Sunday, June 21, 2009

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NEWS & NOTES - 21 June 2009

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NZ CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE

http://www.cathcom.org.nz

Letter on flu actions from bishops ( June 19, 2009)

New Zealand’s Catholic bishops have distributed a pastoral letter to priests around the country outlining precautionary measures to be taken during the Influenza A (H1N1) ‘swine flu’ pandemic. They sought medical advice before deciding what actions to take...

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Swine flu measures for Catholic mass
http://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/2510894/Swine-flu-measures-for-Catholic-mass
Swine flu has again affected Catholic Masses around New Zealand, only days after the Sacred Heart Bascillica in Timaru stopped parishoners from receiving communion wine.

Church, schools deal with flu
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10579161
New Zealand's Catholic community has become the latest group affected by the swine flu outbreak. Yesterday, Bishop Denis Browne, president of New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, directed parishes to limit the distribution of holy communion.

Flu shutdown hits capital school
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/2518811/Flu-shutdown-hits-capital-school
Swine flu has forced the first Wellington school closure as the number of confirmed and suspected cases soars towards 1000. Porirua Holy Family School closed on Thursday after a regional public health officer told the principal that an unconfirmed number of pupils had the virus.

Swine flu toll at 109, businesses, schools closed
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10578835
In Auckland, St Patrick's School in Panmure was closed yesterday for seven days after one confirmed case of swine flu and 37 pupils reporting flu-like symptoms.



Some schools wary of sex education for young
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/2503038/Some-schools-wary-of-sex-education-for-young
Early-developing children should be set aside for sex-education classes apart from other pupils, the Catholic Education Office says.

Catholic priests to spend focus on classroom (photo)
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=123552
Sense of purpose ... Father Kevin McGuire, who has been teaching at Cawaci for 16 years, plans to continue doing so until he retires.

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INSPIRATIONAL TV - http://inspirationaltv.net

** Wind turbine energy **
Sister Mary Scanlan is inspired by the power of the wind to reflect on the power of the Holy Spirit

** Calming the storm **
A reading and commentary on Mark 4 35-41 with Fr Barry Scannell sm at St Mary of the Angels, Wellington.

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'BEING FRANK' - http://www.beingfrank.co.nz

New Zealand Catholic Blogs. Some current topics ...

Visual Impact (in search of quality Catholic video) ... "Marge, you’re standing in the way of my boyhood dream ..." (a documentary on baby-buying) ... Ummmm Pork (on the liturgical recommendations in light of swine flu) ... Did I break the comments record? And a bit on trust… (from Africa: why we must pray for holy young men to be called to the priesthood) ... Something serious, something not so serious (Family Life NZ media release on abortion statistics) ... Write for the right to Rite III? (Palmerston North Diocese and Rite III Reconciliation) ... Folklore? (a letter on miracles)

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ALL THINGS CATHOLIC, by John L. Allen, Jr.

http://ncronline.org/news/taking-bishops-temperature-obama-notre-dame

The bishops talk privately about Notre Dame-Obama

I spent much of this week in San Antonio for the spring meeting of the U.S. bishops, where the press gallery was the loneliest corner of the room. Largely because the bishops opted not to put the flap over Notre Dame and President Barack Obama on their public agenda, many media organizations, including every major secular news outlet in the country, took a pass. In reality, the fact that the Notre Dame-Obama controversy wasn't floated in public merely meant that it was talked about everywhere else...

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WORLD NEWS OF THE CHURCH

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz

http://www.romereports.com (video)

http://www.youtube.com/vatican (news of Pope Benedict - video)

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EVENTS

'Be the Change': NZ Catholic Education Convention
29 - 31 July Wellington Convention Centre
Full details and registration: http://www.conference.co.nz/cathed09

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EMPLOYMENT

[Teaching vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the Vacancies section of the Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz ]

[Vacancies for Catholic youth workers are advertised on the Vacancies page of Connect.org.nz: http://www.connect.org.nz ]