*******************************************

'NZ CATHOLIC' - WAITANGI DAY SPECIAL ISSUE

For Waitangi Day (February 6), the 'NZ Catholic' newspaper has published a
special issue on the Treaty of Waitangi (1840), the historic agreement
between Maori and the British Crown which marked the founding of the modern
nation of New Zealand. In this issue ...

Setting the scene: Aotearoa pre-1840 ... Fears alleviated, chiefs sign
Treaty ... The three articles of the Treaty of Waitangi ... The
controversial "Fourth Article" on religious freedom ... The Treaty: is it a
sacred covenant? ... Easy way for parishes to honour Treaty ... Church has
several obligations under the Treaty ... Varied responses over 166 long
years ... Pompallier - controversial, influential at Waitangi meetings ...
But were Pompallier's opinions about the Treaty of Waitangi correct? ...
Maori Christians retain their heritage ... January 13 touted a 'national
Catholic day' ... Church has spoken often about Treaty ... Treaty is a
'blessing' for Aotearoa New Zealand ... Treaty progress requires
information, trust .. Partnership on show at Korokoro cemetry .. Catholics:
part of the Treaty solution or part of the Treaty problem ... Schools must
expand bicultural focus ... Open dialogue and question Treaty stereotypes
... A beginner's guide to Treaty settlements

**********************************************************

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Trade officials on alert after media show Mohammed cartoons
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/0,2106,3562478a6005,00.html
[Don Brash compares the cartoon controversy with the 'Virgin in a condom'
incident]

Cartoons 'test of Islamic tolerance'
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/0,2106,3561260a6000,00.html
"If we allow Christianity and more particularly the Catholic Church and the
Pope to be satirised, and we do, should Islam be treated differently?"

The selective mockery game, by Rosemary McLeod
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3559677a16077,00.html
[This article begins with a detailed description of an offensive reference
to Our Lady in the forthcoming television programme 'South Park'. I have
included it in 'News & Notes' because the writer is sympathetic to
Christians who see their faith ridiculed, and argues that the mass media
wouldn't dare do the same to certain prominent non-religious groups and
persons. ML]

Vatican: Don't mock any religion
http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20060203-024326-2031r.htm
The Vatican Friday criticized western media for inflaming the Muslim world
by running derogatory cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed...

Deus Caritas Est (editorial)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,2106,3560016a6528,00.html
There is little sign of God's rottweiler in Pope Benedict XVI's first
encyclical, a surprisingly insightful and sensitive treatise on the nature
of love that has caused many to rethink their opinion of the new Pontiff,
writes The Press in an editorial...

Departed nun to be honoured
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/southlandtimes/0,2106,3560002a6568,00.html
Southlanders have a chance to pay tribute to Sister Gregory, a Sisters of
Mercy nun who lived in the province most of her life and died at the age of
90 in Dunedin last month. Sr Gregory's Requiem Mass was celebrated in
Dunedin by her cousin, Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin,
Southland-born Father Len Boyle...

Brothel GP considered G. Island job
Otago Daily Times
http://tinyurl.com/bgfm7
The family doctor planning to open a brothel had previously inquired about
joining the practice of a Dunedin doctor who does not prescribe the
contraceptive pill because of her Catholic beliefs...

Studios not allowed (photo)
http://tinyurl.com/8vjdx
Planners for the Dunedin City Council are recommending no further
residential redevelopment of the historic former St Josephs hall in Rattray
St...

Priest says farewell to parish ‘family’ (photo)
http://tinyurl.com/8gwvg
Cromwell priest Fr Mervyn McGettigan said goodbye at the weekend to
congregations which have become more like family in the past seven years. Fr
McGettigan (71) has spent the past seven years looking after the parishes of
the Cromwell and Wanaka Catholic churches...

Religious leaders want South Park episode banned
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3555596a1869,00.html
Christian and Muslim church leaders have rallied to stop a South Park
episode that depicts the Virgin Mary bleeding from going to air...

Prepare to be amazed
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dailynews/0,2106,3561481a6551,00.html
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat promises to be a sensational
show at the Bowl [New Plymouth] next weekend.

100 by the grace of God (photo)
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=36583
[The life of Sister Mary Theophile, Superior of the Missionary Sisters of
the Society of Mary in New Zealand during the Second World War.] [This
Website might not be functioning for a brief period on Sunday afternoon.
Normal service should be restored after 3 pm.]

Vatican may have found Pope John Paul's "miracle"
http://tinyurl.com/brdos
Vatican City, Jan 30 (Reuter) - The Vatican may have found the "miracle"
they need to put the late Pope John Paul one step closer to sainthood -- the
medically inexplicable healing of a French nun with the same Parkinson's
disease that afflicted him...

Inquisition was a mistake but legally justified, claims Vatican official
http://tinyurl.com/89fbg
The Vatican is preparing for fresh controversy over the Inquisition after
allowing an official to appear in a television documentary to offer a
defence of the "Holy Terror".

Reporters often not prepared to write about religion
http://www.adn.com/24hour/opinions/story/3126780p-11831629c.html
... During an interview, Father Richard John Neuhaus referred to the pope as
the "bishop of Rome." The reporter said, "That raises an interesting point.
Is it unusual that this pope is also the bishop of Rome?" ...

****************************************************

FROM THE CATHOLIC NEWS AGENCIES

Nuncio in Iraq: The Situation Is Insecure. Interview With Archbishop
Fernando Filoni
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83800
Baghdad, Iraq, FEB. 1, 2006 (Zenit.org).- "Thank God, we survived," said
Archbishop Fernando Filoni, apostolic nuncio in Iraq, after a car bomb
exploded near the nunciature in Baghdad on Sunday...

"Europe for Christ!" -- a Project to Restore Hope
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83661
Rome, JAN. 30, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Historian Martin Kugler, author of a
thesis on "Christians' Resistance to Nazism," and his wife, Gudrun
Kugler-Lang, have launched a project called "Europe for Christ!" The
project's objective is to embolden Christians in order to help them
influence the development of Europe. In this interview with ZENIT, the
director of Kairos, a non-profit enterprise advising organizations, explains
the project in detail.

****************************************************

THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERS

Oceania Christian Brothers Face The Future With Energy
http://www.edmundclt.org/oceania_conference.htm
350 Christian Brothers from Papua New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia â€"
the biggest conference of Brothers ever assembled â€" gathered at St Leo’s
College of the University of Queensland from January 3 to 10. The assembly
was titled A New Heart for a New Land â€" yumi wantaim, and was organised as
part of the Brothers’ desire to shape the future of the Congregation in
Oceania...

The Edmund Rice Network and the Christian Brothers in New Zealand:
http://www.edmundrice.org.nz

************************************************************************

"THE WORD FROM ROME"

http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/

A weekly column by the National Catholic Reporter's full-time correspondent
in Rome, John L. Allen Jr.

This week ...
African Catholicism; Notre Dame president on striking the proper balance
between Catholic identity and academic freedom; On Catholic education:
Fisichella, Jenkins, Jenky; The latest on Lefebvrites; The future of the
Holy Land; Jesuits called to elect new superior

*************************************************************************

EMPLOYMENT

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

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

Live-in support person, Mt Tabor Community, Auckland.
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan. 29-Feb. 4 2006, p. 23, and from Lorr, tel:
(09) 420 6184 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (09) 420
6184 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Religious Education Adviser, - Primary schools, Catholic Eeducation Office,
Diocese of Palmerston North
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan. 29-Feb. 4 2006, p. 23, and from Geoff Lott,
Manager, Education Office, Private Bag 11012, Palmerston North. Tel: (06)
358-8079, ext. 852. E-mail: glott@pndiocese.org.nz Website:
http://www.pn.catholic.org.nz/?sid=159 Applications close 17 February 2006

Lay pastoral co-ordinator - St Anne's Parish, Wanganui East
Lay pastoral worker - St Mary's Parish, Wanganui -
http://www.stmaryswanganui.org.nz
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan. 29-Feb. 4 2006, p. 23, and from Palmerston
North Diocesan Office, Private Bag 11 012, Palmerston North. Applications
close 20 Feb. 2006

****************************************************

'NZ CATHOLIC' Issue 231, Jan. 29-Feb. 4, 2006

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz

On the feast of Saint Francis de Sales, patron of journalists, New Zealand’s
national Catholic newspaper launched its re-designed website:
http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz . The site offers an abundance local and
international news together with daily Mass readings and links to syndicated
columnists. For founding Editor Pat McCarthy, “the aim was to develop a
vision for the NZ Catholic site that would be complementary to the newspaper
and support its mission. Most of the content of NZ Catholic newspaper will
not appear on the website and most of the website content will not be in the
paper�. For his part Webmaster James Bergin believes the website will be a
huge asset to Catholics throughout New Zealand. “This website is a big step
forward for the Catholic Church in New Zealand. Every NZ Catholic now has an
invaluable information asset that I’m sure will continue for many years to
come to help spread the message of Christ and his Church�. (adapted from a
report by Fides Service)

'NZ Catholic launches new website' (photo)
http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz

In the print edition of issue 231 ...

