**************************
BETHLEHEM SIEGE
Jerusalem, May 10 2002 (Zenit.org).- Following the lifting of the siege of Bethlehem's Basilica of the Nativity, the Franciscans said the outcome shows how peace is reached through dialogue, not violence. "In this case cooperation and willingness to dialogue have been the sole source of this ray of light that may be a step forward toward a global plan for a stable peace," the minister general of the Friars Minor, Father Giacomo Bini, said in a message to ZENIT. The Franciscans make three appeals to all people of good will:
The first: "Help us to heal the wounds opened by this conflict between two peoples who can and must live together in the same land."
The second: "Help us to rebuild a culture of coexistence, to not be ashamed of this period of our history in which we have witnessed these tragedies without being able to stop them.´"
The third: "Help us to continue to hope in a peace that is possible, based on justice and forgiveness."
The Franciscans also thanked all those who supported the men and women religious who were confined in the Monastery of the Nativity during the siege: John Paul II, the politicians and diplomats who helped, and the journalists, who reported on their situation.
********************************
FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS
"NZ Catholic " No 136, May 5, 2002 http://catholic.org.nz/cathcom/press/nzc/front.html
"Tears and joy as Pompallier laid to rest " Motuti-- Many Maori wept as they finally saw the first bishop of their ancestors, Jean Baptiste Pompallier, laid to rest in New Zealand on April 20.....
"Priests to meet together " [Full text follows] A national gathering of priests, planned by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference, will take place in Blenheim from April 28 to May 2 next year. Fr Timothy Radcliffe, former head of the Dominicans, will be the key speaker, said conference secretary Bishop John Dew after the bishops met in Auckland last month. It will provide national priestly formation, said Bishop Dew, and give priests an opportunity to renew old friendships with others serving in different dioceses. "The gathering will be hosted by the bishops and all diocesan priests will be invited to attend," he said. Related Links: "English aristocrat who runs the Dominicans has a common touch " http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/documents/JA10-8.htm Timothy Radcliffe, OP. "Mission to a Runaway World: Future Citizens of the Kingdom" http://www.sedos.org/english/Radcliffe.html
"Spiritual dimension for TVNZ charter " [Full text follows] by NZ CATHOLIC staff Wellington -- Heeding a submission from the Churches Broadcasting Commission, a parliamentary select committee has recommended including a spiritual dimension in TVNZ's charter. The commerce committee said the charter should be amended to include the statement that "TVNZ will feature programming that contributes to spiritual and ethical development". The Minister of Broadcasting, Marian Hobbs, is reported as saying she is comfortable with the change. The churches commission had asked for TVNZ to be required to feature "a range of broadcasts in accessible time slots that reflect the diverse religious and ethical beliefs of New Zealanders". Related Link: Church Broadcasting Commission Media Statement. "Include the majority -Churches on TVNZ Bill" http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0203/S00049.htm
****************************************
FROM THE SECULAR PRESS
"Teachers plan walkout to give Labour MP an earful " NZ Herald 10.05.2002 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyI\ D=1844425 Teachers at one South Auckland secondary school are refusing to wait for negotiations between the Government and the PPTA to resume on Monday and plan to vent their anger with a wildcat strike today. De La Salle College, a Catholic boys school in Mangere, will close its doors to students as its union-member teachers picket the office of local Labour MP Taito Phillip Field today at 9am, pre-empting negotiations to start next week...
"Sins of the fathers " The Press (Christchurch) 11 May 2002 http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,1197559a1936,FF.html A clergy sex abuse scandal in the United States has shaken the faith of Catholics everywhere, provoking fresh debate on taboos of celibacy, homosexuality, married priests, and women clergy. The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch, John Cunneen, is well aware that his religion is the butt of office jokes right now.... [The article describes incidents of sexual abuse by clergy, religious and others in the Catholic diocese of Christchurch in recent years, the diocese's - and the New Zealand Church's - policy in such cases, including cases of financial compensation, the issue of celibacy and the psychological screening of students at the national seminary in Auckland]
"Gay Jesus play stirs violent passions " NZ Herald 11.05.2002 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=1844706&thesection=news&thesu\ bsection=general "Corpus Christi", a play set in contemporary Texas and opening in Auckland next week, that portrays Jesus as a gay man, has sparked bomb threats and violent protests in the United States and a Muslim-declared fatwa against the playwright in Britain. It opens at Auckland University's Maidment Theatre Studio on Wednesday....
