WelCom April 2020:
New Zealand Catholics now have an app for prayers with the launch of the NZpray2day app.
The Church’s National Centre for Religious Studies (NCRS) – part of Te Kupenga-Catholic Leadership Institute – announced on Wednesday 12 March, the launch of a prayer app, NZpray2day. The app is available for Android devices.
NCRS director Colin MacLeod says NZpray2day is designed to support young and old in Catholic schools and parishes to enter simply into the richness of the ancient Christian cycle of seasons, saints and readings.
‘It’s not an exhaustive source of all information in these areas. But rather, it takes “snapshots” and encourages people to seek a moment to reflect, pray and respond.
‘It also brings in pieces of history to link this liturgical journey with aspects of the story of New Zealand and the wider world,’ he said.
So far NZpray2day is only available for Android devices; go to Google Play Store, search for NZpray2day, and install. But it could be available for Apple devices by mid-year.
‘It is completely free as a gift from NCRS,’ Colin MacLeod says. ‘We hope it will be an inviting and useful tool for individual, class and staff prayer in schools, and for whānau and parishioners throughout Aotearoa and abroad.’
Colin MacLeod says the project has been a major labour of love and ‘was deceptively complicated to create. Our hope is that NZpray2day helps people become more easily aware of the gentle cycle of days and months that link us to creation, the life of Jesus and the shared journey of the Church. It is a journey we walk together.’
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception 8 December
‘As has been the custom for many years an archdiocesan Mass will be celebrated on our diocesan feast day, 7pm, Thursday 8 December, at St Teresa’s Pro-Cathedral, Karori. The archdiocese will again be entrusted to the care of Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception at this Mass. Parishes are asked to renew that Consecration on the following Sunday, 11 December, at All parish Masses.’ – Cardinal John Dew
Dates and events – what’s on
December 2022
If you would like your event listed on this page, please send an outline to welcom@wn.catholic.org.nz including name of event, date, time, location and contact.
Pope Francis registers for the next World Youth Day in Lisbon
At the conclusion of the Sunday Angelus, Pope Francis registered for the next World Youth Day to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, in August 2023. Assisted and accompanied by Portuguese university students studying in Rome, the Pope tapped his way to becoming the first officially registered pilgrim for World Youth Day.