NATIONAL
Abortion’s mental health risk seen ... Samoans mourn beloved cardinal ...
Papal medal for 90-year-old who still serves daily Mass ... Bishops look at
English translations ... “Tasteless� TV show opposed ... Auckland clergy
changes ... Was this John Paul II’s cap? ... Bishop receives high honour ...
Nun’s community service acknowledged with QSM ... Layman for new role as
bishop’s deputy for pastoral plan ... New book from bishop ... Fr
Fitzpatrick dies in Dunedin ... Waimea West celebrates 150th jubilee ...
Jail term for abuser ... Columbans celebrate ERO File

FEATURES
Revamped website goes live ... White Christmas on “the Ice� with sun at
midnight Mass ... Mysterious builder of staircase was not St Joseph ... Lay
community takes on a new challenge ... Enquiry Centre is outreach to
“unchurched� ... TV hymn programme to get new presenter ... New premises for
Pacific Bible Society ... Sworn to guard the Pope ... Artist says “thank
you� for agency’s support

OPINION
Ronald Rolheiser: The litmus test for being Christian ... Bernard Moran:
Epitaph for the 18,211 ... Areti Metuamate: An email to Bishop Max Takuira
Mariu from a young friend ... Editorial: Insult to Mary not a laughing
matter ... Letters, ... Malcolm Evans ... Vatican Letter: Extreme makeover,
Vatican edition

INTERNATIONAL
Courageous, caring priests are needed ... Millions of children exploited or
abandoned ... Chinese soften view of Church ... Judas not being absolved ...
EU states threatened ... Archives now online ... Abortion restriction
supported ... First encyclical will be on love ... “Active� lay role backed
by Pope ... World Day of Sick to be in Adelaide ... Bishop calls for
celibacy debate ... Way is clear for 43 beatifications ... “God never leaves
us alone� ... Dissident parish is suppressed ... Holy See ratifies protocol
... Red tape for sandwiches ... US bishop urges self-rule for Iraq ...
Killed at Christmas ... Pope lists threats to peace ... Theme chosen for WYD
in Sydney ... The Pope: Finding Christ is the secret ... Ali Agca is out of
jail ... Attempt to sue Pope fails ... Catholic politician shot at Mass ...
Crime took a holiday ... Family and life again defended ... Divorce “not a
sin�

REGULAR FEATURES
Think Page, Books, Monitor, Tape Deck, Net Scene, Clips, Scripture, Papal
Prayer, The Doolans, Family Talk, Photo Prayer, That Word!, Holy Lives, Kit’s
Corner, Cryptic Crossword, Caption Contest, Who Said?, 40 Years Ago, Wit’s
End.

Advertising Feature: Sisters of St Joseph

**********************************************************

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Thousands drop in for another Parachute festival
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3554002a1860,00.html
They come for the atmosphere. Young families, couples and grandparents say
it's what brings them back to Christian music festival Parachute...

Hardcore for Jesus
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3553702a6578,00.html
[A Catholic couple have a negative view of the Parachute Festival]

The Church’s first Polynesian Bishop Cardinal Pius Taofinu’u returns to the
House of the Father
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=6573&lan=eng
Apia (Fides Service) - “He was a man of inculturation, a charismatic leader
who led the local Churches of Oceania to maturity� said Fr. Jan Hulshof,
Prepositer General of the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers), recalling
Cardinal Pius Taofinu’u, a member of the Society of Mary and former
Archbishop of Samoa-Apia who died on 19 January at the age of 82..

Learning to obey and be humble
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=35712
Petero Mataca would have died at the hands of his father if fate had not
intervened in the form of an aunt.
He was only four years old when he accidentally set the family bure on fire.
That was a turning point in his life.
Today, he is the Archbishop of the Catholic Church in Fiji with a
congregation of about 84,000 people...

Call for Da Vinci ban (full text)
New Zealand Herald
Controversial Catholic group Opus Dei has called for the forthcoming film
The Da Vinci Code to be given an adult rating to prevent children being
influenced by its "insidious lies" about the Catholic Church. "Just as we
protect children from explicit sex and violence, it would seem to make sense
to protect them from violence that is more subtle and thus more insidious,"
spokesman Marc Carroggio said. "Any adult with a minimum of education can
distinguish reality from fiction. But when history is manipulated, you
cannot expect a child to make proper judgments."

"Da Vinci Code" -- a Blessing for Opus Dei?
http://www.opusdei.org/art.php?w=32&s=282
Marc Carroggio, who oversees Opus Dei's relations with the international
media, is interviewed about his perspective on the film The Da Vinci Code
that will come out in theaters later this year...

Hell is a state
http://www.signandsight.com/features/530.html
A talk with Catholic exorcist Pedro Barrajon about demons, the nature of
evil and exorcism today...

Pope urges Vatican tribunal to speed up rulings on marriage annulments
http://www.mytelus.com/news/article.do?pageID=world_home&articleID=2156003
Vatican City (AP) - Acknowledging concern about the plight of divorced
Catholics, Pope Benedict appealed to a Vatican tribunal Saturday to issue
"rapid" rulings on annulment requests...

Tiny army 500 years old (photo)
Otago Daily Times
http://tinyurl.com/dcv3g
Vatican City: The Swiss Guard, the world’s smallest army, celebrated its
500th anniversary as protectors of the world’s smallest state on Sunday with
a regal Vatican City celebration blessed by the Pope...

****************************************************************

ASIANEWS.IT

Remembering the Shoah to understand Israel, by David-Maria A. Jaeger
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5226
On the day dedicated by the international community to the memory of the
Holocaust, it is also necessary to remember Nazis and the silent connivance
of the West. Whatever the criticisms against Israel be, its legitimacy
cannot be denied. A testimony...

Palestine, Catholic Fatah member elected to parliament; a path to peace is
still possible
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5233

*****************************************************************

'DEUS CARITAS EST' ('GOD IS LOVE')

The full text of Pope Benedict's first encyclical:
http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83355

- Summaries of the encyclical -

http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5213

http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83409

- Commentary on the Encyclical -

- - From the Catholic press and news agencies - -

“Deus caritas est�: God’s eros and agape, medicine for the world, by
Bernardo Cervellera
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=5214

Benedict XVI's Surprising Encyclical. Interview With Father Thomas Williams,
Theology Dean
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83417

Movie Director Liliana Cavani on New Encyclical. "Without Love There Is No
Life"
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83478

- - From the secular press - -

Praise in Germany for Benedict's first encyclical
Expatica.com (Germany)
http://tinyurl.com/98p7a

The Pope's Labor of Love
Der Speigel (Germany)
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,397319,00.html

Pope surprises Catholics with warm words on power of love
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1694948,00.html

**********************************************************************

CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS NZ - MEDIA RELEASE

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

Pope Benedict's first message to mark World Communications Day 2006 (5 Jan
2006)
On Tuesday 24 January (the feast of the patron saint of journalists, St
Francis de Sales) Pope Benedict issued his first message to mark the 40th
World Communications Day. This will be observed on Sunday 28 May, 2006...

************************************************************************

"THE WORD FROM ROME"

http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/

A weekly column by the National Catholic Reporter's full-time correspondent
in Rome, John L. Allen Jr.

This week ...
The first encyclical; What the encyclical says about Benedict; Reactions to
Deus Caritas Est: Cordes, Wolfensohn, and George; Copyrighting the pope's
words; The family and economics; Australian government honours Fr. Gerald
O'Collins sj

********************************************************************************

EMPLOYMENT

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

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

Live-in support person, Mt Tabor Community, Auckland.
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan. 29-Feb. 4 2006, p. 23, and from Lorr, tel:
(09) 420 6184 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (09) 420
6184 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Religious Education Adviser, - Primary schools, Catholic Eeducation Office,
Diocese of Palmerston North
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan. 29-Feb. 4 2006, p. 23, and from Geoff Lott,
Manager, Education Office, Private Bag 11012, Palmerston North. Tel: (06)
358-8079, ext. 852. E-mail: glott@pndiocese.org.nz Website:
http://www.pn.catholic.org.nz/?sid=159 Applications close 17 February 2006

Lay pastoral co-ordinator - St Anne's Parish, Wanganui East
Lay pastoral worker - St Mary's Parish, Wanganui -
http://www.stmaryswanganui.org.nz
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Jan. 29-Feb. 4 2006, p. 23, and from Palmerston
North Diocesan Office, Private Bag 11 012, Palmerston North. Applications
close 20 Feb. 2006

********************************************

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Catholic Church in both Samoas mourning the loss of Cardinal Pio Taofinuu
Radio New Zealand International
http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=21709
The Catholic Church in both Samoas is mourning the loss of Cardinal Pio
Taofinuu. The cardinal died at the age of 82 after midnight last night in
Apia. Cardinal Pio was the first Pacific Islander to be ordained Cardinal...

Ban corpse exhibition, says Church
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=00057621-447C-13CF-A73583027A\
F1010E
Critics want a controversial exhibition featuring skinned human corpses to
be banned before it reaches New Zealand. Michael McCabe, director of the
Catholic Church's Nathaniel Centre for bio-ethics, said the exhibition
crossed a moral and ethical line and should be banned.

