Dear friends,

The New Zealand Government wants to increase the number of migrants to this country and has made some changes to make it easier for people to qualify. The details are at: http://www.executive.govt.nz/speech.cfm?speechralph=33580&SR=0

There's a new resource Web site: 'Free Resources for Roman Catholics and other Believers'. I haven't had time to explore it properly but I can see useful material there for weekly parish bulletins - "filler" pieces and graphics for instance. The address: http://www.catholic1.com/page2.htm


FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS

The New Zealand evangelisation magazine 'EV 2000' has ceased publication. It appeared four times a year and full-text articles from it have been published on its Web site at: http://www/catholic.org/newzealand/ev2000/ since December 1997.

I haven't had a chance to discuss the future of the site with either the editor Father Paul Shannahan or with Catholic Communications, but it seems to me that the site's articles will remain a valuable resource for years to come. I'll be casting my vote in favour of keeping them up for all to read. Fr Shannahan is director of the NZ bishops' office for enquiries about the Catholic faith, the Catholic Enquiry Centre. I understand that a Web site for the CEC is in prospect, which will be great.

However there's no denying that in the area of regularly-renewed quality reading on the Internet, we New Zealand Catholics appear to be going backwards! There has been nothing new from either the Wellington archdiocesan newspaper 'Wel-com' or the monthly magazine 'Tui Motu' since July last year, and now 'EV 2000' has ceased. That leaves only the fortnightly 'NZ Catholic' newspaper and the newsletters of Caritas and a number of educational bodies. We still have a substantial Internet presence in the 'directory' sites of our dioceses and schools', but to get people to come back to a site you need a regular flow of fresh things to read.

>From 'NZ Catholic' No 106, February 11, 2001 http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/cathcom/press/nzc/page2.html [PLEASE NOTE: Theses stories will not appear on the 'NZ Catholic' Web site until next Monday or Tuesday]

'Children ?invisible? in making of Govt policy' WELLINGTON - The invisibility of children in the development of Government policy is hurting children, families and New Zealand, say the authors of a report released last month. According to the Child Poverty Action Group, New Zealand is paying the price of neglect of children in policy, as seen in such things as learning difficulties, drug use, crime, unemployment, and physical and mental ill health ... Related Link: Child Poverty Action Group:

'Newest school opens door' MT MAUNGANUI - New Zealand's newest Catholic school has opened its doors for the start of the academic year. St Thomas More School, at Mount Maunganui in the Bay of Plenty, has opened as a year 1-8, four classroom school with a roll of 82. Related Link: St Thomas More Parish, Mt Maunganui:

'Refugees fight to avoid deportation to Indonesia' AUCKLAND - Scores of refugee Chinese, most of whom are Christian, are fighting a Government decision to deport them. Pastor Carl Jukes, who has been helping the 300 Chinese-Indonesians for nearly three years, said most of the Christians in the group were Catholics. Related Links: Challenge Weekly article: 'Pastor helps refugees'. New Zealand Refugee Law Decisions:

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

[You can open links to world news of religion in the secular press on the bishops' News page at: http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/cathcom/news/frnews.html ]

[Please don't try to hand-copy these newspaper Web addresses. Instead Select, Copy and Paste them into your browser's address line]

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'School sale sparks protest' (photo) The Daily News (Taranaki) 6 Feb 2001 http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,631682a1885,FF.html Waitangi Day celebrations in South Taranaki have been marred by a land dispute between a local hapu and the Catholic Church. Manaia's Ngati Tu hapu was upset to learn the Manaia Catholic School had been put up for tender, because members say the land belongs to them ...

'Hands-on boss with passion for transport ' Otago Daily Times 3 Feb 2001 http://www1.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/search-display-story-online-new?PATH=03Feb2001/edi\ torial/content/0131362490.html&WORDS=catholic&DB=Editorial William (Bill) Daumann, who was killed tragically in Australia last month, was well-known in the transport and farming industries in Otago and Southland. His reputation was illustrated when more than 200 people attended a memorial service at the tiny Roman Catholic church of St Dunstan's, in Clyde ...

'Ready to serve the community' (photo) The Timaru Herald 2 Feb 2001 http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,625770a2022,FF.html Graham Kane says he's a very mixed up person, which is a fair description of someone who was born into a Methodist family, baptised in a Presbyterian church, went to a Baptist Sunday school and was good friends with the Catholic priest and some Sisters of St Joseph in Stoke. Graham will be inducted as the Timaru Temuka Methodist Parish's presbyter (minister) on Thursday ...

