Lead Stories
WelCom Office
WelCom May 2024
A copy of March WelCom is available to download here.
Dancing for joy at St Paul’s School 25th Jubilee
Students at St Paul’s School in Richmond danced for joy at a family picnic evening after a day of Silver Jubilee celebrations at the school on 8 April.
Cathedral reopening with a weekend of celebrations
Three days of celebrations to mark the long-waited reopening of the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Wellington will take place over the weekend of Friday 7, Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 June, 2024.
Finitude and the empty tomb
There are a number of issues that the modern secular world is reluctant to speak about. One of them, it seems to me, is our finitude. Finitude is the acceptance that our length of life here on earth is limited.
First gathering of Catholic educators in six years
The National Catholic Education Convention, a large-scale event for Catholic educators from throughout the country, will be hosted in Wellington, 19–21 June, 2024.
News
Whanganui’s Fr Craig Butler attends pre-Synod gathering of priests in Rome
Whanganui parish priest Fr Craig Butler is representing the Catholic priests of Aotearoa New Zealand at a gathering of 300 priests from around the world at the Vatican as part of the countdown to October’s second session of the Synod on Synodality.
Everyone invited to get involved with Pope’s Jubilee 2025
Pope Francis has declared 2025 as a year of Jubilee. The theme is Pilgrims of Hope, giving voice to his desire for the year to foster a greater sense of global sisterhood and brotherhood, solidarity with the poor, and care for the environment.
Christchurch’s new cathedral will be built on site of previous one
Christchurch’s new Catholic cathedral will be built on Barbadoes St, the site of the previous one, Bishop Michael Gielen announced in a pastoral letter to the Catholic community last month.
International News
New Vatican document on human dignity
Sex change operations, gender theory and surrogate motherhood pose grave threats to human dignity, according to a major new Vatican document released in April.
Synod: Groups to study controversial issues
Pope Francis has decided some of the most controversial issues raised at the first assembly of the Synod of Bishops on synodality will be examined by study groups that will work beyond the synod’s final assembly in October this year.
‘Prayer and peace’ the best response
The stabbing of Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and Fr Isaac Royel is ‘shocking and has caused distress to many in the community,’ says Sydney Catholic Archbishop, Anthony Fisher op.
Diocesan News
A local parish journey of synodality
How is the teaching of Pope Francis on synodality impacting at ground level? So often we hear of what is happening in the Vatican or elsewhere but what is happening in New Zealand?
Jubilee and birthday celebrations
In January this year RNDM sisters enjoyed three noteworthy celebrations in Hawke’s Bay: Sr Carmel Cassin, her 70th jubilee and her 90th birthday; and Sr Mary Rose Holderness, her 60th jubilee.
New lay formation programme aligned to synodality
The Archdiocese of Wellington’s Church Mission team is the pastoral support team that seeks to enable intentional missionary discipleship in its parishes through delivering workshops, courses, resources and retreats to support the formation of lay people and ordained.
Features
He Hīkoi Whakapono: A Journey of Faith
WelCom’s Journey of Faith continues this month to visit the Lower Hutt Parish of the Holy Spirit – Te Wairua Tapu. Formed in 2015, the parish covers four main Lower Hutt suburbs and their constituent areas geographically located across the harbour from Wellington city and surrounded by coastlines and bush tracks.
Social and environmental costs to be paid for ‘efficiency’
The coalition government has been passing multiple laws under parliamentary urgency since coming into power late last year. But a lack of public scrutiny and input to processes raises concerns among advocates for society’s vulnerable.
Laudato si’ Week: 19–26 May 2024
For this year’s Laudato si’ Week and Pentecost, we are invited to gather in community to contemplate and nurture seeds of hope for our ‘suffering planet’ (Laudate Deum 2).
Reflections
Thanks for the space
Cemeteries used to be called churchyards, because that’s what they were – a place near the church for deceased parishioners. Like St Paul’s image of the body, the burial ground is an ‘earthenware vessel’ holding the treasured remains of people whose lives have been part of the life of the parish. It’s hallowed ground, a sacred space.
Gospel Reading: Sunday 5 May 2024
Jesus said to his disciples: 9 ‘As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love.
May the Month of Mary
The tradition of dedicating the month of May to Mary came about in the 13th century. The reason is that this month in the Northern Hemisphere is the time when spring is at the height of its beauty. Spring is also connected with nature renewing itself.
Young Church
Sacred Heart College Napier to host 2024 O’Shea Shield
Running since 1946, the O’Shea Shield is one of New Zealand’s oldest intercollegiate competitions. Sacred Heart College Napier has the privilege of hosting the 2024 O’Shea Shield.
Nominations sought for Delargey Awards 2024
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference sponsor the biannual Delargey Awards for young people and are seeking nominations for 2024. The nominations’ closing date is 15 May 2024.
Free school lunches
Students from six schools in the Wellington area visited Parliament on 10 April to urge the government not to make any cuts or changes to the free school lunches programme. It has been proposing to review the programme ahead of Budget 2024.
What's on
Dates and events – what’s on
To list events free, email welcom@wn.catholic.org.nz with event name, date, time, location and contact details.
Wellington Abrahamic Council seminar
The Wellington Abrahamic Council of Jews, Christians, and Muslims is hosting a public seminar asking the question: ‘Why do bad things happen to good people?’.
Sacred Heart Parish Reefton: 150 Years
Parishioners, past-parishioners and friends of the former Sacred Heart Parish of Reefton are invited to our 150-year celebrations over the weekend of 17, 18 and 19 May.