"New Catholic college to 'steal' primary pupils " NZPA 09 May 2002 http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,1196221a1801,FF.html Education Ministry approval this week for a new Catholic secondary school in Tauranga will result in two Catholic primary schools losing year seven and eight classes next year. Diocese of Hamilton general manager Geoff Kay said Aquinas College, which would open its doors in 2003, would include classes at years seven and eight (intermediate ages) normally provided by the primary schools. He said the non-Catholic pupil ratio and attendance fees had yet to be confirmed, but the ratio was expected to be set at 5 to 10 percent of the pupil population.....
"Getting in the habit " The Press 04 May 2002 (photo) http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,1188536a1861,FF.html What convinces women to serve God from within the walls of Christchurch's Carmelite Monastery? .... [The journalist notes that the nuns speak to visitors "from the other side of a grilled partition". Anyone know the recipe?]
******************************************
CATHOLICTV.NET http://www.catholictv.net (Produced by the Wellington Archdiocesan Media Office)
Theme of the month: Justice. Can we shape our community so that everyone gets a fair go? What is a fair go for everybody?
Interview of the week: Prison chaplain Sr Marie Roche
*********************************
EDUCATION
Adult Education Trust (New Web site) http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/aet/
Trustees: Kevin Gallagher (Co-ordinator), Fr John O'Connor, Sr Hillary Swanson
"The Trust's Aims are: To be a vehicle for meeting Christian educational needs of adults. To gather information about available resources, locally nationally and internationally. To provide a vehicle for networking to other interested parties of available resources. To provide opportunities for developing catholic (all embracing) spirituality. To be run as a non-profit charitable trust.
********************************
NZ Catholic Education Office Newsletter: "Lighting New fires" Issue 2, April 2002 http://catholic.org.nz/nzceo/lightingnewfires.htm
Editorial: moral leadership ... Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students ... Ministry of Education ICT Help Desk ... Primary School Rolls Peak in 2002 ... History of Integration ... Youth Development: Strategy Aotearoa... Notable events in Catholic schools throughout New Zealand ... Teachers Council ... Facts in Figures about Education ... A Self Help Idea: cinema advertising ... Integrated Schools' Top Achievers in the 2001 Bursaries Examinations ... Teaching Students Thinking Skills ... Restorative Conferencing Manual of Aotearoa New Zealand ... Partners New Zealand Trust (school-business partnerships) ... "Choose to Hug, not to Smack": guiding children's behaviour without hitting or smacking..."Don't Bully Me": a practical student guide" ... Importance of Archive Collections ...Web Statistics ... Some Useful Resources for Teachers ... Directory of Residential Camps 2001-2002 ... "Get There With Learning": Media campaign targeting young Maori
******************************
EVANGELISATION
"Promoter of Parish Cells of Evangelisation to Speak at Centre" Catholic Adult Education Centre, Archdiocese of Sydney http://www.caec.com.au/[I have included this Australian event and the associated links because someone in New Zealand might want to follow up the idea of Parish Cells of Evangelisation. ML]
Don Pi.Gi. Perini, the priest responsible for the world-wide spread of the system of Parish Cells of Evangelisation, a program of parish renewal, is to speak at the Adult Education Centre later this month. When Fr Perini took over his parish of San Eustorgio some years ago, it was dying, with very few people attending Mass. He came upon the idea of forming small groups or cells of his parishioners who would pray together, support one another, reflect on the Sunday Gospel and endeavour to invite non-practising Catholics to join the group. When the group had doubled they would divide into two and begin again. With prayer and persistence they slowly brought their parish back to life as the first cells grew and multiplied to more than 100 cells. The system, which he called Parish Cells of Evangelisation has since spread to 28 countries, including Australia. It has had particular success in de-christianised France. Fr Perini will be accompanied to Sydney by Fr Eugene Ahern, parish priest of St Francis of Assisi Parish in Mill Park, Victoria, who began Cells in his parish three years ago and now has 150 parishioners involved. Given the widespread interest in the movement, Fr Ahern invited Fr Perini to Australia, and will answer questions on how Cells work in the Australian context.