$6000 raised for setting up new school (photo)
Otago Daily Times
http://tinyurl.com/c8k6t
Hundreds of vintage items and collectibles were snapped up by keen buyers at
yesterday’s vintage fair fund-raiser for Wanaka’s first Catholic school.

Volunteers needed for refugee families
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/manawatustandard/0,2106,3541084a6869,00.html
Volunteers are being sought to help welcome and work with Congolese refugee
families due to arrive in Palmerston North in March. The RMS Refugee
Resettlement group will help settle the newcomers.

Sensitive C4 nervous at screening church send-up
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=0001543E-D435-13CC-81D583027A\
F1010E
C4 is weighing up whether to go head-to-head with the Catholic Church again
by screening an episode of South Park featuring the Virgin Mary...

[The following story is not available on the newspaper's free Website. It
can be read at the public library and via the libraires 'Newztext' service
for borrowers]
Popetown survives further criticism
The Dominion Post â€" News â€" 16 Jan 2006 â€" Page 8 (also in: The Timaru
erald â€" News â€" 16 Jan 2006 â€" Page 2)
Another complaint from upset viewers regarding the cartoon series Popetown
has been rejected by the Broadcasting Standards Authority. A Te Awamutu
couple complained the cartoon which screens on C4 and set in a fictional
Vatican city, was grossly offensive to members of the Catholic Church and
other Christians...

**********************************************************************

CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS NZ - MEDIA RELEASE

Bishops from around English-speaking world meet in Auckland
http://www.cathcom.org.nz
A member from each of eleven Conferences of Catholic Bishops was in New
Zealand this week, for one of the twice-yearly meetings of the International
Commission for English in the Liturgy (ICEL) which was hosted in Auckland...

*********************************************************************

FROM 'ZENIT' NEWS AGENCY

Hospital in Nazareth: A Bastion of Healing and Hope
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=82871
Nazareth, Israel, Jan. 16, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Friar Serafino Acernozzi
thinks that the Holy Family Hospital in Nazareth is doing more than just
heal bodies. "We are a living proof that coexistence is possible," said the
prior of the hospital, a facility run by the Brothers of St. John of God and
by the nuns of the Child Mary congregation. "No one tends to love or hate
genetically. Man fears only what he doesn't know," Friar Acernozzi
affirmed...

In Nazareth, Handicapped Kids Are Right at Home
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=83087
Nazareth, Israel, JAN. 19, 2006 (Zenit.org).- Father Marco Riva, an Italian
priest of Don Guanella's Work for handicapped children, talks excitedly
about his venture in Israel. Every day, in the center of Nazareth, a town of
100,000, a special school opens its doors to Arab children of the Holy Land.

***********************************************************************

SUMMER READING AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY

These books can be borrowed from many public libraries, or requested via
Interloan. Shelf numbers may vary.

The confession, by Sheldon Siegel.
Fiction: Mystery/Detective SIEG
Summary: Mike Daley doesn't go to confession much since he left the
priesthood twenty years ago and became a lawyer, but that doesn't stop his
old friend Father Ramon Aguirre from trying to get him there. "It wouldn't
kill you to go to church once in a while," he says. But it does kill
someone. For several months, a ruinous sexual harassment suit has been
building against the San Francisco Catholic archdiocese, and when the
plaintiff's lawyer is found dead, an apparent suicide, an almost audible
sigh of relief is heard in certain quarters. But that is before the police
find evidence of murder.

Shadowplay : the hidden beliefs and coded politics of William Shakespeare,
by Clare Asquith.
822.33 SHA ASQ
Summary: In sixteenth-century England many loyal subjects of the Crown were
asked to make a terrible choice: serve their monarch or their God. Clare
Asquith traces the common code used covertly by dissident writers in the
sixteenth century to discuss the tribulations of their time, and reveals
that the acknowledged master of this forgotten art form was William
Shakespeare.

Bloody Falls of the Coppermine : madness, murder, and the collision of
cultures in the Arctic, 1913, by McKay Jenkins.
364.1523 JEN
Summary: In the winter of 1913, high in the Canadian Arctic, two Catholic
priests set out on a dangerous mission to do what no white men had ever
attempted: reach a group of utterly isolated Eskimos and convert them.
Farther and farther north the priests trudged, through a frigid and bleak
country known as the Barren Lands, until they reached the place where the
Coppermine River dumps into the Arctic Ocean. Their fate, as well as the
fate of the people they hoped to teach about God, was about to take a tragic
turn.

Land and place : spiritualities from Aotearoa New Zealand = He whenua, he
wähi, edited by Helen Bergin and Susan Smith.
248 LAN
Note: Companion collection to "He kupu whakawairua :spirituality in Aotearoa
New Zealand :Catholic voices. "Our focus now moves from personal Catholic
stories to the land of Aotearoa, the place where we live"

************************************************************************

"THE WORD FROM ROME"

http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/

A weekly column by the National Catholic Reporter's full-time correspondent
in Rome, John L. Allen Jr.

This week ...
First encyclical nearly ready; The hard work of ecumenism; Prospects for a
consistory ; Duties shift from State to other congregations; The annulment
process: New twist in evolution debate; Short takes on ecumenism and wealth

*******************************************************************************

EVENTS

Parachute Music Festival, Mystery Creek, Hamilton, 28-31 January 2006

http://websites.parachutemusic.com/festival/2005/default_noflash.asp

********************************************************************************

EMPLOYMENT

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

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

Adviser, Archdiocesan Office of Justice, Peace and Development, Wellington
Website: http://wn.catholic.org.nz/justicepeacedevelopment.html
Details in 'Wel-com' December 2005, p. 5 and from: Lorraine McArthur,
Director, Archdiocesan Pastoral Services, Catholic Centre, P O Box 1937,
Wellington 6015. E-mail: l.mcarthur@wn.catholic.org.nz; tel. (04) 496
1706 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (04) 496 1706
end_of_the_skype_highlighting;
fax: (04) 496 1768 Applications close 23 January 2006.

****************************************************

FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Hunger to help earns 2005 award
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/nelsonmail/0,2106,3536927a6007,00.html
Nelson's Luigina Del Favero has more hungry mouths to feed than most. For
the past decade she has fed thousands of people as a volunteer cook at
Loaves and Fishes and helped countless others as a St Vincent de Paul
member...

Jubilation as Brown Joeys celebrate life of loving service
The Australian http://tinyurl.com/cjnef
In Mount St, North Sydney, last Friday, at the headquarters of the Sisters
of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart - the order formed by Mary McKillop in 1866
and otherwise known from the colour of the sisters' habits as the Brown
Joeys - 42 nuns celebrated the 50th anniversary of taking their vows.
Imagine that: 42 women joining a single religious order in a single year and
adhering for half a century to undertakings to be poor, chaste and
obedient...

The Pope chooses theme for World Youth Day 2008
http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=6504&lan=eng
Sydney (Fides Service) - “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you will be my witnesses� (Acts 1:8) is the theme the
Pope Benedict XVI has chosen for the 23rd World Youth Day to be held 15 - 20
July 2008 in Sydney, Australia. Welcoming the theme with full approval,
Australia’s Catholics are accelerating preparations for the great event
which will bring young Christians from all over the world to the ‘Newest’ of
the continents...

From Anglican to married Catholic priest, by Gregory Elder
http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/religion/ci_2896968
I am pleased and humbled to announce that my bishop, the Most Rev. Gerald R.
Barnes of the Diocese of San Bernardino, has received permission from Rome
to ordain me to the Catholic priesthood. I will be the first canonically
ordained and married Catholic priest in the history of this diocese, or
province, of the Catholic community. Perhaps a word of personal history is
in order here...

********************************************************

WORLD NEWS OF THE CHURCH

From 'The Tablet' (UK)

Rome offers reassurance to anxious Neo-Cats
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/citw.cgi/past-00264

Reject ‘culture of death’, says Pope
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/citw.cgi/past-00264#ROME

Archbishop upbraids Benedict over Zimbabwe
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/citw.cgi/past-00264#AFRICA

Priest granted trial after 20 years
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/citw.cgi/past-00264#AMERICAS

JPII’s would-be killer to go free
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/citw.cgi/past-00264#EUROPE

*************************

From Catholic Communications NZ

http://www.cathcom.org.nz

Catholic rebels see slow reconciliation with Rome ... Gay activists protest
outside Vatican ... US bishops call for ‘responsible transition’ in Iraq ...
Survey says Christians more generous if taught to give ... Life Office hails
ban on suicide messaging ... Civil authorities obliged to care for families,
elderly, sick, and unborn, says Pope ... Catholic doctors highlight
'dysfunctional' finding on pill ... Human Fragility Points Up God's
Grandeur, Says Pope

********************************************************************************

'INFORM' - THE NEWSLETTER OF THE DIOCESE OF CHRISTCHURCH

http://www.chch.catholic.org.nz/?sid=25

In the December 2005 issue ...

