Sunday, February 17, 2002

17 Feb 2002

*************************** Resources and Activities for Lent ***************************

"Doing as Jesus Commands": Commentaries on the readings for the Sundays & holy days of the year of Matthew. http://www.ake.quik.co.nz/termon This New Zealand liturgy resource site is published by Fr Bill Fletcher who is based in Otahuhu Parish. It features the Readings for every Sunday in Lent (and every other Sunday of the year), plus articles on the significance of Lent and liturgical suggestions for the season.

Fr John Stone, Parish Priest of Blessed Mary MacKillop Parish, Balclutha publishes a short Sunday homily on the parish Website every week at: http://www.webfactor.co.nz/clutha-catholic

The "Lenten Reflections" feature at EWTN displays a calendar on which you click for a Bible verse, a short reflection, a Lenten Question and Answer, a suggested activity and a prayer for each day of the season. http://www.ewtn.com/faith/lent/index.htm

Almsgiving is one of the three traditional pillars of Lenten observance (the others are prayer and fasting) and so our bishops - through their social justice agency Caritas Aotearoa NZ - sponsor an annual Lenten Appeal for which Caritas distributes envelopes to every parish. Donations to the Appeal support development projects in Africa, Asia, the South Pacific, Latin America and New Zealand. The New Zealand government subsidises Caritas' development work, so that every dollar New Zealanders contribute to the Appeal could be worth up to four dollars to the communities who receive the assistance. Detailed reports with photos of the Caritas Network's activities world wide are in Caritas's Newsletter at: http://www.caritas.org.nz/Update/28_summer_2001/index.htm

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

"Bishop's remains coming to Waikato " Waikato Times, 15 February 2002 The remains of Bishop Jean-Baptiste Pompallier, New Zealand's first Catholic Bishop, are being taken to sites he visited in the Waikato over the next few days. Bishop Pompallier's remains – including bones, handmade shoes, and a Maori necklace – have been brought to New Zealand after they were exhumed from a Paris cemetery. He worked in New Zealand from 1838 until 1868, founding the first Catholic church here, before returning to his homeland, France. His remains are scheduled to arrive at Rangiaowhia, east of Te Awamutu, on Sunday before being taken to Te Awamutu and Hamilton, where they will spend the night at Hui Te Rangiora Marae in Clarence St. On Monday, they will be taken to St Mary's Cathedral for a service at 12.30pm before heading to the Coromandel peninsula. After touring the country, Bishop Pompallier's remains will be interred at Hata Maria Church, at Motuti in the Far North near his original mission station.

"Maori energy successfully harnessed " Otago Daily Times 13 Feb. 2002 http://www.odt.co.nz/cgi-bin/search-display-story-online-new?date=13Feb2002&obje\ ct=ECA06B3520NC&type=html&WORDS=catholic&DB=Editorial Most Pakeha New Zealanders have woken up to what has been evolving around them in the Maori renaissance, writes Pat Lynch, chief executive of the Catholic Education Office, even though some are still being dragged screaming and kicking into facing the new realities. There is much room for optimism ...




FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS

"NZ Catholic" No 131, February 24, 2002 http://catholic.org.nz/cathcom/press/nzc/front.html

"Priest dogs brewery sign " Embarrassing publicity generated by Tauranga priest Fr Frank Eggleton has prompted a brewery to dismantle signs declaring, "In dog we trust"...

"Crowded schools may be required to have selection criteria " Catholic schools with growing pressure on their rolls may have to introduce enrolment schemes.... [Related Links: NZ Catholic Education Office ... Ministry of Education documents on enrolment schemes: Draft enrolment schemes for schools; Information for parents]

"Ashes shared by Catholics and Anglicans " Colour and sound graced the pillars of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch during an ecumenical liturgy for Ash Wednesday, recommended by the Anglican Roman Catholic Commission.. [Related Link: Catholic Diocese of Christchurch ]

Think Page for Young Adults: Lent: Making some room for God! What are you gaining from this Lent? The perfect Love of God the Father! So here's where preparing for Lent starts because our lives tend to be very busy and very full of "stuff". So if we make a bit more room for the Father in our lives he sees our effort, and he repays even the tiniest acts with his grace a hundred fold...

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Bishop Pompallier The Christchurch Press Feb 21, 2002

Sir--Some correspondents seem concerned that the return of Bishop Pompallier's remains to New Zealand is at odds with Maori traditions of respect for the dead, citing the move by Maori to recover heads (mokomokai) from museums and other places abroad.

The move to return his remains was initiated largely by Catholic Maori, with full support from the French authorities and the Church both here and in France. Mokomokai are blood whanau, whereas Catholic Maori regard Bishop Pompallier as karanga matua -- father in name -- and themselves as his adoptive whanau.

Bishop Pompallier lay unforgotten in an obscure cemetery outside Paris for over 130 years. Those who have continued to visit and maintain his grave are the adoptive whanau, the bishops and people of New Zealand, who can pay him no greater respect than to claim and honour his remains.

Lyndsay Freer Communications Director for the Catholic Church, Auckland, February 13

WEB TV (Archdiocese of Wellington)

CatholicTV.Net http://www.catholictv.net Modern Messiahs: Life as a Parish Priest: * Seph tells us about his training for the priesthood * Fr Bernie Hehir cuts to the chase * Fr Chris Skinner interviews Fr Peter Roe on his time as a Marist priest * Fr Jim Lyons talks about his work as a parish priest

LAYPEOPLES' ORGANISATIONS

Lamb of God Community Newsletter, March 2002 http://www.rc.net/newzealand/lamb_of_god/Chronicle/mar2002/index.htm

EMPLOYMENT

Personal Secretary to the Catholic Bishop of Hamilton Full details in 'NZ Catholic' February 24 2002 p.21, and from Naomi McGowan tel. (07) 838 2079 ; e-mail: naomim@mlc.co.nz Applications close Friday 8 March 2002

'NZ Catholic' Newspaper: Presenters The paper is recruiting paid presenters to promote 'NZ Catholic' at Sunday Masses and sign up new subscribers. Details in 'NZ Catholic' February 24 2002 p.21, and from Dennis Augustine, Promotions and Advertising Manager, PO Box 147-000, Ponsonby, Auckland 1034; e-mail: catholic@iconz.co.nz

STATISTICS

A Website temporarily named "Catholic Church in North America (while the site's owner tries to think of a better one), has statistics of the Catholic Church in New Zealand and Milestones in the lives of our bishops, past and present: http://www.rc.net/org/ccita/diocese/cnz.html