Related links at: http://www.netspace.net.au/~ioannes/article.htm 1. Parish Cells of Evangelisation in S. Eustorgio, Milan (Italy) Don Pigi Perini 2. Parish Liturgy: An ongoing Evangelisation Don Pigi Perini
*******************************
WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY
Rome (Fides) - "For the Church the new world of cyberspace is a summons to the great adventure of using its potential to proclaim the Gospel message. This challenge is at the heart of what it means at the beginning of the millennium to follow the Lord's command to "put out into the deep" / "Duc in altum" (Lk 5:4). In his message for the 36th World Communications Day, celebrated on the Feast of the Ascension, Pope John Paul II underlines the "magnificent opportunities for evangelization" offered by the Internet if used with competence and clear awareness of its strengths and weaknesses. In particular the fields in which the Internet can be of concrete help for evangelization are education about the Christian message and continuing instruction and catechesis.
Message of the Holy Father for the 36th World Communications Day: "Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel" (full text) http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/communications/documents\ /hf_jp-ii_mes_20020122_world-communications-day_en.html
********************************
EMPLOYMENT
(Teaching vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancies )
Parish Pastoral Worker, Glendowie and St Heliers Parishes, Auckland. Full details in 'NZ Catholic' 5 May 2002, p.21 and from Pat McNamara, 22 Lammermore Drive, St Heliers, Auckland. Tel. 09 528 3459. Applications close 13 May 2002
Parish Pastoral Coordinator, St Pius X Parish, Glenn Innes, Auckland Full details in 'NZ Catholic' 5 May 2002, p.21 and from the Parish Priest, St Pius X Parish, 105 Castledine Crescent, Glenn Innes, Auckland. Applications close 17 May 2002
Logos Project. Secondary Schools' Campus Minister, Auckland (two part-time positions) The Logos Project is a ministry of the Society of Mary to Catholic teenagers and young adults. Website: http://www.logos.org.nz Further information from: The Secretary, Logos Project (Inc), 26 Hayr Road, Three Kings, Auckland 1004. Email: logosproject@hotmail.com Applications close 17 May 2002
Parish Manager, St Mary's Parish, Taradale (Palmerston North diocese) 20 hours per week. Enquiries and job description: tel. (06) 844-2224 ... fax: (06) 844 2786 ... e-mail: stmtar@xtra.co.nz Applications close 20 May.
Chief Executive, Catholic Schools Board Ltd, Wellington The CSB manages the ownership and assets of 88 schools in the Archdiocese of wellington and the Diocese of Palmerston North Further details in 'Wel-com' newspaper May 2002 p.18 and from Stephen Frawley, tel: 470 9931; fax: 04 473 4501; e-mail: stephenf@emacentral.org.nz Applications close 22 May
Part-time office computer systems manager, Catholic Education Centre, Wellington 15 hrs per week. Details form p.bray@wn.catholic.org.nz , tel: 04 496 1710. Applications close 22 May 2002
Photographer, Caritas Aotearoa, Wellington Short-term assignment to produce images for a booklet on refugees and migrants in New Zealand, with a deadline of Monday 24 June 2002. Details in 'Wel-com' newspaper May 2002 p.18 and form Louise May, tel: 04 496 1742 Applications close 24 May
