington in June.

The introduction to the national document says participants throughout the country "spoke positively and with love about the place the Church has in their lives.

"They want the Church to be a life-giving and active presence in the world, an outward-looking servant Church; a welcoming, inclusive and transformative presence for individuals and communities.

"They see the synodal process itself being as important as the outcome, because in listening to one another the Holy Spirit is present," the introduction says.

However, this experience was not universal.

"For some people, especially those participating as individuals rather than in groups, the process provided an opportunity to express anger, cynicism, hurt and rejection of the Church due to past experiences.

"The Church was named as a place of alienation and irrelevant, especially in its teaching on human sexuality.

"The responses from those who feel ignored, excluded or who have been deeply hurt made painful reading, but their desire to be part of a welcoming Catholic community was clear.

"Their responses are valued and we are learning from them," say the bishops.

New Zealand's Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) says six themes have emerged from the diocesan phase of the 2023 Synod on Synodality.

These are: inclusion, gathering, leadership, education and formation, mission, and synodality and change.

Points from the six main Aotearoa New Zealand themes:

• Inclusion: We want the Church to be a non-judgmental and safe place of welcome and belonging. Church teaching which excludes some people from the Eucharist is causing pain and hurt. Awareness of those who feel marginalised or excluded can lead to new attitudes and action. Action on inclusion must be part of our synodal journey.
• Gathering: There is great love for the Mass, but also concerns about inclusion and lay participation. A new English translation of the Roman Missal is needed. Homilies must help people to encounter Jesus in the reality of their lives. If lay people are allowed to give homilies, they must have good formation. Small groups for prayer, formation, scripture study and mission to build community are needed.
• Leadership: Collaborative ministry should become the norm, with greater sacramental involvement for lay people. Co-responsible leadership with barriers to lay participation in decision-making removed. Women participate equally in decision-making and have greater participation in liturgical roles.
• Mission: Formation is needed for mission, and help with engaging in mission collectively. Ecumenical activity and interfaith dialogue need to be embraced as part of mission. Shame related to abuse in the Church makes evangelisation difficult. Prophetic leadership is needed in the community on social justice, ecological and bicultural issues. The only public voice of the Church for many is on euthanasia and human sexuality.
• Education and Formation: Further formation is needed for both lay people and clergy in discernment and synodality. There is a need for catechesis in Church teaching. Education and formation in safeguarding is essential for both lay people and clergy. Seminarians' formation should involve more community engagement and include biculturalism and cultural sensitivity. Both clergy and laity need formation in collaborative ministry and co-responsible leadership.
• Synodality and Change: The Synod process is exciting and transformative. We want to bring back those who are missing. Synodality and discernment can help us change while holding on to what is central to our faith. We want to learn to journey together in a synodal way.

The national document has been sent to Rome as part of the Pope's synodal path to the Church's future, which will culminate in the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October next year.

Similar national documents have been compiled by bishops' conferences around the world.

They will be used by the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops to draft a working document in preparation for the October 2023 synod.

Bishops' conferences will also take part in "continental" gatherings, in New Zealand's case a gathering of Oceania conferences which will include Australia and Pacific island states.

Source

• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference
• National Synod Synthesis

The project and the report explore systemic change in the legal studies curriculum at Aotearoa New Zealand universities as an important step towards integrating Maori law into Aotearoa New Zealand's legal system. Read more

Read the report

"But given the bi-cultural context of this country, we need to know what Maori want at end of life and how services can be better directed to meet their needs."

Working bi-culturally is the focus for Gott and her team on the Te Arai Palliative Care and End of Life Research Group at the School of Nursing, of which she is director.

As part of their research, digital stories were created by whanau about Maori caring for their kaumatua at the end of life.

When the digital stories were launched in 2015, one of the research team, Dr Moeke Maxwell, said they were to be used in the University's School of Nursing as a teaching resource.

The Digital Story telling began as a small part of the research programme, but it has had a huge impact.

"They are being heard within their wider communities, by health professionals and policy makers, which is an important first step to ensuring they receive better support," Gott said.

"We have also found completing a story helps individuals make sense of what is, inevitably, a very difficult time in their life."

"It has been beyond our expectations.

"The stories are being used across New Zealand, both within Maori communities and for teaching, and are being picked up internationally."

Gott says an example is the teams in Australia that are looking at replicating the idea in Aborigine communities.

The study was led by Dr Lisa Williams and co-researchers, Dr Tess Moeke-Maxwell (Ngai Tai) and Dr Stella Black (Tuhoe) along with Gott.

Watch a Digital Story

Source

• The University of Auckland
• Newsroom
• Screenshot: YouTube