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FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS

>From 'NZ Catholic' No 105, January 28, 2001 http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/cathcom/press/nzc/page2.html

Mercy sister receives high New Year honour by DOROTHY COUP AUCKLAND- Sharing her New Year honour with her Mercy congregation, "particularly the nursing sisters", appeals to Sr Patricia Hook. She sees becoming a Distinguished Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit as recognition of all the Mercy sisters who have worked at Auckland's Mater (now Mercy) Hospital......

NZ nun's sister in machete attack by NZ CATHOLIC STAFF AUCKLAND- A machete attack which wounded an Irish Cluny religious at Mass was the second tragedy of its kind for her, according to her sister in Auckland, Sr Agnes Kenny, SJC. Sr Mel Kenny was attacked by Rastafarian fundamentalists in the Caribbean island of St Lucia last month ......

Sixteen will go on COVS postings by PETER GRACE AUCKLAND- Ten adults and six children will leave for overseas postings after an orientation course near Auckland with Catholic Overseas Volunteer Service this month .... [COVS home page: http://www.cda.org.nz/covs.htm ]

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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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Embryo tests attacked The Evening Post 24 January 2001 [Summary. Full text not available on-line] Embryos are human lives and shouldn't be killed in experiments, says Bishop Peter Cullinane, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference. He has challenged the interim approval given by the Ministry of Health's national ethics committee this week for an embryo-testing scheme. Auckland-based Fertility Associates wants to introduce a screening process that will separate healthy embryos from those unlikely to develop into viable pregnancies for its in-vitro fertilisation programme. Bishop Cullinane said the public wasn't served well if an ethics committee approved experiments that ended lives.

Bishop Cullinane's full statement: http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/cathcom/news/frnews.html ( includes a link to the bishops' "Statement on Assisted Human Reproductive Technologies" (1998).

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TV: Can't ruin the tale of dazzling queen NZ Herald 2/2/2001 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=entertainment&thesubsectio\ n=&storyID=170742 A rush of blood to the programming head at TVNZ has given the four-part series "Elizabeth" the exposure it deserves ... Elizabeth Tudor was controversial from the start, since there had been a religious revolution so that her father [Henry VIII] could wed her mother, and her christening was boycotted in some quarters ... A few years later the Protestant princess was imprisoned in the Tower of London, yards from where her mother lost her head, and writing a very different letter, pleading for her life with her Catholic half-sister, Queen Mary ...

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EVENTS

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 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

Tertiary Chaplain, Diocese of Palmerston North Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan 28 2001 p. 23 and from: Bishop's Office, Private Bag 11 012, Palmerston North. Tel: (06) 357 1980 Applications close: Friday 12 February 2001

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Every best wish and all God's blessings.

Mike Leon
'kiwicath' list manager