Sunday, December 2, 2007

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Museum in art heaven
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4287558a14297.html
Priceless art and architecture treasures from the Vatican will have their
own business class seats when they fly from Rome to New Zealand next year.

Catholic Matchmaker รข€" A Success Story
http://www.pr.com/press-release/61683
Catholics are avoiding the usual problems that Dating/relationship Sites
have, by only allowing paid members to Catholic Matchmaker New Zealand ...

Drama shot on Coast (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4287639a6047.html
Dutch film-makers have descended on Greymouth to shoot an $11 million drama
about Dutch brides-to-be who flew to New Zealand for a new life half a
century ago...

Pupils train fares to rise (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4289760a7694.html
Pupils travelling into Wellington secondary schools from Kapiti Coast and
beyond will pay nearly double the train fare next year...

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'THE GOLDEN COMPASS'

This films opens in New Zealand on Boxing Day and will attract the mixed-age
audiences who enjoyed 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe'. The film is
controversial because its story is based on a book (by Philip Pullman) which
is an anti-religious - and specifically anti-Catholic - polemic which aims
at reimagining the story of the Fall in a way that does away with Original
Sin, and portrays God as an imposter, not unlike the Wizard of Oz. The
Hollywood version, on the other hand, has stripped out most of the overtly
Christian references and dropped the final two chapters, to produce "a story
about a little girl creating a new family for herself".

This article in the New York Times explains the background to the
controversy:
http://tinyurl.com/2r47zr

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ENCYCLICAL LETTER 'SPE SALVI' (Saved by hope)

In his second encyclical letter Benedict XVI affirms that "the heavens are
not empty" and "life does not end in nothingness": faith in God's existence
is the origin of Christian hope, it gives meaning to our existence and it
allows us to look beyond fear towards the last Judgement. Hope gives meaning
to our waiting for justice which cannot be found in man alone as the "great
revolutions" have shown by bringing nothing but death and destruction.

The full text can be read at:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/encyclicals/documents/hf_ben-xvi_\
enc_20071130_spe-salvi_en.html


A comprehensive summary of the encyclical by AsiaNews.it:
Pope: certainty of faith is the foundation of Christian hope
http://www.asianews.it/index.php?l=en&art=10934&size=A

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INSPIRATIONAL TV

http://inspirationaltv.net/

'A Little Company'
Sister Mary and her fellow sisters from the order "The Little Company of
Mary" invite you to share in an event in their lives as they visit a very
sepcial grave in Wellington's Karori Cemetery where their past sisters are
now buried. While many of us fear death, these sisters - whose call is to
treat the sick and the dying - have come to realise that it's something
which allows a closer relationship with God...

'Angel in the City'
Scripture Reading and discussion from St Mary of the Angels' church,
Wellington.

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MAGAZINES AND NEWSLETTERS

Marist Messenger - December 2007
http://www.maristmessenger.co.nz/

Edmund Rice Network Newsletter - November 2007
http://www.edmundrice.org.nz/pages/newsletter/newsletter.htm

Tui Motu - November 2007
http://www.tuimotu.org/

NZ Catholic Education Office Newsletters:

'Lighting New Fires', incl. Catholic schools' Supplement, November 2007
http://www.nzceo.catholic.org.nz/pages/resourcesubpages/lighting-new-fires.html

'Good News and the News', a broadsheet of good practice for integrated
schools - September 2007
http://www.nzceo.catholic.org.nz/pages/resourcesubpages/good-news.html

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ALL THINGS CATHOLIC
Analysis and commentary by John R. Allen

http://ncrcafe.org/node/507

Sex abuse settlement, the pope's visit and ecumenism: Cardinal Mahony speaks
with NCR

[Note: John Allen posted two stories this morning to the NCR web site about
Pope Benedict XVI newest encyclical: Spe Salvi, or "Saved in Hope." The
stories are: Benedict XVI offers the second in a possible triptych of
encyclicals: 'Saved by Hope' Spe Salvi a 'Greatest Hits' collection of core
Ratzinger ideas]

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WORLD NEWS OF THE CHURCH (Regularly updated)

http://www.cathcom.org.nz/

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/

http://www.romereports.com/ (video)

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EMPLOYMENT

[Teaching vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the
Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancy.php ]

[Vacancies in Catholic Youth Ministry are advertised on the Job Bank page of
the National Council for Young Catholics: http://ncyc.org.nz/ ]