It was clear the bearded collie missed Erika Fairweather over the past month as he leapt towards her for a cuddle outside Dunedin Airport yesterday morning.

Fairweather, 20, was thrilled to be reunited with him too — after having hugged her friends and family as they celebrated her return.

She was stunned by the "unexpected" reception from pupils from her former school, Trinity Catholic College, who greeted her with a moving kapa haka performance.

"They've been so supportive of me my whole swimming career and to have them even when I'm not at school any more is really special," Fairweather said. Read more

Principal Kate Nicholson's message has hit the headlines - just when she hoped to duck from media about the school's scandalous past.

Expecting the reason (sexual abuse) for the former Kavanagh College's name change to be front page news, Kate Nicholson wrote in her 29 January email:

"At least Auckland's terrible weekend is likely to keep us off the front page — a silver lining hopefully."

Four people died on 27 January as a result of the unprecedented weather event. A state of emergency was declared in the Auckland and Thames-Coromandel regions.

Nicholson's email was sent on 29 January, while Auckland was still being battered by historic flooding - the day after a pre-dawn blessing was held at Trinity Catholic College.

Staff, pupils, two survivors and members of the community attended the blessing.

The school was blessed with a new name because a 2020 investigation into the late Bishop of Dunedin John Kavanagh, after whom the school was named, found seven priests, two brothers and one lay teacher sexually abused children and an adult during his time as bishop.

Defending her message, Nicholson explained "all our work so far has been to acknowledge our past, learn from it and try to not re-traumatise survivors in the process, and I hope our actions in these challenging circumstances are not misconstrued".

Network of Survivors spokesperson Liz Tonks says the school's name change was a significant step, although some within the church still fail to accept or understand the impacts of abuse.

"It was clear that the blessing and acknowledgement was kept on the down-low by the College.

"The network has been in its headlights for the best part of five years working to achieve the change of name for survivors, and yet no formal and sufficient notice was received to allow survivors to attend and appropriate supports to be put in place for an event that had the potential to re-trigger trauma.

"Only two survivors of the many were able to attend.

"Others were unaware until the network was able to circulate the event on social media a few days before and arrange a local advocate/supporter to livestream the blessing."

Nicholson's email "illustrates a complete lack of understanding of survivor trauma and how important the name change was to survivor healing and restoration of their mana", she says.

"It illustrates a lack of intent to reach out to other survivors strewn throughout New Zealand who were given no notice or opportunity to attend or come forward if they have remained silent.

"What it does illustrate, is a continuation of church institutions seeing protecting of their reputation more important than addressing the harm suffered by those abused in its care."

Bishop Dooley was travelling and was unavailable when media sought him for comment.

Source

• NZ Herald
• Otago Daily Times
• Image:

A dawn service before the start of the 2023 academic year drew about 20 pupils, sexual abuse survivors and members of the public to witness the new era for the school.

Kavanagh College's name was officially changed on 1 January, following years of lobbying from abuse survivors.

The new name was chosen after an inquiry last year concluded the late Bishop John Kavanagh did not act on a complaint of abuse when he was Bishop of Dunedin from 1957 to 1985. The former Kavanagh College had been named after him.

At the dawn service, Dunedin' Catholic Bishop Michael Dooley said the early start was chosen to represent beginning in the dark and working your way into the light.

He noted the symbolism of that was very important to both Maori and Christians.

"We seek to have light shone in the darkness and our hope and prayer is that this school will be a place where the light will shine."

Dooley also acknowledged the sexual and physical abuse that had occurred at the school.

The Church "has not responded well to that", he said.

"That's a part of our history that we need to acknowledge honestly so that we can go forward."

Those at the service were then led around each part of the school and the school grounds as Dooley and Sr Sandra Winton OP blessed it with water from three significant sources: Wellers Rock, Toitu Stream and Lourdes, France.

Male Survivors Otago spokesman Michael Chamberlain said the ceremony marked the first time he had stepped foot inside his old school since 1976.

"One would hope that moving forward, things can only be better.

"We are very mindful that abuse is not a historical event of the past, and that everyone needs to be vigilant moving forward as well, as we know it still occurs today," he said.

Source

• ODT