Reliquary of St Therese of Lisieux ... Letter from Bishop John Cunneen ...
Deceased founders and benefactors of the cathedral ... Bill and Jan
Woffenden: a question of faithful service ... Little Company of Mary's new
initiative: Mary Potter Volunteers ... The Institute of Charity: A Rosminian
lay group ... Around the parishes ... Mercy Sisters - A new congregation ...
Divine Mercy ... Diocesan Youth Team news ... Catholic Women's League ...
Around the schools ... Report from World Youth Day ... Quote of the month
... "God works in strange ways": the story of a Sister of Nazareth

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MARIST BROTHERS' NEWSLETTERS

***************************

Marist Family Newsletter, December 2005

http://www.maristbrothers.org.nz/Marist%20Family%20News.htm

Ideals Are Like Stars
The Wise Men came following a star to find the Infant. This reflection from
St Paul’s College magazine, also urges us to follow the ideal...

News of the Brothers: Lawrence Bennett (Auckland); Tainga Moanriba
(Kiribati); Tim Leen (Fiji); Gerard Mahony (Sacred Heart College,
Auckland); Sam Eathorne; Kevin Dobbyn; Chris Maney; Bryan Stanaway; Brian
Mackenzie

Layman Robin O'Neill affiliated to the Province ... Oceania survey for the
Marist International Mission Asembly ... The Grove Community: New residents

Moving: Brothers Tim Leen, Gerard Mahony, Sam Eathorne, Kevin Dobbyn, Chris
Maney, Bryan Stanaway, Mr Alan Parker (Co-ordinator of Lay Partnership),
Brother Brian Mackenzie

2005 Jubilees - New Zealand Province ... Transition. The end of the year
will see the Brothers leaving ministries in Tonga, Fiji, Kaitaia, Panguru
... Recent deaths ... Dignity of Difference - a reflection by Jonathon Sacks
... Christmas Blessings

***************************

Schools' Champagnat Newsletter, November 2005

http://www.maristbrothers.org.nz/Champagnat%20News.htm

Our Lady of the New Advent: icon and prayer ... The candles of the Advent
wreath. A prayer while lighting the candle.

For those who surf the internet………...
The New Zealand Marist Brothers’ website http://www.maristbrothers.org.nz
includes background material on our Founder, St Marcellin Champagnat, the
history of New Zealand Marist education throughout New Zealand and the
Pacific, links to Marist Young Adult and worldwide Marist sites, contact
persons and addresses of schools ...

A Prayer in Times of Need ... From here and there : news of Marist schools
... St Paul’s College Golden Jubilee

Memorare - Remember, O Most Loving Virgin Mary, by Br Tony Butler
There are several prayers to Mary which have long held a special place in
the hearts of the Catholic people. These prayers include the 'Memorare', the
'Hail Holy Queen' and the 'We Fly to Thy Patronage', and they are special to
those who follow Mary in the Champagnat way...

The Marist Pillars. Schools in their planning could be selecting a Marist
Pillar or Characteristic for 2006. There are five of these...

************************************************************************

THE NATHANEL REPORT

The Nathaniel Centre. The NZ Catholic Bioethics Centre

http://www.nathaniel.org.nz/?sid=5

In Issue seventeen

Personhood and Human Dignity (full text)
Some are predicting that the traditional view of the sanctity of human life
will collapse because of scientific developments. Michael McCabe reflects on
the increasing tension between secular and traditional Judeo-Christian
morality...

Also in this issue ...

Editorial: Decisions, decisions …
We make many small decisions daily, often without a lot of thought.
Collectively they reveal a pattern. Wisdom calls us to take stock of the
collective effects of our decisions. The new Universal Declaration on
Bioethics and Human Rights is the result of global stocktaking of recent
biotechnological and medical advances.

Spirituality, Suffering and Dementia
The impact of dementia on patient and family presents significant challenges
for carers. How best can we respect the human dignity that remains in its
fullness even when particular predicates of personhood are clearly lacking?
Michael McCabe discusses the need for a holistic understanding of suffering
that embraces the spiritual.

End-of-Life Care
In Australia there are moves in public hospitals and in the Catholic
health-care system to encourage planning for one's future healthcare needs.
In this article Australian bioethicist Elizabeth Hepburn (IBVM) reflects on
a new document being prepared by a committee of the Australian Catholic
Bishops' Conference.

The Pursuit of Wisdom
We live in a knowledge based economy that values information but pays scant
attention to wisdom. Dr. Anna Holmes reflects on the differences between
knowledge and wisdom and the need to bring wisdom to the work we do.

From CD 2 MP3 4 Free? The Principle of Moral Cooperation
It is common for us to find ourselves in situations where doing “good�
simultaneously involves us in causing harm. At times we are called to make
compromises and at other times we are called to make a stand. The classical
principle of Moral Cooperation can assist us in resolving such dilemmas.

************************************************************

TUI MOTU INTERISLANDS

An independent Catholic magazine

http://www.tuimotu.org

In the December 2005 issue ...

Editorial: Christmas (full text)
"A child is born. No event in life surpasses a baby’s birth for sheer
wonderment, thankfulness and delight. It is no surprise, therefore, that
throughout the Christian world Christmas is the feast of feasts..."

About the cover: The Marian College Triptych (photos)
The triptych is in the chapel of Marian College, Christchurch. It was
painted by one of the teachers, Ken Frame. The three painted panels of this
portable altarpiece depict the three major events in the life of Mary...

Also in this issue ...

What yet might be â€" Mike Riddell ... Thoughts on Advent â€" Joy Cowley ...
Sexuality and a truly human civilisation â€" Neil Vaney ... De Paul House:
Haven for the homeless â€" Annie Gray ... Letter to the Holy See â€" Humphrey
O’Leary
... Book reviews: â€" Kathleen Doherty, Elspeth McLean, John Kleinsman

***************************************************************

NEWS OF THE SOCIETY OF ST VINCENT DE PAUL

http://www.svdp.org.nz/?sid=3

Honorary Human Resources Advisor
We welcome Ruth Tansley to the Society as the Honorary Human Resources
Officer. Ruth feels in terms of employment, that the Society has to follow
the same procedure as a big organisations like Telecom ...

How you made a difference
Volunteer hours worked by Vincnetians last year equated to 50 full time
workers, each of whom would have helped seven people and vistied five others
each working day...

Youth Camp a HUGE success
2005 was a busy year for the National Youth Team, with 2 camps being held in
the North and South Island. In July we held the South Island Vinnies camp
with the North Island Youth Co-ordinators ...

PANASCO 6
The Vincentian Vocation is a Globalising World, will be theme for this
Panasco 6 held in Perth Western Australia, 20-24 January 2006. Invited
countries are: Australia (host), Bangladesh, Brunei ...

***********************************************************************

"THE WORD FROM ROME"

http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/

A weekly column by the National Catholic Reporter's full-time correspondent
in Rome, John L. Allen Jr.

This week ...

"Commitment to truth is the soul of justice", Benedict XVI says; Ali Agca
and the plot to kill a pope; Pope meets with the Neocatechumenal Way;
Ethical issues facing Benedict XVI

*******************************************************************************

EVENTS

Parachute Music Festival, Mystery Creek, Hamilton, 28-31 January 2006

http://websites.parachutemusic.com/festival/2005/default_noflash.asp

********************************************************************************

EMPLOYMENT

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

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

Adviser, Archdiocesan Office of Justice, Peace and Development, Wellington
Website: http://wn.catholic.org.nz/justicepeacedevelopment.html
Details in 'Wel-com' December 2005, p. 5 and from: Lorraine McArthur,
Director, Archdiocesan Pastoral Services, Catholic Centre, P O Box 1937,
Wellington 6015. E-mail: l.mcarthur@wn.catholic.org.nz; tel. (04) 496
1706 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (04) 496 1706
end_of_the_skype_highlighting;
fax: (04) 496 1768 Applications close 23 January 2006.

Presenters, 'NZ Catholic' newspaper
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Dec. 18-24 2005 p.15, and from Dennis Augustine,
Promotions and Advertising Manager, 'NZ Catholic', PO Box 147-000, Ponsonby,
Auckland 1034. Tel. (09) 360 3049 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
(09) 360 3049 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; e-mail:
advertising.nzcatholic@iconz.co.nz

****************************************************

'NZ CATHOLIC'

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz

No. 230, December 25, 2005 - January 28, 2006

[This is the last issue of 'NZ Catholic' for 2005. The next one will be published on 29 January, a few days after the launch of the paper's new Website.]

Bishop Mariu farewelled Waihi Village - The breadth of Bishop Max Takuira Matthew Mariu's reach was evident as thousands of people converged on the southern shores of Lake Taupo to remember the Catholic Church's first Maori bishop....

Korean church opened Wellington - More than 1000 Korean Catholics attended the opening of their new $5 million church at Bishop Dunn Place in East Tamaki on December 18....

New managing editor for NZ Catholic Auckland - Gavin Abraham, who joined NZ Catholic as assistant editor in March, has been appointed managing editor....

Also in this issue ...

