NZ CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE

http://www.cathcom.org.nz

Catholic archbishop responds to atheist bus campaign (December 11, 2009)

President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop John Dew of Wellington, believes those behind the atheist bus campaign have the right to express their views, and finds it interesting that they have chosen God as their focus. “Freedom of speech is a right we all have. I find it interesting that a group of people who claim not to believe in the existence of God have chosen to make God the focus of their bus campaign,” he says ...

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'NZ CATHOLIC' - No.331 December 13-19 2009

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz

In the current issue ...
Bishops fight FPA abortion licensing .. Church schools might add 'Catholic' to their names ... Tongan ordained for Auckland .. Sixth Auckland bishop was also brilliant children's author ... Married priests? For the Vatican it's still an exception to the rule ... Rome confessors see loneliness as well as sin and faith ... Priest-friends reunite 15 years after ordination ... Bishops agree to institute 'Sea Sunday' next July ... Christmas Mass times around NZ ... Advertisement: Monte Cecilia Housing Trust.

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Priory developer quits project
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/85483/priory-developer-quits-project
The Catholic Church is hoping to preserve Dunedin's historic Dominican Priory following a North Island developer pulling out of the project.

Atheist bus ad campaign hits a nerve
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3154427/Atheist-bus-ad-campaign-hits-a-nerve
It swept past its $10,000 fundraising target and now an atheist campaign plans to double its contentious advertisements on buses.

Atheist ads to antagonise religious
http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/atheist-ads-antagonise-religious-3284353
A campaign for displaying atheist messages on buses is unlikely to win converts, says a spokeswoman for the Catholic Church.

A summer spent way down under (photos)
Upper Hutt Leader
http://tinyurl.com/ykydvjd
Taking part in the Erebus crash 30th anniversary commemorations was just part of a month in Antarctica by St Joseph's parish priest Father Ron Bennett. [A two-page report. Drag the first page to the left to see the second part]

Catholic women ousted from chapel
http://www.starcanterbury.co.nz/local/news/catholic-woman-ousted-from-chapel/3907412/
The Catholic Bishop of Christchurch Barry Jones has stopped the use of a city college chapel for prayer meetings by an independent mostly women Catholic group.

Union hails Easter trading bill's defeat
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/6569770/union-hails-easter-trading-bills-defeat/
Trade unionists are thrilled by the defeat of a bill that would have opened up Easter trading laws but Auckland's Chamber of Commerce says the vote was crazy.

Church group asks McClay: Sacrifice Christmas to discuss Easter changes
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0912/S00109.htm
With another Easter Trading Bill served up on Parliamentary Members' table just before the festive season, a Church group is asking the Bill's proponent Todd McClay to discuss the issues – on Christmas Day.

Rejuvenated basilica (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/lifestyle/3131888/Rejuvenated-basilica
When a casket containing the remains of 19th- century French bishop Pompallier was brought to Waimate on a national tour in 2002, it rested in a former base for French priests preaching to mainly Irish worshippers and offspring.

Dutch celebrate arrival of saint
Bay of Plenty Times — A003 — 07 December 2009
A down-under celebration of the traditional European gift-giving festival, St Nicholas' Feast Day, transformed Tauranga's waterfront on Saturday into a vibrant spectacle of music and dancing. Every vantage point was taken by the hundreds who gathered to welcome St Nicholas who arrived by boat and tied up at the pontoon next to the Kestrel. Invited by Tauranga's Dutch community, he made an impressive sight in his bishop's dress and red mitre, holding a long gold staff...

Mother brings climate petition to House (photo)
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/news/article.cfm?c_id=39&objectid=10614006
Concerned mother of four Nicky Chapman petitioned for Government climate change policy at Parliament grounds today.

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INSPIRATIONAL TV - http://inspirationaltv.net

** Celebration **
A reflection by Sister Mary Scanlan.

** Luke: John points the way **
Luke 3:10-18: a reading and homily by Fr Ted Tyler of the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta, Sydney, Australia.

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'BEING FRANK' - http://www.beingfrank.co.nz

If They Could Only Hear Me! (Euthanasia and the experience of Rom Houben) ... Religious sisters are doing it for themselves (the Vatican’s apostolic visitation of religious communities) ... Umbert the Unborn…a hilarious way to promote life (a pro-life cartoon character) ... Carry the one and then divide by... (what does a family consist of?) ... Yay it’s almost Christmas!! (Pope Benedict: Keep a diary of God’s love in Advent)

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ALL THINGS CATHOLIC, by John L. Allen, Jr.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic

A week with this generation's Fulton Sheen
http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/week-generations-fulton-sheen

I once had a church history professor who loved counter-factual thought exercises. A hypothetical question he asked us to ponder was the following: What if Fulton Sheen had been named Archbishop of New York? We’ll never know, because Sheen’s only opportunity to run a diocese came in the late 1960s in Rochester, New York, and by all accounts it wasn’t a happy experience. But these days we have an intriguing parallel to track, because if there is a Fulton Sheen of this generation -- meaning an American bishop with the same capacity to engage a national audience, to make Catholicism seem attractive to a secular world -- it’s probably Timothy Dolan, who also just happens to be the new Archbishop of New York...

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WORLD NEWS OF THE CHURCH

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz

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

http://www.youtube.com/vatican (news of Pope Benedict - video)

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CATHOLIC FOUNDATION OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF WELLINGTON

Applications for Tindall Foundation Grants
http://www.tindall.org.nz/new-zealand-catholic-bishops-conference
Details in 'Wel-com' December 2009 p.18 and from the Secretary, tel. (04|) 496 1721; e-mail: c.foundation@wn.catholic.org.nz

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EVENTS

Catholic Family Retreat
Theme "A Firm Foundation"
28th Jan - 1st Feb 2010
Keswick Camp Rotorua
Formation, fun, fellowship & faith for families of all shapes and sizes!
For more info or to register email sarahcox@catholic.org

Parachute Music Festival
Mystery Creek, Hamilton. 29 January - 1 February 2010
http://www.parachutemusic.com/festival
[Dear readers: Does anyone know if the Catholic tent community 'CatholiCity' is being organised for January's festival, and do the details appear on the Internet? ML]

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EMPLOYMENT

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

[Vacancies for Catholic youth workers are advertised on the Vacancies page of Connect.org.nz: http://www.connect.org.nz ]

Property Management Administrator, Catholic Schools Board Limited, Wellington and Palmerston North
http://catholicschools.co.nz
Details in 'Wel-com' December 2009 p.10, and from sarita@catholicschools.co.nz ; tel: (04) 499 0184 Applications close 15 January 2010

National Treasurer, The Society of St Vincent de Paul
http://www.svdp.org.nz
Details in 'Wel-com' December 2009 p.19, and from the National Office, tel. (04) 499 5070; PO Box 10815, Wellington.