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The Newsletter of the Catholic Bishop of Christchurch AUTUMN ISSUE 100 : APRIL 2015 INFORM KNOCKS UP ITS FIRST 100! Faithfest 2013, a great moment for our Diocese Meet Our New Senior School Leaders Pages 11-12 New Youth From Our Mission Team Tertiary Page 16 Chaplaincy Pages 14-15 INFORM APRIL 2015 1 FROM THE BISHOP Bishop’s PA E hoa ma, dear friends in Christ. successor of St I offer you my greetings in Lent, the Peter. Catholic In our last edition we welcomed Brigid holy time enabling us to prepare for parishes and Marr as PA to our Bishop. Here, she the Sacred Triduum, beginning on Holy Dioceses shares something of her life in Christ. Thursday continuing through Good are heavily “I grew up in a tiny village beside the Friday and Holy Saturday. In these involved in sea in the sunny Bay of Plenty called days, we remember the Lord’s Paschal many kinds of Matata. I am the 8th of 9 children born Mystery. shared activities to Shirley and Bill Marr. I am of Maori In our Diocese, the celebration of Ash with other descent with both Te Ati Awa and Te Wednesday often includes a shared Christian groups Arawa bloodlines. service with an Anglican parish. We throughout We were brought up Catholic and listen to the Word of God and receive the country; went to St Joseph’s primary school, run the ashes of repentance together. Such a survey last year showed this clearly. by the Josephites. Significantly, St Mary an event is an exercise of spiritual A hidden but important part of this MacKillop of the Cross came to Matata ecumenism. Baptised Christians pray activity is the ongoing theological twice. Matata was a Maori mission together, even though their communities dialogues with the Anglicans and served by the Mill Hill priests and we may not all be in complete communion Methodists. These dialogues are still have Maori Mass once a month. with the Catholic Church, in which the characterised by trust, readiness to I left home at 18 and moved to Christ- one Church of Christ subsists. listen, and prayer. church to train as a nanny. I’ve worked The practice of prayer together is the with “street kids” for a time and in 1993 heart of all ecumenical activity which I joined the Community of the Beati- seeks to foster the gathering of all the tudes in New Caledonia. I had three and baptised in one, visible Church, united a half years there as a single, lay mis- by common bonds of faith, worship and sionary. It was a fun and adventurous governance in communion with the time in my life. I came back to the house at Idris road and stayed for 6 months before leaving the Community. Two years later I joined an enclosed Autumn Issue 100. APRIL 2015 Benedictine Order which was a time of NGA MIHI NUI FROM THE EDITORIAL DESK great graces, hardships and healing. In this Order I lived in New Zealand, Syd- Welcome to Inform Issue 100. As school leaders, youth mission team ney and the convent in Peru. After life it arrives in your parish, we are all and tertiary students. We continue in New Caledonia and Peru, I’ve learnt recalling the paradox of the crowd to mark the Year for Consecrated French and Spanish, which is disappear- who welcomed Jesus to Jerusalem Life with insights into our religious ing as I don’t speak it much now. and then put Him to death on the communities. After leaving the Order I came home ultimate instrument of torture. I trust My thanks for the work of all our and worked for Family Life International you have had a holy Lent. Inform editors, Sr Margaret D’Ath, in Auckland. I was a ‘house-mum’ at It is my privilege to edit the 100th Fr Chris Friel, Fr Mike Doyle and Mr Bethlehem house, a home for mums issue of Inform, now in its 24th year Gerard Duignan, all of whom have with their babies who have little or no of publication. I looked through all brought their gifts and literary flair. support. After that I began work as a of the issues to find milestones and In the words of Gerard Duignan, Medical Receptionist before moving amusements for you to reflect on and “Thanks to all contributors to back to Christchurch to be near friends enjoy. This extended issue has an Inform… and to you for reading it! and the Community of the Beatitudes. eight-page retro, marking significant Please pass it on.” I really appreciate the work of our people, events and amusements of In Christ, bishop and his priests, their dedica- parish life. It is not wholly given Ken Joblin (Interim Editor) tion to their vocation and deep love of over to nostalgia as 16 pages carry Zac Ashley (Interim Assistant