NATIONAL Mercy amalgamation complete ... Bishop announces Dunedin pastoral areas, clergy changes ... National calendar for 2006 ... One new priest ordained in 2005 ... Brothers look to the future ... Christmas crib for Croatians

FEATURES The Bible as history is astonishingly accurate ... A convent girl remembers school in Greymouth ... Did St Joseph the carpenter build this staircase?... The Carol of the Cradle-o ... Turning back the tsunami's damage ... Double celebration for Fairlie parish ... Papal awards to 14 people in Christchurch ... Cathedral will be venue for musical on Jesus ... "Safe-sex" message blamed for abortion rise ... What the Church has done for science is at last recognised

OPINION Josephine Kamsvaag: Big Wall threatens "Little Town" - but Kiwis can help... Ronald Rolheiser: The earthiness of Christmas ... Parish Diary: Reconciliation smorgasbord ... Editorial: Let's proclaim the feast of Christmas ... Malcolm Evans ... Letters

INTERNATIONAL Bad driving should be confessed ... Pope says true spirit of Christmas is being assaulted ... Pell warns gangs not to target Christians ... Human dignity and rights not the same ... Humanitarian law applies even in war ... Marriage law attacked ... Innocent Iraqis die ... Tiny Irish Anglican church equals Catholic vocations ... In Brief

REGULAR FEATURES Media Monitor, Clips, Books, Doolans, Young Adults, Kit's Corner, Scripture, Feasts, Photo Prayer, Holiday Crossword, Caption Contest, Who Said?, 40 Years Ago, That Word!, Wit's End.

************************************************************

CHRISTMAS 2005

Christmas message: Bishop Patrick Dunn, Catholic Bishop of Auckland http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10361330 Every Christmas is special. Whether we spend it with excited children, with old friends, or even alone, we can all enjoy the buzz in the streets, the carols in the malls and the sparkling lights at night...

Christmas message: John Craddock, National Spiritual Adviser, Society of St Vincent de Paul http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10361328 Christmas is the time when people remember and relive the birth in Bethlehem two millennia ago of the One who brings hope to our lives today. For us there is also a strange paradox that in that Palestinian town, focus of Christmas, there is less than concord among neighbours. The mission of the Jewish Jesus is still not complete: to bring peace to all people of good will...

Is religious instruction necessary?, by Nick Smith http://www.listener.co.nz/default,5235.sm Christmas will be celebrated in Australian schools, thundered Victorian premier Steve Bracks recently. His stand was triggered by his perception of the threat posed by atheist educators – the latter apparently a little like Narnia's White Witch, making it always winter but never Christmas. In this country, political correctness has not gone that mad, says Christian educator Hilary Baskerville. "[But] if someone has to say [Christmas] is okay, it says something about the degree to which political correctness has got in the way of our Judeo-Christian heritage..."

God, his wife and the hay barn http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominionpost/0,2106,3521381a6479,00.html You would think the word "Christ" in Christmas might give it away – but it seems that when it comes to the real meaning of Christmas, most children are clueless...

Heavenly feelings (photo) http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/0,2106,3518529a6527,00.html It's Christmas and angels are among us, defying the dictates of a secular age with an emphatic flutter of wings. Harking, heralding or descending from the realms of glory, 'tis the season for angels. They regard us sternly from stained-glass windows, simper from cheap Christmas cards or hover in fibreglassed splendour above crowded shopping malls...

When faith and fact collide http://www.stuff.co.nz/northland/0,2106,3518032a6015,00.html A Christian couple will not be taking their children to a Christmas church service this year as they feel unwelcome in their church because of their marital status. Suzi Crump and Charles (Chaz) Cramp are both separated from their respective spouses and are now living together in Tikipunga. They have wanted to be involved in worship but say their own church - St Andrews Presbyterian Church - has made them feel unwelcome...

Pilgrims Gather Before Papal Midnight Mass http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5502036,00.html Vatican City (AP) - Pilgrims, tourists and Romans flocked to St. Peter's Square on Saturday before Pope Benedict XVI's first Christmas service since becoming pontiff - a Midnight Mass that marked the official start of a busy few days of celebrations for the pope...

74 countries to see Pope's Christmas Mass televised http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=41424 Vatican, Dec. 23 (CWNews.com) - The midnight Mass of Christmas, celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Basilica, will be broadcast over 124 television networks reaching 74 different countries...

Pope: St Joseph’s silence counters “too noisy” world http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4905 Vatican City (AsiaNews) – In a world which is “too noisy, and does not encourage reflection and listening to the voice of God”, Christians should “allow themselves to be ‘infected’ by the silence of St Joseph”. In today’s Angelus, Benedict XVI turned once again to the truest way of preparing for Christmas...

The lights of Christmas, a reminder of the true Light http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4930 Benedict XVI urges parents to pass on to the next generation the true meaning of the festivity even though in our modern, consumer-oriented culture Christian symbols have tended to disappear from Christmas celebrations.

Most Christian expats in the Gulf can celebrate Christmas http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=25606 Dubai - Christian expatriates in the Gulf enjoy increasingly more freedom to worship and celebrate feasts, especially Christmas, except in Saudi Arabia, where non-Islamic practices still lead to jail and deportation...

Africa/Tunisia - “Christmas passes almost unnoticed in Tunis in the eyes of the world but not in the eyes of the faith: we are a tiny flock but we live this important Feast Day with deep devotion " says Fr. Eugenio Elías ... http://www.fides.org/aree/news/newsdet.php?idnews=6438&lan=eng

Christians and Muslims gather around crib in Antioch http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4917 In Italy the crib tends to be pushed aside out of “respect” for Muslims (or so it is said). In Turkey, schoolchildren flock to see what the Christmas of the prophet Jesus, the manger and the Mass, are all about...

Christmas in Pakistan: inter-faith dialogue and spiritual renewal http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4910 Lahore (AsiaNews) – The Christian community in Lahore has prepared a series of religious, cultural and sports activities in the lead-up to Christmas. The organizers of all activities have emphasized that the preparation of celebrations and events was purposely subdued in view of the recent earthquake and violence perpetrated against Christians in Sangla Hill...

Archbishop attacks 'PC' Christmas http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4540538.stm Christian leaders have condemned politically correct approaches to Christmas for stifling religious expression. Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said "silly bureaucrats" wanted to wipe Christian symbols from Christmas...

Asia Celebrates Christmas With A Twist http://xtramsn.co.nz/travel/0,,12734-5163941,00.html Come December, Christmas lights brighten shopping streets in cities from Beijing to Colombo, while images of Santa Claus and Rudolph adorn office buildings, shops and restaurants...

Where's the spirit of Christmas? http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/23/Worldandnation/Where_s_the_spirit_of.shtml If you think there's a "war" against Christmas, as some in the United States and other Western countries say, take heart: Christmas is alive and well in surprising places - among them several Muslim nations...

Little Christmas cheer in Cuba; Santa blacklisted http://xtramsn.co.nz/travel/0,,12734-5163883,00.html Eight years after Communist Cuba restored December 25 as a national holiday in a gesture to Pope John Paul II, there is not much Christmas spirit to show for it...

How St. Nicholas Became Santa Claus: One Theory http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=81960 Bath, England, Dec. 20, 2005 (Zenit.org).- The modern persona of Santa Claus is a far cry from its origins: St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra. So how did he go from a charitable saint to an icon of Christmas consumerism? Travel writer Jeremy Seal embarked on an international search to answer that question and recorded his findings in "Nicholas: The Epic Journey from Saint to Santa Claus" ...

**************************************************************

OTHER NEWS FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Diminutive woman left mark in Hawea (photo) Otago Daily Times http://tinyurl.com/clfuf Margaret (Margie) Leonie Cotter, a parishioner of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Wanaka, died at home on December 9 aged 74. Mrs Cotter was a Lake Hawea identity who had a long association with the Lake Hawea Holiday Park, the Hawea Flat School and the Central Otago Diabetes Society...

Mass to mark amalgamation http://www.stuff.co.nz/otago/0,2106,3516515a3845,00.html A church service in Dunedin on Saturday heralded a new era for the city's 47 Sisters of Mercy. Independent Sisters of Mercy congregations in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin voted last year to amalgamate, and the new structure took effect last week...

Historic find halts work on church http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/0,2106,3513853a6497,00.htm\ l Heritage experts are annoyed an historic brick well at one of Auckland's oldest churches has been filled in for a carpark. Remnants of old bricks were discovered at the 1861 Catholic Church of St John the Baptist on Parnell Rd by a neighbour last week. Builders filled the site over the weekend but work stopped on Monday after complaints by the Historic Places Trust...

Jailed churchman was sexually abused as child http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10361156 A retired Catholic brother jailed yesterday for sexually abusing schoolboys in his care in the late 1970s was himself abused as a youngster, the Wellington District Court was told. John Louis Stevenson, 66, was jailed for 3 1/2 years for sexually assaulting four boys aged between 14 and 16 at the Hato Paora Maori Boys school in Feilding from 1976 to 1981...

Hospital chaplaincy service short of money http://www.stuff.co.nz/otago/0,2106,3516516a3845,00.html A Hospital Chaplaincy Otago council member says she can see no way around a pending chaplaincy service cash crisis other than to start an annual appeal. The Rev Susan Jones said the cash-strapped service was facing a funding shortfall of $70,000 next year after two years of declining contributions from traditional funders – the government and churches.

