Dear friends,

Due to an apparent oversight, the bishops' "What's New" page - with links to reports on the Afghanistan situation and the Rome synod -hasn't been updated for several days. I'm sure this is just a temporary glitch and that things will be back to normal sometime next week. In the meantime I have included the latest links in this posting of 'News and Notes.

God bless,

Mike Leon 'kiwicath' forum manager

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AFGHANISTAN CRISIS

*War Reactions*

Chiara Lubich: "Unbounded love the antidote to all-out hatred" http://www.focolare.org/en/sif/2001/en20011006_a.html

In his Message for the 2002 World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope John Paul defends the dignity of the world's immigrants and appeals for respect for religious liberty for Christians in majority-Muslim countries. http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=11393

John Paul II asserts that "evil does not have the last word" http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=11347

*Relief and Reconciliation Initiatives*

Catholic aid groups mobilizing to help Afghanistan: Humanitarian disaster looms as winter approaches http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=11461

CATHOLIC WEB TV

'Wel-com Living' http://www.catholictv.net

* Br Pat Lynch, Director of the NZ Catholic Education Office, on the future of the New Zealand Catholic school system.

* "Why I like school" : interviews with pupils of St Teresa's School, Karori, Wellington.

FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS

'The Far East' - magazine of the New Zealand and Australian members of St. Columban's Mission Society http://www.columban.org.au/TFE/TrevorTrotter/FarEast.htm

>From the July 2001 edition .... 'A stand with the poorest' (Editorial) 'Sr. Joan Doyle RSM in Peru tells of Gladys fight for survival with HIV'. 'Those who Foster Hope': Sheila Dobey tells of her experience of visiting Columban missionaries, among them her brother in Fiji.

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

'Mercy Hospice is not a place people wait to die' (photo) NZ Herald Saturday October 20, 2001 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=223430&thesection=news&thesub\ section=general One might think of hospice patients as sad or depressed, waiting to die in stuffy hospital rooms as numb family members shuffle in and out. Both Gwen Gray and St Joseph's Mercy Hospice defy this maudlin image. St Joseph's - part of the picturesque Mercy Hospital complex - is modern, comfortable and decorated with fresh flowers....

'Charities package should boost donations' - Cullen NZ Government Press Release 16 October 2001 http://www.scoop.co.nz/archive/scoop/stories/05/cb/200110161720.6094154e.html The government is working with the charitable sector on a reform package the net effect of which should be to generate greater donations to charities, Revenue Minister Michael Cullen announced today........

EDUCATION

New on 'Faith Central', the educational resource site for NZ Catholic secondary schools ...

'Expressions of Catholic Life': http://www.faithcentral.net.nz/inclass/expressions.htm "How can you tell that a person or a group of people are Catholic? With links which enable you to tour Rome, listen to Catholic Radio and Television from around the world, visit dioceses and parishes, and even see how a Catholic dating agency works - this selection of online resources may assist the learning of the Year 10 unit. "

EMPLOYMENT

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

Church Mental Health Lobby Group, Wellington: Development worker The task is to locate and work with the champions of the mentally ill in each parish, using an 'action/reflection' approach. Flexible hours, good remuneration. Details in 'Wel-com' October 2001 p.19; and from Rev Hugh Bowron tel 382 8486 or June Read tel. 232 5858