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PASTORAL LETTERS

"Violence against women and children" (September 1992)
This pastoral letter of nine years ago was overlooked when the earlier letters were uploaded to the bishop's Website. You can open it via the link on: http://catholic.org.nz/cathcom/frwhatsnew.html Here's an extract: "Those who have pastoral responsibility are often in a privileged position to help in situations of violence. We request them to take advantage of opportunities for education and training in how to deal with these matters. In particular we ask that they: take seriously the woman or child who discloses abuse; avoid simplistic solutions and a false spiritualising of the problem; avoid the misuse of Scripture in any way that would appear to justify male domination; be informed as to available community resources (medical, legal, shelter, counselling and educational) and know when and how to refer people for specialised help; be ready to deal with the profound spiritual questions that arise concerning the woman’s relationship with God and her worth and dignity as a person; create a parish atmosphere where laity and clergy can discuss the question of violence against women and children openly and sensitively, in homilies and other forums..."

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FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS

From 'NZ Catholic' No 116, July 1, 2001
http://catholic.org.nz/cathcom/press/nzc/page2.html

'Health care groups form united voice ' A new national enterprise which hopes to be a public voice for Catholic health care was launched by Cardinal Tom Williams at the Mercy Health Care Conference in Auckland on June 22... [Links to the Nathaniel (Catholic Bioethics) Centre ... Mercy Hospital and Health Services ]

'Thousands visit Madonna ' Thousands of people visited the day chapel of St Mary Star of the Sea Church, Gisborne during May to pray with the Black Madonna of Czestochowa, an icon given to New Zealand by Pope John Paul II..... [Links to: The Black Madonna: history and legend ... St Mary's Parish, Gisborne ]

'Business development loans based on character get people out of poverty ' Three years ago Greg Casagrande was a highly paid executive with the Ford Motor Company in Japan. But he found the company had shares in a hospital which carried out abortions - and that knowledge led him to quit. Now Mr Casagrande has set up a charitable organisation and is helping poor people in the South Pacific set themselves up in small businesses... [Links to: South Pacific Business Development Foundation... World Microcredit Website ]

From NZC's Think Page for young Catholics:
http://www.catholic.org/newzealand/cathcom/press/nzc/Think.html

'God's Jester ' The face of God . . . scary? Ever seen it? And I don't mean in a "here's-some-stone-tablets-Moses" kind of way. God is all around us, especially in other people. We are his Church and his children. We are the face of God...

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

'Heater Responsible for Fire At College' IRN 1 June 2001 http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,3882-581297,00.html A heater is being blamed for burning down a historic chapel and convent in Napier. Yesterday's fire destroyed the 1867 convent, chapel and part of the hostel at Sacred Heart College on Bluff Hill........

'If we tend to our spirits, our nation will fly ' Otago Daily Times 27 June 2001 http://www1.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/search-display-story-online-new?PATH=27Jun2001/edi\ torial/content/HKG45Q7637GH.html&WORDS=catholic&DB=Editorial If we are to have young people who are able to transform our national assets into more productive ones, they need to become more appreciative of the things of the spirit, writes Patrick Lynch, chief executive officer of the Catholic Education Office....

'Bishops send message on contraception' Otago Daily Times 25 June 2001 http://www1.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/search-display-story-online-new?PATH=25Jun2001/edi\ torial/content/HLK58O6765IR.html&WORDS=catholic&DB=Editorial New Zealand's Catholic bishops have reinforced the Church's stance on chastity, contraception and abortion in a joint letter* to parishioners. The letter calls on pregnant women to "welcome your little one in the way you would like to be welcomed yourself" and says "desperate solutions" such as abortion are not the answer.... * 'Giving Life, Giving Love' May 2001: http://catholic.org.nz/cathcom/bishops/letters/givinglife.html

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EVENTS & COURSES

23-27 July 2001 Churches' Education Commission. State school chaplaincy training course, Auckland C.E.C. is the educational agency of the churches, established "to stimulate, service and co-ordinate the concerns of member denominations and related organisations for Christian and general education in New Zealand". Details in 'NZ Catholic' 3 June 2001 p.23 and from the Commission, PO Box 26-679 St Heliers Bay, Auckland 1005. Tel: 09 622 0664; in Wellington tel; 04 384 3587. Website: http://www.cec.org.nz/Closing date for applications to enrol: 30 June 2001

29th July - 2nd December 2001 School of Missions, St. Gerard's Monastery, Wellington, New Zealand, conducted by the International Catholic Programme of Evangelisation (ICPE) Details at: http://www.icpe.org/newzealand/SchoolsofMission.html

'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