Hollywood is embracing Christianity, even if only in pursuit of a dollar, writes Garry Maddox (four pages) http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/the-new-lion-king/2005/12/21/1135032073046.ht\ ml

A Man On A Mission (3 pages) After eight months on the job, Pope Benedict XVI has created a charisma all his own 'Time' magazine Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005 http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/article/0,13005,901051226-1142185,00.ht\ ml

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FROM THE OVERSEAS CATHOLIC PRESS & NEWS AGENCIES

Pope tells theologian he's coming to Australia http://www.cathnews.com/news/512/123.php When pressed earlier this month by Fr Tony Kelly of the Australian Catholic University, Pope Benedict XVI gave his assurance that he will be visiting Sydney for World Youth Day 2008, "God willing"...

Pope's first encyclical expected in January http://www.cathnews.com/news/512/130.php According to Italian press reports, Pope Benedict XVI plans to sign off on his first encyclical on Christmas Day, and the document will be made public after the feast of the Epiphany.

Chinese priests brutally beaten in Tianjin: like the nuns of Xian http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4906 Police chased away the “thugs” and questioned the injured for hours, making them wait for medical treatment and hospitalization. New case of illegal expropriation of Church property...

*****************************************************

CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS NZ

Global Catholic News, plus sound files from Vatican Radio

http://www.cathcom.org.nz

Pope's first encyclical expected in January Condom-covered Madonna embarrasses Catholic weekly Vatican Ratifies Protocol on "Explosive Remnants of War" Pell says there's an alternative to cloning Pope: Christ’s Christmas and 2005 “which is about to set” Holy See to WTO: trade should favor the poor Pope advises students to study their faith Catholics tackle religious radio boom

****************************************************

MARIST MESSENGER

http://www.maristmessenger.co.nz/index.php

From the December 2005 issue ...

Chaplain to the Police “So, you’re a police chaplain! That must be tough. They’re having a rough time at present, our police. Nothing seems to be going right for them. You’ll be busy! ...”

All the Lonely People The old man arrived in the hospital corridor late in the day. Because all the wards were full, there was nowhere else to put his bed. He had been sent up from A. & E. to recover from an attempted overdose...

The Relics in Retrospect The Pilgrimage of the Relics of St Thérèse through New Zealand seems to have been a great success for the organisers. It was a time of celebration, prayer and grace...

God in a Dog On 25 September last year, my wife passed away. I was living at home with my adult daughter, my late wife’s toy poodle and my geriatric Labrador (whose days did seem numbered due to her age). As you can imagine, it was a somewhat staid household and I was (and still am) very upset over my wife’s death...

Also in December's Marist Messenger

* The Cover Icon * The Fish - a Christmas story * Jacques Maurice Tresallet * Our Daily Bread * A Christmas Gift from God * Pope Benedict Speaks * December Saints * January Feasts * Can You Bear it * A Minute or Two * Children's Corner * Crossword by Appo * Remembering our Dead

********************************************************

CARITAS AOTEAROA NZ

http://www.caritas.org.nz

Life After the Tsunami: One year on (22 December 2005) It is a year since the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 destroyed communities along the coasts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and India. With thousands dead and millions homeless the response by international humanitarian agencies was one of the largest ever undertaken......more

Where to from here for Aceh? Will peace last? (23 November 2005) You are welcome to a public meeting by Imam Syuja MP and Hendra Budian a human rights lawyer. Both are from Aceh and are visiting to discuss post-tsunami reconstruction and the progress of the peace agreement signed on the 15 August. .....more

**************************************************************

"THE WORD FROM ROME"

http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/

A weekly column by the National Catholic Reporter's full-time correspondent in Rome, John L. Allen Jr.

This week ... A Nuncio for the USA; Church universities and the EU; New Ambassadors to the Holy See ; History of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity; On joint worship and intercommunion; Neocatechumenal Way told to regularize liturgical practices

"The Word from Rome" will resume on Friday, January 6.

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EVENTS

Parachute Music Festival, Mystery Creek, Hamilton, 28-31 January 2006

http://websites.parachutemusic.com/festival/2005/default_noflash.asp

********************************************************************************

EMPLOYMENT

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

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

Adviser, Archdiocesan Office of Justice, Peace and Development, Wellington Website: http://wn.catholic.org.nz/justicepeacedevelopment.html Details in 'Wel-com' December 2005, p. 5 and from: Lorraine McArthur, Director, Archdiocesan Pastoral Services, Catholic Centre, P O Box 1937, Wellington 6015. E-mail: l.mcarthur@wn.catholic.org.nz; tel. (04) 496 1706; fax: (04) 496 1768 Applications close 23 January 2006.

Presenters, 'NZ Catholic' newspaper Details in 'NZ Catholic' Dec. 18-24 2005 p.15, and from Dennis Augustine, Promotions and Advertising Manager, 'NZ Catholic', PO Box 147-000, Ponsonby, Auckland 1034. Tel. (09) 360 3049; e-mail: advertising.nzcatholic@iconz.co.nz

********************************************************************************

****************************************************

'NZ CATHOLIC'

http://www.nzcatholic.org.nz

No. 229, December 18-24, 2005

Marriage bill lost as views conflict
Wellington - While United Future's Gordon Copeland lamented the defeat of
his Marriage Amendment (Gender Clarification) Bill at its first reading, a
fellow Catholic MP called the proposed legislation "ill-conceived"....

Four Sisters of Mercy congregations join together
Wellington - Sisters of Mercy throughout New Zealand -- and hundreds of
friends and associates -- have celebrated their coming together as one
single congregation with Masses from Auckland to Dunedin....

Catholics urged to speak on stem cells
Auckland - Catholics are being urged to exercise their right to speak out
against a proposal to allow embryonic stem cell research....

Also in this issue ...

NATIONAL
Dream began at school fair ... Catholic kidnapped with NZ student ...
Nothing "new" in document ... Ex-miners thank patron St Barbara ... Clergy
changes announced ... Grandmas and dad graduate from literacy course ... Fr
Blake aided implementation of Vatican II ... No open Popetown hearing ...
Apocalyptic letter a phoney ... Women respond to ads ... RE teachers see
hopeful future ... Students' trip to India is delayed ... Archbishop will
work with St John chaplains ... Young historian named ... Record for Angel
Tree ... ERO File

FEATURES
Catholic MP assigned major duties ... Our annulment experience was
surprisingly positive ... Capacity enrolment likely for Hearts Aflame ...
Chinese youths visit on mission journey ... Dignity explains campaign to
allow assisted suicide ... Author felt "almost hounded" by God

OPINION
Ronald Rolheiser: Jesus' dysfunctional family tree ... Brendan Malone:
Contraception is unfairly treated ... Joy Cowley: World religions show the
soul's yearning ... Editorial: Theologians looking past limbo theory ...
Malcolm Evans ... Letters

INTERNATIONAL
Pope says theology must flow from faith ... Pakistan seizes Christian homes
... Nuns on the march ... The Pope: Support given to HIV-Aids battle ...
Uphill battle on death penalty ... Cloning pioneer disgraced ... Even
non-believers can be saved ... New papal theologian ... Samoans visit Pope
... Activists help boost tourism in Bethlehem ... Pilgrims limited ...
Sacking of pregnant teacher prompts complaint ... De facto past not good for
marriage ... New instruction is refreshing ... Same-sex adoptions ordered
stopped ... Religions restricted ... Lecture called off ... In Brief

REGULAR FEATURES
Young Adults, Books, Monitor, Clips, Net Scene, Tape Deck, Scripture,
Feasts, Papal Prayer, The Doolans, Family Talk, Question Box, Caption
Contest, Who Said?, 40 Years Ago, Dio. Diary, Cryptic Crossword, Photo
Prayer, That Word!, Holy Lives, Kit's Corner, Wit's End.

ADVERTISING FEATURE
Catholic Caring Foundation

[There will be a special Christmas issue of 'NZ Catholic' on sale next
Sunday, Christmas Day.]

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BISHOP MAX MARIU

Respected leader of his community (obituary. photo)
Otago Daily Times
http://tinyurl.com/8wuz5
Bishop Takuira Max Mariu, who died this week, aged 53, was the Auxiliary
Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton and a deeply respected leader of
the Catholic Maori community. Bishop Mariu was patron of Hui Aranga (Easter
Hui). He composed the well-known song Te Kokinga Mai for the exhibition to
mark the return of Te Taonga.

Anglican Maori Bishops pay tribute to Bishop Max Mariu
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0512/S00102.htm
The Anglican Church’s five Maori bishops are today travelling to little
Waihi Marae near Turangi to mourn Takuira Max Mariu, the first Maori Roman
Catholic bishop, and to acknowledge the warm and close relationship they’d
shared...

Tributes flow at farewell to Maori bishop
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3512782a6579,00.html
Kotuku Tibble was a schoolboy in 1977 when Bishop Max Takuira Mariu was
ordained a priest at Little Waihi. Yesterday, Mr Tibble, along with other
schoolmates, friends, relatives and churchgoers, packed the Cathedral of the
Blessed Virgin Mary at Hamilton, in the diocese where New Zealand's first
Maori bishop served, to say goodbye to him...

