Butler (pictured) will represent New Zealand's Catholic priests at the gathering from 28 April to 2 May.

He and 300 confreres from across the globe will share views and experiences at the "Parish Priests for the Synod: An International Meeting".

Their input is being sought to help prepare for the Synod on Synodality's second session this October.

The parish priests were chosen because they meet the selection criteria set by the Vatican for bishops' conferences.

These criteria expect those selected to have "significant experience in the perspective of a synodal Church" while also ensuring attendees are from "a variety of pastoral contexts".

Priests views sought

Butler says he has written to New Zealand's priests recently explaining his trip's purpose.

While noting he can't possibly represent everyone, he wants them to tell him about how they are finding the synodal process.

He says he hasn't always been engaged with the process himself.

"While I wasn't hugely involved with the Synod process at the parish level when it began, when I became Local Administrator I became very involved."

He now sees the experience quite differently.

"It's a wonderful way to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say to us from people whose voices are not always heard."

The meeting

During the five-day meeting, the parish priests will participate in roundtable discussions, liturgical celebrations, workshops on pastoral proposals, and dialogue with experts.

By listening to and valuing each other's experience of parish priests, they'll have the opportunity to experience and contribute to the "dynamism of synodal work at a universal level".

Their discussions will contribute to the Instrumentum Laboris - the working document for this October's synod assembly.

"I'm looking forward to the experience and the chance to meet Pope Francis there, something I never thought I would experience" he says.

Source

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference

A significant portion of the area on the east coast of the North Island is in the Palmerston North diocese, and in the absence of a bishop, Butler is administering the Palmerston North diocese.

"People's suffering is very real and they need our help."

"As a diocese we have a responsibility to show we care," says Butler.

He says Pope Francis' call to remember those who suffer and for our charity to be concrete, 'very in touch.'

"Brothers and sisters, let us not forget those who suffer and let our charity be attentive, let it be a concrete charity!" said Francis in his recent Angelus message.

As part of the outreach, Butler invites people to contribute to a Cyclone Relief Appeal to help those in desperate need.

Also on Friday, St John's College, Hastings notified the diocese that on Monday it would be opening as a community centre to provide food and showers to their students, family and community.

Ironically in one of the nation's food-producing centres, there is a food shortage and the College reached out for urgent assistance from diocese.

Over the weekend the diocese had a small team working on a practical response including food, drinking water, washing powder, women toiletries, toilet paper, soap, shampoo, torches, batteries, rubbish bags, Janola.

On Monday Butler and General Manager for the diocese, Liam Greer confirmed three commercial vehicles and trailers loaded with provisions were delivered to the College.

Acknowledging the effort as a starting point in the long journey, Butler and Greer are delighted with the response; labelling people's generousity as "outstanding".

Greer clarified there are a number of plans in place in the Diocese to provide ongoing support to the wider Hawkes Bay area, but it is currently responding to an immediate need from a community that is within reach.

As well as helping to meet food shortage, Greer said key diocesan staff headed to Hawkes Bay to support schools and staff. The staff include trained social workers and staff to help process insurance claims.

Greer confirmed that St Joseph's school Wairoa is being used as a helicopter air pad and that while the school remained unharmed, it will be closed until otherwise cleared by Civil Defence.

Source

• Supplied

Renewing his appeal for Turkey and Syria earthquake victims, Francis also turned his attention to New Zealand.

"I am close to the people of New Zealand, who have been hit in recent days by a devastating cyclone.

"Brothers and sisters, let us not forget those who suffer and let our charity be attentive, let it be a concrete charity!"

He made the comments during his Angelus message at the Vatican on Sunday.

Francis' proximity to the people of New Zealand was followed up in a news story in Vatican News.

Grateful to hear of Pope Francis' closeness, the Catholic parish of Napier Parish Priest, Fr Barry Scannell SM acknowledges the devastation and serious impact on the lives of many.

Scannell told CathNews that understandably while numbers at Sunday Mass were down this week, those who were able to attend were very mindful of the loss of life, those missing and the suffering of many.

"Cyclone Gabrielle will put a huge strain on the community and take a long time to recover," he told CathNews.

He said he was grateful for his trusty old transistor radio, but it was not until he could see the pictures and get back into the community to visit people, that Cyclone Gabrielle's devastation became very real.

Scannell said that washed-out bridges and roads in and out of Napier, and initially no electricity, mobile phone or internet communication, isolated people from family and elsewhere in the country and around the world.

He said the isolation proved challenging both for those in Napier and loved ones elsewhere and while most now have phone connectivity, not everyone has such a basic need as electricity.

Scannell says generally everyone is pitching in, everyone is helping each other.

Further up the east coast, Wairoa Parish Priest Rob Devlin SM says senior priest Pa Karaitiana Kingi SM needed help to evacuate his home.

The parish priest says he is being well cared for, but Kingi's home is now ‘red stickered', and his car is full of silt.

Devlin told CathNews that the devastation seriously impacted the low-lying areas of the town; around twenty per cent of the town, including the Tawhiti-a-Mau Marae, which is about a metre deep in water and mud.

St Therese Church at the marae also has significant water damage.

CathNews was unable to speak to anyone from the parish of Hastings.

Cyclone Gabrielle

Head of MetService New Zealand Weather Communications Lisa Murray gave a summary of the storm in a statement on 19 February.

Between 12 and 14 February, parts of New Zealand recorded rainfall amounts of 300-400mm, wind gusts of 130-140km/h and waves as high as 11 metres along some coasts.

"Gabrielle is one of the worst storms to hit Aotearoa New Zealand in living history" said Murray.

The death toll from Cyclone Gabrielle has risen to 11 but police have indicated the toll accounts only for the bodies that have been identified.

More than 6000 people had been reported as non-contactable; however, this contained many double-ups said Eastern District police commander Jeanette Park.

On Monday, the New Zealand Government extended the national state of emergency by 7 days and established a cyclone recovery task force.

The task force's head is Sir Brian Roche and Minister of Finance, Grant Robertson, is the new Cyclone Recovery Minister.

Sources

• Supplied
• Vatican News
• Supplied
• Floodlist
• Stuff