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NZ CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE -PASTORAL LETTER, CODE OF ETHICS
Following their May conference, the New Zealand Catholic bishops issued a Pastoral Letter on the Rosary : http://www.catholic.org.nz/news/rosary.htm In their letter - also available from Catholic Communications as a small brochure - the bishops suggest Scripture readings and prayers to accompany each of the four Mysteries (i.e. the traditional ones, and the new Mysteries of Light) in the light of Pope John Paul's recent Apostolic Letter recommending ways of obtaining the rosary's full spiritual benefits - Rosarium Virginis Mariae: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/
In a statement accompanying their new Code of Ethics for Church Volunteers http://www.catholic.org.nz/news/ethicschurchvol.htm - issued for the protection of the volunteers, of those whom they serve, and of the Church, - the bishops emphasise the importance and value of voluntary work to the Church's mission. They point out that in their work volunteers represent the Church and their words and actions are judged in the light of Church's faith and mission
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FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS
"NZ Catholic" No 163, May 1 - 14, 2003 http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz
"NZ bishops publish letter on the Rosary " Wellington -The 10 Catholic bishops of New Zealand have published a letter outlining the reasons for and benefits of praying the Rosary...
"NZ Iraqis finally get their own priest " Auckland - New Zealand¹s Catholic Chaldeans and other Iraqi Catholics finally have their own priest. Fr Fawzi Koro arrived in Auckland in May after serving as a priest to Chaldean Catholics in Greece...
Old leather suitcase reveals forgotten letters from 1843 Auckland -It's the stuff of romantic novels -the find of a battered suitcase containing official letters by Church dignitaries dating back to 1843, about church lands and even a tabernacle key...
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"The Best Days, the Worst Days", by Michael McGirr Australian Catholics, Winter 2003 http://www.australiancatholics.com.au/articles/03winter1.html Melina Marchetta’s first novel, "Looking for Alibrandi", was one of the highest-selling novels by a first author of all time and had huge success as a film. Ten years later, she has released her next book. "Saving Francesca" is set in a world which she knows well. As in "Looking for Alibrandi", the book which made her name, she explores the lives of young people in their final years of Catholic schooling....
"Renewing the parish 1 : Fired by the Spirit" Cormac Murphy-O’Connor The Tablet (UK) Saturday, 31 May 2003 http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/archive_db.cgi?tablet-00745 The Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster is convinced that small groups hold the key to parish renewal. This is the first article in a new Tablet series...
"From Vatican Two to today" : Address to Catalyst for Renewal's bishops' forum Archbishop George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/html/addresess/add_300503.htm "I am grateful to the Secretary and Committee of the Catalyst for Renewal for the invitation to speak to you. It is generally useful for Catholics to talk together about the work of Christ and the Church which is so dear to us all. Quite a few people suggested to me that I should not talk here because they wondered whether your agenda was the same as groups such as "We are Church" in Austria or "Call to Action" in the United States ... but I felt there was such good will and openness in the committee that came to invite me to this gathering that I was justified in speaking to you..." [Main topics of Archbishop Pell's address: 1962-1965 the Years of the Second Vatican Council ... The Achievements of Vatican II ... Where Are We Now? ... Conscience ... What Is To Be Done? ... Summing-up]
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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS
"Heartening' interest in proposed school" Otago Daily Times Friday, 6-June 2003 (full text) The Catholic Diocese of Dunedin says it has had a heartening response from parents wanting to enrol their children in a new Wanaka Catholic school from next year. Dunedin Catholic Education Office director Tony Hanning said several expressions of interest had been received since a public meeting in Wanaka last week, attended by Bishop Len Boyle. "It is too early to speculate a number but certainly there's interest there and some from parents of pre-schoolers as well," Mr Hanning said when contacted on Wednesday. All the expressions of interest so far had come from families already living in Wanaka. Once Education Minister Trevor Mallard gives approval, the Catholic Education Office will begin negotiating a formal integration agreement with the Ministry of Education.
"Hokitika lotto winner gives away one-tenth of winnings " NZ Herald 02.06.2003 http://tinyurl.com/dq7s The anonymous Hokitika winner of the November 30 Lotto draw has given one-tenth of their winnings away. Christchurch Catholic Bishop John Cunneen said the winner of Lotto Draw 804 had donated the money to a trust to be known as the Saint Francis Charitable Trust....
"Future looking bright for Futuna" (photo) MyTown.co.nz: Wellington 05.06.2003 http://tinyurl.com/dq7t After two years obtaining a building permit the $20 million Futuna housing development on Karori’s Friend Street has properties on the market. With the historic Futuna Chapel as its centrepiece, Futuna [for fifty years, the Society of Mary's Wellington retreat centre - ML] is set in native bush and features well-appointed units ...
"Catholic Brother faces new charges" TVNZ Jun 06, 2003 http://onenews.nzoom.com/onenews_detail/0,1227,195824-1-7,00.html The number of charges against a former Catholic brother accused of sex abuse today rose to 31. Some 30 fresh charges were laid against Bernard Kevin McGrath in the Christchurch District Court....
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EVENTS
August 14-16 2003 New Zealand Catholic Schools' Convention Wellington Festival and Convention Centre http://nzceo.catholic.org.nz/2003convention.shtml
