Dear friends, A warm welcome to our new forum member Terry and many thanks your introduction. You wrote: > > My interests are aircraft, although I no longer fly, amateur radio, and photography ... > Did you read this item? .......... **************************************** 'Community farewells West Coast pioneer aviator and true character' (photo) Otago Daily Times 12 April 2001 http://www1.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/search-display-story-online-new?PATH=12Apr2001/edi\ torial/content/0411474372.html&WORDS=catholic&DB=Editorial One of South Westland's legends, Des Nolan, was farewelled by nearly 300 family and friends yesterday in Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, at Okuru, south of Haast. Mr Nolan died recently, aged 81. Earlier this year, he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to aviation and the community ... ************************************** Thank you also to the forum member who sent me the link to the Daily Mass Readings, at: http://www.easterbrooks.com/personal/calendar/select.html The New Zealand Bishops' post-Easter meeting has just ended in Christchurch so I would expect a press release or two and reports in the Catholic press in the next week or so. Any I hear about, I 'll mention in 'News & Notes' - unless someone beats me to it :-) God bless, Mike Leon 'kiwicath' forum manager ******************************* IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST PAUL: Papal Pilgrimage 2001 So far so good. Pope John Paul's visit to Athens took place in a far better atmosphere than many dared to hope. Now John Paul is in Syria ( inspiring the Syrian tourism ministry to publish a poster reading: "Have a vision! Take the road to Damascus!!") My impression is that in Syria Latin and Greek Catholics are a minority within a minority but all reports say the same thing: all Syrian Christians regard the Pope as their representative to the Moslem majority; they can't afford denominational strife. Consequently the Orthodox community will also welcome him warmly. The Syrian part of the pilgrimage will be quite long - four days altogether and then the Pope is off to the Catholic island nation of Malta. You can follow the pilgrimage on the bishops News page - http://catholic.org.nz and click the News button. The U.S. Catholic broadcaster EWTN has a special feature about the pilgrimage at: http://www.ewtn.com/footsteps/index.htm and the Vatican Web site is publishing the text of the Pope's principal addresses and homilies here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/travels/sub_index/trav_greece-syr\ ia-malta-2001.htm ******************************** NATIONAL CATHOLIC DIRECTORY http://catholic.org/nz/cathcom/directory/frdirectory.html Getting there! I am now onto updating the National Offices and Associations section of the directory, the last and biggest of the sections on the bishops' Web site. The A-L section is finished: 27 organisations, most with associated Websites. Next week: M-W. ****************************** JUSTICE , PEACE & DEVELOPMENT The annual report of Caritas Aotearoa-NZ - full-text and illustrated - is on Caritas' Web site at: http://caritas.org.nz/publications/AnnualReport2001/ar2000_0_index.htm Caritas Aotearoa-NZ is the New Zealand Catholic bishops' agency for justice peace and development, part of an international network of Catholic aid agencies. Its Web site has extensive information about its activities in New Zealand and around the world, and resources for social justice education in schools. Four times a year the newsletter CARITAS Update reports on the work of the Caritas international aid network in photographs and articles and this is also published on their Website: http://caritas.org.nz *************************** FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS The following stories from 'NZ Catholic' newspaper, Sunday 6 May 2001, will appear on its Website in a day or two: 'Consistency seen as key in handling school bullying' "Common-sense and hard work go a long way to making and keeping schools safe, says the principal of an Auckland school which has dealt with a bullying problem. Helen Kermode was appointed to St Pius X Primary School in Glen Innes at the beginning of last year. She said consistency in discipline was a key for safety, but maintaining consistency demanded continual effort...." [Links to the Websites of the 'Keeping Ourselves Safe', 'Kia Kaha' and 'Cool Schools' programmes] 'Schools are urged to question teachers' values' "Catholic schools should strongly question prospective teachers about their values before hiring them, says the chief executive of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office, Br Pat Lynch. Br Lynch told the Dominican Educators' Conference in Auckland last month that children came to understand goodness when they saw goodness acted out. "This is why hiring teachers who are committed to the values of the school is a fundamentally necessary employment practice,"... [Link to NZ Catholic Education Office] 'Caritas aids major work in E. Timor' "The lives of East Timorese people became a bit easier in the past year, thanks in part to Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand. The 2000 annual report of Caritas says the agency funded three major projects in East Timor during the year ... [Link to the full text of the annual report, illustrated] **************************************** 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/ ***************************** EMPLOYMENT (Vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancies ) Co-ordinator, Christian family Life Education, Auckland and Hamilton Dioceses Details in 'NZ Catholic' 22 April 2001 p.23; Therese Verheyn, tel: 09 378 4380; theresev@cda.org.nz Youth Minister, St Michael's Parish, Remuera. Details in 'NZ Catholic' 22 April 2001 p.23 and from Craig Dunford, 5 Beatrice Rd, Remuera Tel: 09 520 1226 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