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NZ CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE

http://www.cathcom.org.nz

Mary MacKillop to become Australia's first saint (February 21, 2010)

Pope Benedict XVI has announced that Mary MacKillop will be canonised on Sunday 17 October 2010. In December of last year the Pope recognised MacKillop's second miracle, which was the cure of a woman of inoperable lung cancer during the 1990s. The first was the cure of a woman of leukaemia in the 1950s..

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'WEL-COM'

http://www.welcom.org.nz

News
Ploughshares protesters acquitted
Maori chaplain honoured with korowai
The gratitude attitude: a disciple's response to stewardship, by Lorraine McArthur

World News
Timor-Leste turns 10 as it struggles against poverty
Papuan justice worker tells of undermining of rights
Rosa Moiwend visits Wellington as a guest of Wellington Peacemakers
Papuan justice worker tells of undermining of rights: West Papuan priest risks life to speak of oppression

Columns
Editorial: suffering and hope in Lent, by Cecily McNeill
Year of the Priest: wholly/holy human, by Kieran Fenn FMS
Archbishop's column : MacKillop a woman for all seasons, by Archbishop John Dew

Schools
Five days plus 48 teenagers equals a whole lot of fun!
Hutt students win new regional writing competition
Narrative Week inspires young writers

Features
Vatican II - between the lines
Tools for those curly junior questions about God
Oscar Romero murdered 30 years ago this month

Wellington
Convent Old Girls celebrate 75 years on the court

Palmerston North
Sending forth the students with pearls
Lay Carmelite beginnings in Palmerston North
Welcoming into the PN Catholic fold

Reflect: Fifth Sunday of Lent Year C, by Veronica Lawson RSM

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

A life spent tending those who had lost their way
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/features/weekend/3479946/A-life-spent-tending-those-who-had-lost-their-way
The night before Teresa O'Connor was buried, friends and family gathered at the family home at Appleby to honour her. The reminiscences went on for a long time. Everyone had a story to tell about this singular woman whose life was a practical expression of her religious faith. Most touched on her concern for others, her hospitality and humour.

Pulling up daisies (photos)
The Dominion Post
http://tinyurl.com/yjoorue
A wrought iron fence surrounds a child-sized grave. A small sarcophagus commemorates a soldier. This is Mount St Cemetery, Wellington's original Catholic cemetery consecrated by Bishop Pompallier in 1841.

The Centre offers spiritual ambience (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/3468891/The-Centre-offers-spiritual-ambience
Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and atheists are all welcome at a new centre for reflection at Massey University.

Celebrating Easter at Uxbridge (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/eastern-courier/3471912/Celebrating-Easter-at-Uxbridge
Three weeks of Easter celebrations at Uxbridge Creative Centre in Howick start today. Crossings Easter Festival, incorporating art, drama, movies and music, runs until April 7.

Compassion to be swept aside by motorway construction (photos)
The Wellingtonian
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/the-wellingtonian/3465180/Compassion-to-be-swept-aside-by-motorway-construction
Many Wellingtonians know the Basin Reserve is significant historically, as well as having great recreational and cultural meaning. However, some of the features of this historic area are not so well known. Who knows about the small building where the woman, who will possibly be New Zealand's first saint, set up her "daylight home for babies"?

Was justice done in Waihopai spy base verdict?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10632732
Three peace protesters have been found not guilty of an attack on a top-secret South Island spy base, despite freely admitting causing damage put at $1 million.

Leak damages church (photo)
http://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/article/?id=16463
The centre of the Gisborne Catholic community, the church of St Mary Star of the Sea, has been affected by the leaky-building syndrome that has plagued the building industry in recent years. The church tower will have to be removed. Further assessment of the damage also requires the removal of cladding.

It's all go for the gala
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/northland/local-news/whangarei-leader/3451263/Its-all-go-for-the-gala
A whole heap of fun, face-painting, food and music is on the menu for the annual St Francis Xavier Catholic School gala on Saturday.

History of area (photo)
http://www.times.co.nz/cms/news/2010/03/history_of_area.php
What's the relationship, asked local historian Alan La Roche when told the place he lived in would be called Te Irirangi in the new Auckland super-city.

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St Patrick's Day in New Zealand

Forty shades of blue as St Pat's boys go marching in (photo)
The Dominion Post
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/local/3467923/Forty-shades-of-blue
Instead of being overrun by St Patrick's Day greenery, downtown Wellington was teeming with boys in blue from St Patrick's College. The school's 777 pupils completed the annual pilgrimage, to the tune of When The Saints Go Marching In, from Te Aro Park to St Mary of the Angels church on Boulcott St for mass yesterday.

St Patrick proves hat-trick for priest (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/3468188/St-Patrick-proves-hat-trick-for-priest
It's about as Irish as you can get on the opposite side of the world - a Catholic priest of Irish descent with a birthday on St Patrick's Day. But there's more. Father Martin Patrick Flannery is the parish priest of St Patrick's Catholic Church, in Invercargill.

