Dear friends, "A peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you" (John 14:27) It seems a peace the world cannot give - a miracle of grace - is the only thing that is going to bring peace to Jesus' Homeland, where two communities live in fear and anger in the same house, so to speak. Please keep the tormented people of the Holy Land in your daily prayers and if possible have prayers for peace included in the Prayers of the Faithful at Mass. Over the next four days the College of Cardinals (including Cardinal Tom Williams I assume) will be meeting in Rome. According to the Italian press, they have a seven point agenda to discuss: * how best to convey the message of Christ in a world of religious pluralism; * whether the Church is projecting holiness "in all its evangelical radicality"; * how to defend the Church and the "originality of its sacraments" in the face of New Age sects offering an alternative spirituality; * how to tackle world poverty and globalisation; * whether there is a discrepancy between the views of ordinary Catholics on sexual and family matters and prevailing Catholic doctrine; * how the world's mass media can be better used to convey Christian values; * and how church bodies such as the Curia (the Vatican bureaucracy) and the Synod of Bishops could be "made to function better". A tall order for a four-day meeting, and when the Cardinals return to their own countries they are just one bishop among others. However everyone present at the consistory will be aware that one of their number will most likely be Pope John Paul's successor, so each of the Cardinals will have an opportunity to "size up" their colleagues intellectually and spiritually. You can read daily reports about the cardinals' assembly via the links to the Catholic and secular press on our bishops' News page: http://catholic.org.nz/cathcom/news/frnews.html God bless, Mike Leon 'kiwicath' forum manager ******************************** EDUCATION Around nine New Zealand Catholic schools have opened Websites recently. You can see the names of the new sites on the bishops' What's New page - http://catholic.org.nz and click 'What's New' - and links to all the Catholic school sites I've been able to track down, here: http://catholic.org.nz/cathcom/education/schools.html ******************************** FROM THE SECULAR PRESS 'Lee's Decision Not To Rate Churches Welcomed' Press Release: United Future NZ Party Thursday, 17 May 2001 http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0105/S00352.htm United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne, has welcomed the decision by Local Government Minister Sandra Lee not to change the current rating regime for churches..... 'Costs stun casino battlers ' Waikato Times 18 May 2001 http://www.stuff.co.nz/inl/index/0,1008,797825a11,FF.html The Casino Control Authority has dropped a bombshell by seeking costs of $126,500 against a group which includes church leaders, pensioners, Hamilton Mayor Russ Rimmington and city councillors... 'Dialogue: Politics irrelevant for this apostle ', by Garth George NZ Herald Saturday, 19-May 2001 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?thesection=news&thesubsection=&storyI\ D=189206&reportID=53510 I have a huge amount of respect, reverence even, for Pope John Paul II. Whether, as the Catholic Church tells me, he is the Vicar of Christ on Earth, I'll leave to the dogmatists, but he has shown time and time again that he is chosen of God, for he has always had about him a Christlikeness and the older he gets the more Christlike he becomes........ **************************************** EVENTS 22-23 June Mercy Health Care Conference 2001, Waipuna Conference Centre, Auckland The focus of the conference will be how Catholic health and aged care services can uphold the dignity of human life while setting realistic limits to the care provided. Details in 'NZ Catholic' 8 April 2001 p.19 and from the Conference Organiser, Te Tairere Oranga, PO Box 109 025 Newmarket, Auckland. Website: http://www.mercy.co.nz/ 'Art and Faith' Competition for paintings of a spiritual nature sponsored by 'NZ Catholic' newspaper, Lillias McLean and Creative Communities [Auckland City] Committee. Details in 'NZ Catholic' May 20 2001 p.23 . Entry form from NZ Catholic, PO Box 147-000, Ponsonby, Auckland 1034. Email: catholic@iconz.co.nz or artel@xtra.co.nz. Fax: (09) 360 3065 or (09) 524 8322 Closing date: 31 August 2001 ***************************** EMPLOYMENT (Vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancies ) Tertiary Education Chaplain, Palmerston North Diocese. Details in 'NZ Catholic' 22 April 2001 p.23 and from Bishop's Office, Private Bag 11012 Palmerston North, tel 06 357 1980. Applications close 12 June 2001 Religious Education/Pastoral Assistant, St Mark's Parish, Pakuranga Auckland. Details in NZ Catholic May 6 p.23 and from the Parish Office tel 576 7959; fax: 576 7905. Applications close 1 June 2001 Weekend Nurses, Vincentian Home and Hospital, Berhampore, Wellington Details in Wel-com May 2001 p.19 and form Alison Crowe, 2a Stanley Street, Berhampore, Wellington Tel: 04 380 0294 or 04 380 0581 Tertiary Chaplain, Palmerston North Diocese. Details in Wel-com May 2001 p.19 and form bishops' Office, Private Bag 11012 Palmerston North, Tel: 06 357 1980. Applications close 12 June 2001 Accounting Officer, Archdiocesan Development fund, Wellington. Details in Wel-com May 2001 p.19 and from Chris King, Administration Manager, PO Box 12-407, Wellington. E-mail: invest@adf.org.nz