Dear 'kiwicatholics',
A very warm welcome to our several new members. 'News and Notes' is a weekly post to tell you what's new on the New Zealand Catholic Internet. I also sometimes advise about alternative ways of receiving posts to 'kiwicatholic' and occasionally give details of events in the coming week likely to interest our forum members.
Today - Sunday 27 February from 4pm - the congregations of Auckland churches will come together for "Church in the Park", an evening service of praise and worship, dance performances and a shared meal at Victoria Park, Fanshaw Street, Auckland City. More details are here: http://challengeweekly.co.nz/News.htm If you go along, please write a line or two about the event for 'kiwicatholic'.
On the New Zealand Catholic Internet this week ....
From Tui Motu InterIslands, February 2000
http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/tuimotu
"Therapy in the the context of ecology" by Des Casey Des is a counsellor and family therapist in Henderson, Auckland who asked his colleagues at a recent conference of the NZ Association of Counsellors: what is the point of all we do if the planet itself is destroyed? Photos. Links to: Forest & Bird Protection Society; the NZ Catholic bishops' pastoral letter 'A Consistent Ethic of Life'; the Waitangi Tribunal; and the Young Christian Workers International Web site
"Stand-off at Waitangi" by Cabrini Makasiale A reflection on the recent dispute over whether the Prime Minister should be permitted to speak on the Waitangi marae. Link to a newspaper report describing the background to the controversy.
From NZ Catholic newspaper Sunday 27 February
http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/cathcom/press/nzc/front.html
"Compassion Sisters cancel debt of $100,000" To truly celebrate the Jubilee Year and the millennium, the Sisters of Compassion at Island Bay, Wellington are writing off a $100,000 debt owed to them by the neighbouring Tapu Te Rangi Marae. Photo. Links to the Sisters of Compassion and the Environment and Conservation Organisations of New Zealand (ECO) conference at Tapu Te Rangi Marae.
"America's Cup people join in parish life" Participants in the Americas Cup yacht regatta and their families have become members of the St Patrick's Cathedral congregation in central Auckland over the past months. Two became Eucharist ministers while here and several children took part regularly in the children's liturgy. Photo. Link to America's Cup 2000
Church seeks fairer accident compensation deal The Church will probably not take advantage of an accident compensation concession signalled by the Government earlier this month. Link to the Accident Compensation Corporation
The Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 - News & Events
http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/cathcom/jubilee/news.html
Pope John Paul's pilgrimage to Egypt and Mt. Sinai - February 24-26 Press, audio and video reports of John Paul's welcome to Egypt, his addresses to the Egyptian Catholic and other Christian communities and his visit to Mount Sinai.
Next month there will be possibly the most controversial events of the whole Jubilee Year: the publication on 2 March of "Memory and Reconciliation: The Church and the Faults of the Past," a statement by an international theological commission chaired by Cardinal Ratzinger. This will be followed on 12 March (the first Sunday of Lent) by a "Day of Asking Pardon," with Pope John Paul presiding.
The document attempts to explain how the Church - in the form of the Body of Christ - remains holy, while the Church - in the form of its individual members - is made up of sinners. It calls on Christians to learn from past errors - it gives examples - so as to clarify and purify their understanding of the faith and the mystery of the Church.
Our Jubilee News & Events page will carry a link to the full text of "Memory and Reconciliation" and to constructive press comments about it.
Also in March Pope John Paul goes on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and that will be fully covered too on News & Events.
Until next post, God bless.
Mike Leon 'kiwicatholic' list manager