He Aitua : Most Reverend Max Takuira Mariu
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00182.htm
The Maori Party today joined whanau all over Aotearoa in mourning the loss
of the Most Reverend Max Takuira Mariu SM DD...

Maori religious leader dies
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10359777

Tainui pay respects to late bishop at marae
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/0,2106,3511689a6579,00.html

Respected Maori Bishop passes away
http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411319/639257

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

High honour for Monsignor Harrington
http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/index.asp?articleid=6501
When a man becomes a priest and offers his life to God and the church, he
does not expect to receive international accolades. But sometimes, as
Ashburton’s Monsignor James Harrington discovered, those honours and
accolades find you anyway. On Sunday he became only the third New Zealander
who can currently lay claim to the title Prothonotary Apostolic ...

Catholic church sees dilemmas in embryo screening
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3509509a11,00.html
Embryo screening presents society with a number of dilemmas, including the
elimination of "unwanted" or "imperfect" embryos, a Catholic Church
spokesman said today. Couples at high risk of having children with serious
genetic disorders will be able to have government-funded embryo screening
within six months...

Chaplains hope to enrich prisoners' lives (photo)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/northland/0,2106,3511821a6015,00.html
Ngawha Prison is trail-blazing the country's penal institutions by
developing programmes to help prisoners find new ways of improving their
lives, a congregation heard last week. The Bishop of Auckland, the Reverend
Patrick Dunn DD, made the comment when he commissioned Molly Walters and
Isabelle Dalton, of Whirinaki, as Catholic chaplains at Ngawha Prison...

Pig cell diabetes treatment debated
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/search/story.cfm?storyid=000DA53F-B654-139F-B22683027A\
F1010E
Two diabetes groups disagree over the risks of pig cell transplants to treat
one version of the disease. Debate over the experimental treatment was
renewed on Tuesday by the Bioethics Council...

Catholic Brother's Appeal Denied (full text)
NewstalkZB
A retired Catholic church brother convicted of sexually abusing pupils at
Feilding's Hato Paora Maori Boys College in the 1970s and 80s has lost his
appeal. Earlier this year Andrew Cody was jailed for two-and-a-half-years
after pleading guilty to charges including indecent assault relating to
three boys. Justice Young has denied the 67-year-old's appeal for his
sentence to be reduced by six-months. Later this month retired teacher, John
Lewis Stevenson - also known as Brother Bernard - will be sentenced after
admitting to abusing four boys around the same time.

School on the mat over weekly prayer
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3515057a11,00.html
An Auckland primary school faces a Human Rights Tribunal hearing over saying
the Lord's Prayer at weekly assembly. Victoria Avenue School in Remuera says
it has recited the prayer throughout its 52-year-history. But parent Nicki
Butt, who has brought the complaint, says a prayer from any religion is not
appropriate in a secular state school...

Spend up large ... and then repent
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10359829
Katowice - Poles are being given the chance to reconcile their devotion to
Mammon with their duties as Catholics after a confessional booth was
installed at a new shopping centre in the southern Polish city of
Katowice...

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FROM THE OVERSEAS CATHOLIC PRESS & NEWS AGENCIES

Christmas Tainted by Commercialism, Says Pope
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=81449
Vatican City, Dec. 11, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI encouraged the
faithful to overcome the "commercial contamination" of Christmas by
rediscovering the Child Jesus, the Son of God made man out of love. The
Pope, who led the recitation of the midday Angelus from the window of his
study, referred today to the tradition of setting up a Nativity crib in
homes as a way of presenting the Christian faith, especially to children...

Pope to work overtime at Christmas
http://www.cathnews.com/news/512/90.php
The Vatican has announced that 78 year old Pope Benedict XVI will rise to
the challenge of a gruelling schedule of public Masses and prayer services
at Christmas time...

Simple Gaudete of a complex believer
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/archive_db.cgi/tablet-01121
When the consummate artist of the consumer age let slip the mask of Pop-Art
imagery, he revealed the sincerity of his Catholic faith. The childlike
simplicity and joy of Andy Warhol’s Nativity is an inspiration for us to
reflect on what lies at the heart of the Christmas season ...

Christmas of solidarity in Pakistan
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4886
This year Christmas will not be a time of useless expenses, but one of
prayers and offerings to Kashmir quake survivors and to the Christians of
Sangla Hill, victims of religious intolerance...

Dawn masses set to start for Christmas
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4875
Manila (AsiaNews) â€" “Dawn massesâ€� â€" traditional liturgies which prepare
the
faithful during Advent and accompany them until the Epiphany â€" are set to
start in the Philippines with the pre-Christmas novena...

Church to ramp up use of media
http://www.cathnews.com/news/512/59.php
The Catholic Church in Australia plans to use the media to get its message
to a world increasingly reluctant to attend church, according to a report
published yesterday in the Sunday Age. Religion writer Barney Zwartz said
that the church's leadership, which has long been suspicious of the media
and on the back foot over such scandals as clerical sexual abuse, plans to
guide the church into "the media age"...

An enigma wrapped in a cowl
http://www.thetablet.co.uk/cgi-bin/archive_db.cgi/tablet-01120
After nine years as Master of the Dominicans, Timothy Radcliffe spends his
time these days on the road as the very model of a modern member of the
Order of Preachers. Catherine Pepinster meets the man many rely on to spread
light on the Church’s more difficult corners ...

Smile, ‘hello’ may draw more to Mass. A conversation with Sr Carmel Pilcher,
liturgist and expert on the Eucharist
Catholic Weekly (Sydney)
http://tinyurl.com/cgejx
We all have a responsibility to change our attitudes, the quality of our
liturgy and put a smile on our face to attract more people, especially young
people, to Sunday Mass, says Sr Carmel Pilcher on the eve of the end of her
term as director of liturgy in the Sydney archdiocese. And we can learn from
other religions, including Islam, when it comes to connecting with each
other...

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CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS NZ

Media Releases

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

Death of first Maori Catholic Bishop (13 Dec 2005 - photo)
Bishop Takuira Max Mariu died last night (12 December) at Auckland hospital
where he was flown by helicopter from Waikato Hospital for emergency
surgery. He was aged 53 ...

Global Catholic News, plus sound files from Vatican Radio

http://www.cathcom.org.nz

France seeks more respect for ashes of the dead
Prominent German theologian and critic announces he's no longer Catholic
Spain has eye on 2011 World Youth Day
Parent produces gun at Sydney school
Jesuits and companions begin Jubilee Year with assembly
Vatican official slams Iran over Holocaust remark
Vatican foundation appeals for donations for HIV/AIDS medicine
Gay clergy respond to Vatican policy on priests

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"THE WORD FROM ROME"

http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/

A weekly column by the National Catholic Reporter's full-time correspondent
in Rome, John L. Allen Jr.

This week ...
Q & A on Opus Dei
"I've been traveling recently related to my book Opus Dei: An Objective Look
Behind the Myths and Reality of the Most Controversial Force in the Catholic
church (Doubleday). By now I've fielded questions from media outlets and
ordinary readers in various parts of the world, and I have a fairly good
sense of what's on people's minds. I thought I'd present some of this
material this week in Q & A format..."

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EVENTS

Parachute Music Festival, Mystery Creek, Hamilton, 28-31 January 2006

http://websites.parachutemusic.com/festival/2005/default_noflash.asp

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EMPLOYMENT

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

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

Adviser, Archdiocesan Office of Justice, Peace and Development, Wellington
Website: http://wn.catholic.org.nz/justicepeacedevelopment.html
Details in 'Wel-com' December 2005, p. 5 and from: Lorraine McArthur,
Director, Archdiocesan Pastoral Services, Catholic Centre, P O Box 1937,
Wellington 6015. E-mail: l.mcarthur@wn.catholic.org.nz; tel. (04) 496
1706 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (04) 496 1706
end_of_the_skype_highlighting;
fax: (04) 496 1768
Applications close 23 January 2006.
General telephone enquiries 64 4 496 1777
begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 64 4 496 1777
end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Presenters, 'NZ Catholic' newspaper
Details in 'NZ Catholic' Dec. 18-24 2005 p.15, and from Dennis Augustine,
Promotions and Advertising Manager, 'NZ Catholic', PO Box 147-000, Ponsonby,
Auckland 1034. Tel. (09) 360 3049 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting
(09) 360 3049 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; e-mail:
advertising.nzcatholic@iconz.co.nz

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'WEL-COM'

http://www.welcom.org.nz

Newspaper of the Archdiocese of Wellington and the Diocese of Palmerston
North

From the December issue ...

* Archbishop Dew's column: The hope of Christmas and images of God's reign
As the church and the world remembers the closing of the Second Vatican
Council in 1965, it could be helpful for us to reflect on the Pastoral
Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes. I think
this is particularly helpful as we prepare for and celebrate Christmas.
Gaudium et Spes reminded us that while we live with the expectation and hope
of heaven, that anticipation must not lead to neglect of the commitment to
transform the earth...

* Child poverty group wins key case
The Child Poverty Action Group has won the right to take a case against the
government’s discriminatory practices.
The group claims that the In Work Payment which will replace the Child Tax
Credit next April as part of the Working for Families package disadvantages
300,000 children whose parents are on benefits or who can’t work enough
hours to qualify. ...