Editor) the Lord and His church. I think of the the latest stories from parishes. A Deadline for next issue: Friday 29 Christchurch Diocese as one big family. big emphasis is on our new senior May 2015 Please don’t hesitate to call me or call in for a chat.” 2 INFORM APRIL 2015 Bishop’s Pastoral Office Catholics Returning Home The Catholics Returning Home Evert’s book Saint John Paul The Great: these are moments, hours, when we (CRH) programme will be held in the His Five Loves. I has been shortened undertake something that constitutes Christchurch Diocese in four venues and is reprinted with permission. the deepest meaning of all of our this year. CRH starts after Easter and To read the full chapter go to www. work. For no matter how numerous is a four-week programme for non- catholiceducation.org/en/faith-and- our activities, our ministries, however practising Catholics interested in character/faith-and-character/john-paul- numerous our concerns, our exertions, renewing their life in the Church. The ii-and-the-blessed-sacrament.html if there is no love, everything becomes Programme has been running for over Although John Paul loved communing meaningless … all activities should be 10 years, is confidential and welcomes with God in the wilderness, it was rooted in prayer as though in a spiritual people in a friendly and warm manner. clear that his favourite place to pray soil Let Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament It updates them of the changes in the was before the Blessed Sacrament. speak to your hearts. It is he who is Church and explains Reconciliation and Witnesses report that he spent hours at the true answer of life that you seek. the Mass. a time and sometimes the entire night He stays here with us: he is God with It will run from late April until prostrate on the marble floor before the us. Seek him without tiring, welcome early June at 7.00pm at the following tabernacle, with his arms outstretched him without reserve, love him without locations: in the shape of the cross. One witness interruption: today, tomorrow, forever.” • Sundays at Waimakariri Parish remarked that this union with our The adoration chapel at St Gregory’s, (Rangiora) Lord in the Eucharist allowed him “not Bishopdale, is open day and night. • Mondays at Timaru Parish merely to speak to Christ, but actually You are always welcome to pop in for • Wednesdays at Bryndwr Parish to converse with him.” … The Holy a few minutes at any time. For more • Thursdays at Opihi Parish Father believed that authentic prayer is information on the Perpetual Adoration (Geraldine) Over 80% of Catholics in the Christ- when a person desires to be as attentive Chapel contact Traci on chchadoration@ church Diocese don’t regularly practice to God as he is to us; when one yearns gmail.com or ring Matt on 366- the faith. The CRH programme aims to to hear God’s voice, just as God yearns 9869. See www.chch.catholic.org.nz/ help those who want to return. People to hear each person. perpetualadoration for more information can be afraid or unwilling to return to The Holy Father often spent hours as well. the Church because they have a fear of at a time writing before the Blessed Formation Sessions for Parishes the unknown, are fearful of their sins, or Sacrament. He explained: I have always in 2015 simply don’t have the courage to return. been convinced that the chapel is a The Bishop’s Pastoral Office is offering Many need encouragement to take the place of special inspiration. What a five sessions this year that parishes, next step. Each of us can help here. Per- privilege to be able to live and work in communities and pastoral areas can sonal invitation is important in helping the shadow of His Presence . To John host at any time. Already a number of people come home. Please pray for the Paul, it is not enough for Catholics to parishes have made bookings. The five success of the programme and ask the sessions available include: Holy Spirit to guide you in asking some- receive the Eucharist. One also must 1. The Significance of Religious Life one to come home. contemplate it. He said that when one – Sr Eleanor Capper RSJ For more details phone 0508 HOME ponders the love that is present in the 2. Loving the Eucharist and the Mass NOW [0508 466 366] or visit www. tabernacle: – Bishop Barry Jones catholicshomenow.co.nz “love is ignited within us, love is 3. Catholic Social Teaching – Charles Eucharistic Amazement: Saint Pope renewed within us. Therefore, these Shaw John Paul II and the Blessed Sacrament are not hours spent in idleness, when 4.