The Daily News (Taranaki) 31 Jan 2001 'Netball umpiring sidelined as Inglewood priest leaves town' (photo) http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,619287a1803,FF.html Inglewood Catholic priest and top New Zealand netball umpire Kevin Brophy is shelving his whistle to take up a new post at a Hastings church this week. Father Brophy, who had been at Inglewood's Sacred Heart Catholic Church for the past seven years, is headed to a Hastings church of the same name ....

'Friends recall murder victim's passion, flair ' The Press 27 Jan. 2001 [Summary only. Not available online] Murdered jogger Margaret-Lynne Baxter was remembered for her passion, sense of fun and flair for fashion by the people at her funeral in Wellington. The 38-year-old investment worker died in Hawkes Bay on Sunday. Police suspect she was hit by a car while jogging, bundled into a vehicle and later killed. Ms Baxter was remembered by 400 friends and family, who packed St Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in central Wellington yesterday. Father Michael McCabe said the family was trying not to be bitter about Ms Baxter's death. Her mother, Pip, had told him she was praying for forgiveness "as I pray each night for Lynnie's gentle soul", Fr McCabe said. As a tribute to her, the family wanted people to be as creative as possible and live life to the full. During the service, a slide-projector showed photographs of Ms Baxter at various stages in her life. At the end, as her family carried her coffin out of the church, Millennium, sung by British pop star Robbie Williams, was played. She was buried alongside her father, Jim, who died 14 years ago, at Makara Cemetery, 10km west of Wellington. --NZPA

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EVENTS

World Day of the Sick 2001: "The New Evangelisation and the Dignity of the Suffering Person" The purpose of the annual World Day of the Sick is to recognise the dignity of people who suffer from illness. This year the events are being held in Sydney, Australia. They include a conference of health professionals and carers on making present the healing ministry of Christ - which took place yesterday (Saturday) - and an official Mass today (Sunday 11 February) with the Papal Envoy, Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal Edward Clancy as principal celebrant. Background of the World Day of the Sick and Programme: http://www.cha.org.au/events/world_day_of_sick.html Updates: http://www.catholic.org.au/whatsnew/worlddayofthesick.htm

18-22 April 2001 'Jesus 4 Real' Youth Camps Jesus 4 Real Ministries is an independent voluntary group of adults bringing the reality of Jesus to Catholic teenagers, and training adult leaders for Catholic youth work, through camps and seminars in the Wellington Archdiocese. Web site: http://members.xoom.com/Jesus4Real Contact: (04) 904 7217 ; (04) 905 6636

11 - 16 March 2001 Discipleship Course, St Mary's Parish Centre, Campion Rd., Gisborne. Sponsored by the Outreach and Evangelisation Commission of the Hamilton Diocesan Pastoral Council. Cost: $80, excluding accommodation. Details from: Dawn DeWitt, 11 Russell St., Gisborne, tel: (06) 867 6408; and Christine: tel. (07) 846 2691

4 March 2001 Wellington Eucharistic Convention 2001: Town Hall, Lower Hutt Theme: ?The Fullness of God? (Ephesians 3: 14-21 ) Guest speakers : Rita Klaus ; Father Clement Machado ; Tony Zuniga Details from: Ted Jordan, tel.: 904) 528 8678 and http://www.divine.co.nz

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EMPLOYMENT

(Vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancies )

Catholic Diocese of Auckland. Co-ordinator of Religious Education. Details in 'NZ Catholic' Feb 11 2001 p.23 and from Therese Verheyen, tel (09) 368 4380; fax: (09) 376 2829 Applications close 9 March 2001

Wellington Catholic Education Centre. Admin. Assistant -Receptionist Details in 'Wel-com' February 2001 or from the Centre, tel (04) 496 1718 ; faz: (04) 496 1715 ; e-mail: wcec@wcec.org.nz Applications close: 28 February 2001

St Joseph's Parish, New Plymouth. Lay Pastoral Worker Details in 'NZ Catholic' Feb 11 2001 p.23 and from (06) 758 3912 ; PO Box 32 New Plymouth. Applications close 28 Feb 2001

Catholic Schools' Review and Development Adviser, Diocese of Palmerston North Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan 28 2001 p. 23 and from: Catholic Education Office, Private Bag 11 012, Palmerston North Applications close: Friday 16 February 2001

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Every best wish and all God's blessings.

Mike Leon
'kiwicath' list manager