* Former Caritas staffer to work with refugees in Sudan
Helping to set up a school system in Sudan will be a first task for Caritas’
Elaine Jepsen who will next year go to work with refugees in Africa’s
biggest country. Elaine has spent the past four years working on schools’
resources for Caritas. Next year she joins the Jesuit Refugee Service, to
expand on her Caritas work by helping to equip a school system in a refugee
camp near El Fasher in the north of Sudan’s Darfur region....

* The face of moral judgment
Australians have responded with compassion to Mr Nguyen Tuong Van’s
impending execution. They have also rejected judicial execution as a
legitimate instrument of state policy. It is easy to understand why Mr
Nguyen and his plight have aroused such sympathy and outrage. We have seen
the face of a young man, have heard the story of a life, and know that on a
day fixed beforehand he will almost certainly die...

* Peacemakers honour Vatican II peoples' paper
The Wellington Catholic Peacemakers Group held three sessions last month to
commemorate the 40th anniversary of the release of the major document of
Vatican II, Gaudium et Spes. The three evening sessions, at the Compassion
Centre Soup Kitchen were led by speakers Fr Gerard Burns, who gave an
overview; Kay Smith, who spoke on peace; and John Maynard who talked about
work. Opening the series, Fr Burns told a group of around 25 people, that
the opening paragraph of Gaudium et Spes indicated a substantial change in
the way the church saw its relationship with the world...

* Gaudium et Spes - the signs of the times and the young
This is the final in our series featuring the 40-year-old document of
Vatican II which has arguably the most inpact on the laity. This month Chris
Duthie-Jung explores the document’s impact on young people. "I was born in
the year that Gaudium et Spes was promulgated and readily admit to taking a
certain comfort in the fact that it was this ground-breaking constitution
with which I share my year of birth. Indeed when those immortal opening
words first gained my full attention, I was immediately caught by them even
though they were by then more than two decades old. 'The joys and the hopes,
the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age, especially those who
are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs
and anxieties of the followers of Christ'...."

* Awe, e Maria, e ki ana koe i te kereatia â€" Hail Mary, Full of Grace
And there we have it! This is exactly what the Immaculate Conception
celebrates. Mary was always full to the brim with grace. Grace is so much
more original, so much more powerful than sin. Yet our Catholic mentality at
times seems fixated on sin. As it stands, the very term ‘Immaculate
Conception’ is a negative expression. A far more positive rendition is ‘the
gracing of Mary’. Mary was so graced by God from the very moment of her
conception that there was no room for sin at all....

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

Catholic award to Mary
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/timaruherald/0,2106,3505623a6571,00.html
Fairlie's Mary MacDonald has received the Benemerenti Award for her
contribution to the Catholic community. The award was granted by Pope
Benedict XVI and is granted for exceptional service to the Catholic
Church...

Priest becomes a living legend
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/0,2106,3505484a6497,00.htm/
l
The title of living legend sits uneasily with Father Terry Dibble. The
Catholic priest is being honoured by Auckland mayor Dick Hubbard for more
than 35 years serving the Grey Lynn and Ponsonby community...

The Sallies are there to help those in need at Christmas
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/timaruherald/0,2106,3505622a6010,00.html
Christmas is different for every family, but for some it means accepting
help. South Canterbury charities will help around 100 households have some
Christmas festivity on tight budgets...

'Nine to Noon' with Linda Clark (Radio NZ sound file, 7m)
http://www.radionz.co.nz/nr/programmes/ninetonoon/20051209
Louise O'Brien reviews 'Christ the Lord' by Anne Rice. Published by Chatto
and Windus.

The Tudor Consort competes in Spain and sings at St Peter's in Rome
Friday, 9 December 2005, 2:59 pm
Press Release: Tudor Consort 9 December 2005
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0512/S00062.htm

Promising athlete in Pan Pacific medal haul
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/0,2106,3505483a6469,00.htm/
l
Trying his hand at goldmining was the highlight of Josh Cocker-Valu's trip
to Australia after representing New Zealand at the Pan Pacific Games in
Melbourne. The year 8 pupil at Herne Bay Marist also picked up silver in the
shot put relay and gold in the 100m relay...

United Future's bid to have marriage defined as a union between a man and a
woman has been thrown out of Parliament. The Marriage Gender Clarification
Amendment was presented by United Future's Gordon Copeland...
http://xtramsn.co.nz/news/0,,11964-5111539,00.html

Nguyen mourners speak out against death penalty
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=2&ObjectID=10358881
Melbourne - More than 1000 mourners packed a Melbourne Catholic cathedral
today for the funeral of hanged drug smuggler Nguyen Tuong Van...

If you didn't find Narnia in your own wardrobe ...
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/travel/story/0,6903,1657178,00.html
... you might just find it in Northern Ireland, the birthplace of CS Lewis
and beloved inspiration for the author's fictional land. In the week the
Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is released, Fiona Campbell goes searching
for Aslan ...

Know your Narnia
http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1657048,00.html
As the CS Lewis classic finally comes to the big screen, Stephanie Merritt
offers an A-Z guide to the lion, the witch - and everything else ...

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FROM THE OVERSEAS CATHOLIC PRESS & NEWS AGENCIES

Mary the Immaculate Conception, protectress of the Council, light in a
self-destructive world
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4830
On the 40th anniversary of the ending of the Second Vatican Council,
Benedict XVI drew attention to the meaning of the feast of the Immaculate
Conception in the modern world, which tends not to trust in God, to see “God
[as] a competitor who limits our freedom and [to think] that we will be
fully human only when we have put him aside�...

The Subtle Magic of C.S. Lewis' Narnia
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=81284
Toronto, Dec. 7, 2005 (Zenit.org).- "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe"
may provide an opportunity for adults to talk about the faith, but don't
expect children to notice the film's Christian themes. So says Michael
Coren, author, columnist and broadcaster who recently wrote "C.S. Lewis: The
Man Who Created Narnia" (Ignatius), a biography of Lewis written for teens.
Coren told ZENIT how mostly adults will understand Lewis' subtle Christian
allegory, and how "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" has the power to
plant seeds of faith in kids just the same...

Church of St Nicholas open to local mufti, but closed for mass on the Feast
Day of Saint Nicholas
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4829
Although the church belongs to the Orthodox Patriarchate, the authorities
have turned it into a museum where the Eucharist cannot be celebrated. The
local mufti can however use it for his Santa Claus association...

Christmas Making a Comeback
Annual Battle Starts With Victories
http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=81054
Washington, D.C., Dec. 3, 2005 (Zenit.org).- Christmas, it seems, is no
longer a taboo word. This Tuesday, the Washington Times reported that U.S.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert told federal officials that the tree on the
West Lawn of the Capitol will be renamed the "Capitol Christmas Tree." In
recent years it has gone under the name of the "Holiday Tree." Calling a
Christmas tree a Christmas tree has become a hot issue in many communities,
the article noted...

We get no money from the Palestinian Authority and Israel boycotts us, says
Bethlehem mayor
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4835
Bethlehem (AsiaNews) â€" Bethlehem Mayor Victor Batarseh on Thursday accused
the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) of failing to provide financial
assistance to his town as it prepares to celebrate Christmas. He also
explained how new Israeli checkpoints have created an oppressive
atmosphere...

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CATHOLIC COMMUNICATIONS NZ

Media Releases

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

Bogus Mail regarding Catholic Church (06 Dec 2005)
It has been brought to the notice of Catholic Communications that a number
of households in Auckland suburbs are receiving anonymous chain letters in
their mailbox claiming to reveal the “third secret of Fatima� among other
things, and suggesting that earthquake, nuclear war and other horrendous
cataclysms are about to be unleashed on the earth by a vengeful and angry
God...

Global Catholic News, plus sound files from Vatican Radio

http://www.cathcom.org.nz

Israel’s Vatican ambassador praises Pope
U.S. Catholic activists begin anti-torture march
Pope blesses Olympic flame as torch relay kicks off
Being good is not boring, says Pope
Magazine for Catholic girls aims for truer image of young femininity
Ceremony marks 40 years since end of Vatican Council ll
Vatican issues Pope euro coins
Former secretary says JP2's beatification needs critics

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MARIST CHAMPAGNAT FAMILY NEWSLETTER October 2005

http://www.maristbrothers.org.nz/MFN1October2005.htm

'Psalm for the Road', by Joy Cowley ... News of the Brothers ... St
Bernard's College staff day ... St Paul's College Golden Jubilee ... Pacific
Assembly for Brothers and lay partners ... Working Party for the
International Assembly 2007: One Heart One Mission ... Vocation Year ...
Update on the Marist Response to the Asian Tsunami ... In Memoriam

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"THE WORD FROM ROME"

http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/

A weekly column by the National Catholic Reporter's full-time correspondent
in Rome, John L. Allen Jr.

This week ...
When will this pope make some changes?; Forthcoming encyclical on divine
love; Sacred music; On priestly life and ministry; The "subsists in/is"
debate; Opposing John Paul II's sainthood fast track; Anniversary lunch at
the North American College; World Methodist Council in Rome

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EMPLOYMENT

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

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

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