Sunday, August 22, 2021

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NZ CATHOLIC BISHOPS' CONFERENCE

Joyful pandemic-inspired rededication of country to Mary Assumed into Heaven (17 Aug 2021)
Mary is not a magician, Cardinal John Dew quipped when giving the homily at the Mass to rededicate Aotearoa New Zealand to Mary Assumed into Heaven ...

National Liturgy Office thanks all who helped with Mary Rededication Mass
The National Liturgy Office wishes to express our gratitude for the work of everyone who participated in the Rededication Mass last Sunday, 15 August. Especially to those who said 'yes' to the invitation to give generously of their time and gifts ...


** Covid 19 Level 4 restrictions from 11.59pm tonight: All of Aotearoa New Zealand moves to Alert Level 4 from 11.59pm tonight, meaning everyone but essential workers must stay home and keep safe. No Mass or other religious gatherings can take place ... 

** The National Liturgy Office has published  a  page of information to help everyone manage this lockdown period without the usual access to liturgies at church ...

** The new Lockdown has affected the distribution through churches of the printed edition of NZ Catholic issue 621 dated 22 August. Editor Michael Otto and his staff have asked us to share a PDF of this very interesting edition ...

** Pope Francis has tonight made a powerful appeal for people to get vaccinated against Covid-19, calling it "an act of love."

** An urgent request from Caritas for our Haitian brothers and sisters.

** Caritas Aotearoa NZ --  the Catholic Bishops' agency for justice, peace and development -- is seeking an education advisor, nominally based in Wellington ... 

[Many reports and photos from the Rededication of Aotearoa NZ to Mary, Assumed into Heaven follow on this Facebook page]

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'NZ CATHOLIC' 


The full text of issue no. 621, August 22-September 4  2021 is online at:

Summary: Nationwide hikoi for new artwork honouring Mary ... NZ rededicated to 'Mary Assumed into Heaven' ... Truths and legends about Mary's Assumption ... Maori Catholic history well worth knowing ... Fr Neil Vaney: Communicating Christ: 60 years of the Catholic Enquiry Centre ... Guest Editorial: Giving the elderly care and attention ... Bishop Peter Cullinane: Unmoored, features of our Western world's culture ... Legion of Mary 'is an extension of my faith ... Voices lifted to heaven in Jubilate 20212 (Catholic Schools' Music Festival) ... Musicians 'The Stations' sow seeds of faith through music.

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Church services offer chance to worship within household bubble
Church services around the country today will be done virtually as worshippers reacquaint themselves with a Sunday sermon from their lounge room.

Person with Covid-19 linked to two Auckland churches
Parishioners from two Catholic churches in Auckland have to get tested and self-isolate after coming into contact with a Covid-19 case. The positive case and their family members attended services at Saint Therese Catholic Church in Mangere East on August 15 while infectious. Parishioners of Saint Anthony's Catholic Church in Mangere Bridge are also considered contacts of the case. 

Olympic boxer Brian Maunsell, a champion in the ring, and a gentleman in life
So gentlemanly was Brian Maunsell in general life, his family were surprised to hear from boxing contemporaries about his power and ferocity in the ring. "Dad never really talked much about his boxing career. There weren't any photos or certificates on his walls, he was a very humble man, whose main interests were his family and his Catholic faith,'' Martin Maunsell said this week.

Sisters of St Joseph sister Yvonne Munro celebrates 50th jubilee
It's 50 years since Yvonne Munro took her vows to become a Catholic sister. The Palmerston North woman shares her story ...

Retired cleaning supervisor who worked at Wellington Hospital for 34 years receives community award
Taualoa Lalopua Sanele is no stranger to awards. She received a Queen's Service Medal for the Queen's Birthday Honours this year her services to the union movement and Samoan community. But still, she was shocked to receive an Absolutely Positively Wellingtonian Award from the Wellington City Council this year.

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NEWS OF THE SCHOOLS

Covid-19: University of Auckland and two more schools confirm positive tests
Parents of students at De La Salle College in Mangere East and McAuley High School in Otahuhu, have received emails advising there was a positive case at each school..

Tokyo was just the start - Fairweather
After two weeks in MIQ, the 17-year-old Olympic swimming finalist and New Zealand record-holder arrived at Dunedin Airport yesterday afternoon. She passed the time speaking to her family and among her team-mates in MIQ. There were plenty of video chats with friends and videoconference calls to her class at Kavanagh College.

School attire not so uniform anymore
Waitaki Girls' High School will break from tradition next year. The Oamaru secondary school will allow its pupils to wear trousers as part of the school uniform for the first time. St Kevin's was also re-examining its uniform options.

