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LENT 2004
Angelus prayer: Make Lent “a generous competition in showing solidarity” with children especially those in most danger and difficulty http://www.fides.org/eng/news/2004/0403/01_1826.html
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand http://www.caritas.org.nz/lent.asp The theme of Caritas' Lent appeal for 2004 is “The Spirit of Hope is at Work in the World” taken from Pope John Paul II’s World Day of Peace Message, 1998. The donations Caritas receives from this appeal help fund development projects around the world. The Lenten envelopes distributed by Catholic parishes throughout the country, highlight five of these projects and provide information on how Caritas works with communities through sustainable development. Donations by credit card are most welcome and may be made by opening http://www.caritas.org.nz/lent.asp
Lent Reflection Programme 2004 Each year Caritas also prepares a programme for use by small groups in parishes during Lent. This year's programme of four small group sessions involves Scripture-based reflection, focusing on the Gospels of the Sundays of Lent and exploring the meaning of Lent. It includes prayers from the Psalms and other readings, and is an open and prayerful process.
Education Resources for Lent 2004 For schools there is an education section which brings pertinent global issues into the classroom. The primary school material focuses on Kenya. The secondary school teacher resource for year 9-11 looks at International debt and World Trade and the manner in which they affect developing nations. The Year 12-13 students have a unit written for unit standard 6035. The ethical issue focused on is World Trade and the ways it affects food security. (resources available via http://www.caritas.org.nz/lent.asp )
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CATHOLICTV.NET
http://www.catholictv.net
New videos from the Wellington Archdiocesan Media Centre:
** Archdiocesan liturgy advisor Fr John Greally on Lent: "It's the putting right that counts".
** Ash Wednesday service at the Cenotaph (War Memorial) in Wellington
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NEW ZEALAND CATHOLIC DIRECTORY 2004
The 195-page New Zealand Catholic Directory contains the names of personnel and full contact information for the six Catholic dioceses of our country, including every parish, school, religious order, agency and apostolate recognised by our bishops. It is an indispensable reference for anyone who regularly needs to contact Church workers in or outside their diocese. The price is NZ$25.00 per copy.
The Directory can be ordered from: Catholic Communications, Pomapllier Diocesan Centre Private Bag 47 904 Ponsonby Auckland 1034 Tel: (09) 378 8017; fax: (09) 360 3061; e-mail: communications@catholic.org.nz
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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS
Don Brash takes aim at religious leaders NZ Herald 05.03.2004 http://tinyurl.com/2z7qt National's leader, Don Brash, has taken a swipe at religious leaders after they united to say ignoring the Treaty of Waitangi's importance could erode New Zealand's moral foundation....
Full text of Don Brash's speech: http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=8427&cid=15&cname=
Bishops labelled 'pompous and out of touch' The Dominion Post 02 March 2004 http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2831140a11,00.html National Party deputy leader Gerry Brownlee is calling a group of bishops "pompous, pious and out of touch" after they condemned the party's race-based campaign...
'Bring it on' says Clark of debate over NZ's future NZ Herald 05.03.2004 http://tinyurl.com/293u6 Helen Clark last night backed the Anglican and Catholic bishops who have called for a "treaty debate" rather than a "race debate" in the wake of the Don Brash's Orewa speech, saying "Bring it on"....
Full text of Helen Clark's "Hikoi of Hope" speech http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=8426&cid=15&cname=
Concern over delay in appointing bishop Otago Daily times Wednesday, 3-March 2004 http://tinyurl.com/2yr6e A delay in appointing a new Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin is not due to a lack of worthy candidates, Archbishop Patrick Coveney says. The present bishop, the Most Rev Leonard Boyle (73), announced his retirement to the Otago-Southland diocese in September 2002, for health reasons....
Bible survives trip down flooded river NZ Herald 04.03.2004 http://tinyurl.com/2cp92 "God works in mysterious ways" is the only way Bill Herlihy can explain how a family heirloom survived a 15km journey down the Oroua River. Mr Herlihy's Feilding home was washed away on February 16. Inside was his grandfather's 120-year-old leather-bound Bible....
New bid to get abuse girl back NZ Herald 04.03.2004 http://tinyurl.com/38v53 Lawyers are redoubling efforts to bring back the expelled Sri Lankan teenager after receiving a graphic account of an allegedly intrusive physical examination by male doctors. They examined the girl at a Colombo hospital on Saturday against her will, the grandmother claimed, after she was taken from a Catholic convent where the pair have been sheltering since their expulsion from New Zealand on February 12...
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"THE WORD FROM ROME"
http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/
A weekly column in the National Catholic Reporter by the paper's full-time Vatican correspondent John L. Allen
Summary of the column for March 5, 2004: Top ten "Papabile" - notes on five Italian cardinals and five Cardnals from the developing world who might succeed Pope John Paul.
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TREATY OF WAITANGI RESOURCES
Resources on Treaty issues for Christian groups Press Release: Ecumenical Coalition for Justice Wednesday, 3 March 2004, 2:30 pm
The Auckland-based Ecumenical Coalition for Justice has commissioned the preparation of resources on issues related to the Treaty of Waitangi. These resources will be designed especially for use by Christian church groups.
The study documents will give information, and encourage discussion on: - The promotion of the Treaty of Waitangi by early Christian missionaries - The role of the Christian churches in ensuring that Treaty promises are upheld - What Christian churches have done and can do to foster the relationships of care and respect sought by those who promoted the Treaty as a sacred covenant - Contemporary moral and ethical issues regarding the Treaty of Waitangi and race relations generally - The foreshore and seabed issue - The Implications of the Treaty for immigration policy
‘The decision to produce these resources is timely’, says Coalition spokesperson Rodger Smith. ‘When we initiated this project last year we had no idea that Treaty issues and race relations were to go so soon to the top of the national agenda.
‘Many Christian communities feel a particular responsibility towards the honouring of the Treaty because Christian missionaries were so involved in the events leading up to the signing of the Treaty and afterwards. Also, in recent years, a number of Churches have done significant work into the study and implementation of Treaty commitments.
‘The project is funded from grants from CWS (Christian World Service), CARITAS (The Catholic Agency for Justice Peace and Development), CASI (Church Agency for Social Issues), and CCANZ (Conference of Christian Churches of Aotearoa New Zealand). Their funding enables us to provide resources that will be of help to Christians who want to understand and respond to the issues.’
For further background on the Ecumenical Coalition for Justice and this project, contact: John Roberts mm-e@ clear.net.nz David Tutty davidt@ cda.org.nz
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EVENTS
Jesus 4 Real Ministries http://www.jesus4real.org.nz "A voluntary lay ministry committed to building up the faith in Catholic teenagers"
Camp for Years 11-13: Wednesday 14 April to Sunday 18 April, Paraparaumu (near Wellington). Full details on the Website and from Anne and Andy Lovell, tel (06) 364 3141
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EMPLOYMENT
[Teaching vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancies ]
[Vacancies in Catholic Youth Ministry are advertised on the Job Bank page of the National Council for Young Catholics: http://ncyc.org.nz ]
Prison Chaplain, Mt Eden Prison Women's Division Details in 'NZ Catholic' Feb.22 p.22 and from Eric Allan, Director, Catholic and Family Community Services, tel. (09) 378 9650
Lecturer in Relgious Education, Catholic Institute of Theology, Auckland Details in 'NZ Catholic' March 7-20 2004 p.22 and from The Registrar, Catholic Institute of Theology, 16 Waterloo Quadrant, Auckland 1001. Tel: (09) 379 6424; fax (09) 379 6426; e-mail cit@auckland.ac.nz Applications close 31 March 2004