Schoolkids go green for St Patrick's Day (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/3468187/Schoolkids-go-green-for-St-Patricks-Day
Wintry winds were not enough to slow St Patrick's Day celebrations in Queenstown yesterday as a swarm of green overran the resort. At St Joseph's Primary School in Queenstown, principal Trich Inder said the pupils had been allowed to dress in green for a gold coin donation and had raised $200.50 for Catholic charity Caritas, to be distributed in Tonga.

School gala grand affair, to be sure
Kapiti Observer
http://tinyurl.com/yfdolej
All things Irish will be celebrated at St Patrick's School's twilight gala in Paraparaumu on Wednesday.

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INSPIRATIONAL TV

http://inspirationaltv.net

** Energy for Charity **
Martin de Jong talks to Sister Senolita Vakata rsm about her role as director of Caritas Tonga.

** Easter **
The Passion according to Luke (Luke 23): a reading and discussion with Suzanne O'Rourke and Claire Mullarkey

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NEW ZEALAND CATHOLIC PODCASTS

http://station15.libsyn.com


** Station XV - Episode 30 - Around the world

A great show that takes us all over the world this month! We talk about the debate around adopting the upcoming changes to the Mass missal, the NZ Medical Council losing the plot and forcing Catholic doctors to refer for abortions, how Christian are the Christian Democrats in Germany, atheists failing to get on the bus with their ad campaign copied from the UK, and a French project for dialling in for Confession. Turns out, that's not allowed. Check it out, and follow us on facebook.com/station15


** Familia - Episode 17

Back from our break, this month Familia explores the following questions:

- Is adultery the the "exception" to the Catholic teachings which oppose divorce?
- Do you have any practical tips on how to go about having a family prayer time?
- Can you provide practical advice about raising the birds and the bees with children?
- What do we do if we have a child who doesn't want to go to church anymore?
- Does the Catholic Church have any teachings about whether it should be the husband or the wife who goes out to work and earn money for the family?

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'BEING FRANK' - New Zealand Catholic blogs

http://www.beingfrank.co.nz

** Snares of the Devil (Stephen Versalko and the relief of getting caught)
** 'Homer, I just used our last time-out to call and congratulate you on averting that nuclear holocaust.' (what a lucky species we are)
** Living it up? (on Laetare Sunday, and the need for Liturgical Education)
** Would the muzungu in the house of the Lord please stand up? (at Sunday Mass in Congo)
** Sideshow Dawkins comes to town (the visit of Richard Dawkins)
** How do you figure? (the media and child abuse in the Church)
** Sensible Sentencing? (the Three Strikes legislation)

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NEW ZEALAND COMMENTARIES ON THE SUNDAY READINGS

Living the Word - Fr Frank Bird sm
http://livingtheword.wordpress.com

Reflect - Veronica Lawson RSM
http://www.welcom.org.nz/?sid=394

Daily Reflections (right-hand column)
http://www.maristmessenger.co.nz

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PASTORAL LETTER TO THE CATHOLICS OF IRELAND

Pastoral Letter of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI to the Catholics of Ireland: full text and summary:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20100319_church-ireland_en.html

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

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

Memo to Munich: get it out now
http://ncronline.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/memo-munich-get-it-out-now

Cardinal Sean Brady of Ireland, currently under fire for his role in an investigation of sex abuse claims against a priest in the 1970s, delivered a homily on St. Patrick's Day calling for a "sincere, wholehearted and truthful acknowledgement of our sinfulness," insisting that the Irish bishops must "own up to, and take responsibility for, any mismanagement or cover-up of child abuse." "We have to stop the drip, drip, drip of revelations of failure," Brady said. That's excellent advice, and especially pertinent at the moment for church officials in Munich.

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FACEBOOK

Bishop Pat Dunn's diary
http://www.facebook.com/bishoppatrick

Catholic Discipleship College
http://www.facebook.com/cdcnz

'The Fifteenth Station'
http://www.facebook.com/station15

Youth for Family and Life (YFL) New Zealand
http://ko-kr.facebook.com/pages/Youth-for-Family-and-Life-YFL-New-Zealand/292888828797

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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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EVENTS

Eucharistic Convention 2010
April 9-11 Westlake Boys High Auditorium, Takapuna, North Shore, Auckland Convention Website:
http://www.eucharistic-convention.com/q_2010/q_2010_menu.htm
Convention Social Networking Site: http://eucharist.ning.com

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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 ]

Counsellor, Catholic Social Services, Wellington
http://www.wn.catholic.org.nz/?sid=153
Details in 'Wel-com' March 2010 p.11, and from reception@wn-catholicsocialservices.org.nz Applications close 12 March
2010.