Proud moment receiving award from the Minister of Health
St Peter's College student Lorenzo Chambers received a framed certificate at the Minister of Health's Volunteer Awards in Wellington on Tuesday. The Minister of Health Andrew Little presented the certificate to Chambers in recognition of the care and support he gave young adults and children with disabilities in Arrowtown.

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TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (B)

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The Mass of the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time, celebrated by Monsignor Bernard Kiely at Our Lady of the Assumption parish, Onehunga is broadcast on Auckland Diocese's YouTube channel at: 
and on Shine TV (Freeview channel 25) at 2 pm  and live streamed at: https://www.shinetv.co.nz/videos/live  (only viewable in New Zealand).

The Mass was pre-recorded before the country went into lockdown.

Inspired Word: A video reading and commentary on the gospel of the day by Christine and Frank Nelson:
John 6:60-69   The words of eternal life

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Other New Zealand Commentaries on the Sunday Readings:
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Fr Kevin Waldie SM. Sunday Reflection: 

Sunday homilies of Fr Anthony Trenwith (audio):

Marist Messenger. Daily Reflections: https://www.maristmessenger.co.nz/

Fr Frank Bird sm. Living the Word: Sundays of the Year: Discussion Guide - https://livingtheword.org.nz/

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STATION XV (podcast)


Station XV: Birthday Interview with Bishop Gielen (August 15, 2021)
In a special treat for 15th Station listeners, James interviews Auckland Auxiliary Bishop Michael Gielen as New Zealand marks its patronal feast day: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. That was why this podcast launched on August 15 — all the way back in 2007. Bishop Michael speaks about the re-dedication of New Zealand to Our Lady, the power of prayer and the effects of the pandemic on life and faith. You can find the full August 2021 episode of The 15th Station at www.station15.co.nz 

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CRUX - Edited by John L. Allen Jr. and Inés San Martin


Papal foundation warns of 'bleak future' for religious freedom in Afghanistan
There's an estimated 200 Catholics in Afghanistan – a tiny minority within the minority of around 7,000 Christians – and days after the Taliban took control of the country following the withdrawal of U.S. troops, a papal charity is sounding the alarm over their situation. Aid to the Church in Need said it sees "a black future for religious freedom" in Afghanistan ...

Rule #1 for Vaticanologists: 'Never forget the Vatican is in Italy'
Fans of TV's "NCIS" know that the show's hero, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, has a list of rules he imparts to agents on his team as a distillation of his long experience. Though I've never quite codified them, I suppose I've got a similar list of rules developed over the years about covering the Vatican. Personal favorites include "never assume cunning when incompetence will do", and "better to be right than fast " ...

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EVENTS

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EMPLOYMENT 
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Caritas Aotearoa NZ --  the Catholic Bishops' agency for justice, peace and development -- is seeking an education advisor, nominally based in Wellington.  Position requirements include a teaching qualification, experience of New Zealand curriculum, and familiarity with and commitment to Catholic social teaching. Details at https://caritas.org.nz/get-involved/work-us and at: https://consultusgroup.secure.force.com/RecruitsmeCurrentJobs/ts2__JobDetails?jobId=a0D4y00000lCjhAEAS&tSource=

Teaching vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised on the Website of the Education Gazette: https://gazette.education.govt.nz/vacancies/?Keywords=catholic#results

Vacancies in the Catholic Volunteers Overseas programme: 

Job vacancies in the Catholic diocese of Auckland: https://www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/administration/staff-vacancies/

... and in the Archdiocese of Wellington:

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THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND


The six dioceses:

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New Zealand Catholic 
Periodicals & Newsletters
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'NZ Catholic' is a national newspaper published by the Catholic Bishop of Auckland. https://nzcatholic.org.nz/

Catholic Diocese of Hamilton. 'Kete Korero'. 

Catholic Dioceses of Palmerston North and Wellington. 'Wel-com'  http://www.wn.catholic.org.nz/welcom/

Catholic Diocese of Christchurch. 'Inform'  
https://chchcatholic.nz/?sid=25 (Latest news - Latest Inform)

Catholic Diocese of Dunedin. Pastoral Newsletter

The Nathaniel Centre. The New Zealand Catholic Bioethics Centre. 'The Nathaniel Report' http://www.nathaniel.org.nz/

NZ Catholic Education Office. 'Lighting New Fires' 

St Columban's Mission Society. 'The Far East' 

Society of Mary. 'Marist Messenger' 

Society of Saint Vincent de Paul NZ. News in Brief:  

'Tui Motu Interislands'. An independent Catholic magazine. 

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Facebook
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NZ Catholic Bishops' Conference

Catholic Discovery NZ (Catholic Enquiry Centre)

'NZ Catholic' newspaper

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand

Holy Cross Seminary

Marist Seminary, Auckland NZ

Society of St Vincent de Paul NZ

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News of the Church 
in NZ and the World
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