One of the great joys for me during my long years as a priest was to spend at least two hours each week with the children in their classrooms trying to bring to them the message of God's love for them. I was always deeply touched by their innocence and eagerness to respond to the stories of God in the scriptures and see the gift of faith forming in their hearts. Sadly many do not come to Sunday Mass to be part of our community worship but that is not their fault. If parents don't come to Sunday Mass then the children are not encouraged to attend. Playing sport, and other activities on Sunday is common now and so they are drawn to those activities. My hope has always been that through the Christian teaching and ethos of the school their faith will remain alive and in time grow strong. I have always believed that we must give the message of the good news to all children then leave it to the Holy Spirit to make it vital and living in their lives. more»

The Memorial Requeim Mass celebrated for Father Seamus Clenaghan RIP was held in the Cathedral on Wednesday 27 January in the Cathedral. Mass was celebrated by Father Rick Loughan (Vicar General) and the homily given by Bishop Basil Meeking. more»

Catholics Returning Home, a four week programme for non-practising Catholics interested in renewing their life in the Church starts soon. more»

As part of encouraging people to integrate prayer into their lives, New Zealand's Catholic Bishops have distributed leaflets around the country with prayers for different times of the day.
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