So started an article on the Pew Research website last November, after Pope Francis named a new group of cardinals.

The article noted that Pope Francis has tilted “the leadership structure of the Roman Catholic Church away from its historic European base and toward developing nations in Africa, Asia and Latin America”.

This is borne out in the figures. As of the end of November, the College of Cardinals had 128 voting members, with 42 per cent from Europe, down from 52 per cent in 2013.

The percentage of voting cardinals from the Asia-Pacific region increased from 9 per cent in 2013 to 15 per cent today. Of Francis’ appointments to the College of Cardinals, 18 per cent have been from the Asia Pacific region.

New Zealand has one current cardinal-elector – Cardinal John Dew – who, even though he is required by canon law to submit his resignation as Archbishop of Wellington to the Pope when he turns 75 in 2023, will still remain eligible to vote in a conclave until May, 2028. (As an aside, it is to be hoped that whenever the next conclave is held, the world will have come through the coronavirus pandemic, please God).

Australia also has one current voting cardinal. However, Cardinal George Pell turns 80 on June 8 this year, meaning he will not be eligible to vote after that date. So, if there are no Australians called to receive the “red hat” before the next conclave, then the participants from this part of the world will come from Papua New Guinea, Tonga and New Zealand. Who would have thought that a generation or two ago?

Oceania would have more “Pacific” faces at a conclave than “European” ones. (Cardinal Pio Taofinu’u from Samoa participated in two conclaves, both in 1978).

It is a fact of history that clerics of (mainly) European heritage have been those called to lead the Church in this country. Up until a generation ago, that reflected the ethnic and cultural identities of most of those in the pews.

It was certainly reflected in the choice of priests to head the national seminary – some of their surnames being Verdon, Morkane, Liston, Rossiter, Courtenay, Mannes, O’Neill, Sanders, Scott, Liddy, Broadbent, Hunt, Daly, Campbell, Handforth, Jeffrey and Ward.

Now a rather different name can be added to the list – Vadakkevettuvazhiyil.

The face of the Church is changing in this country, and it has been for some time now. It is looking less and less like a “European” church – while always being a “Roman” church. The appointment of Fr Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil as rector shows that the effects of this change are percolating upwards in terms of those called to serve as Church leaders.

It is tempting to wonder how long it will take for such change to be reflected in all levels of Church leadership in this country. This has been discussed in this space before, and it is a complex area – many people in New Zealand are of mixed ethnicity and heritage. Bishop Patrick Dunn, for instance, has an ancestor who came from the Cook Islands. The ministry of Bishop Max Takuira Mariu, SM, has not been forgotten.

The ethnicity or heritage of a particular bishop is not necessarily either a help or a hindrance to carrying out their ministry. But when there is a marked difference, in this regard, between Church leadership and those led, and if that situation persists for some time, it means questions are inevitable about the state of the local church. Are we getting enough vocations from our different communities, some of which have been in this country for quite a few years now? If the answer is no, why is that the case? (These are questions that have been posed down the years – New Zealand has often struggled to produce sufficient home-grown priests).

Whatever the answers to such questions, change will likely come in the fullness of time. Quite when that might be, who can say? The Spirit blows where he will.

The post The face of the Church appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Fr Frank Roach (as shown on the order of service)

The reason for the first order came from the Gospel reading — Luke 17:-10 — used at the funeral Mass, celebrated at St Therese church in Mangere East on December 22, explained Fr Neil Darragh in the homily.

“We are unfaithful servants. We have only done what we needed to do, we have only done what we were told to do, we have only done what we should do. In other words, we do not expect any compliments, we do not expect praise, we do not expect recognition, for what we do,” Fr Darragh said.

“And this is how, especially a priest, should live. It is, in fact, how Frank lived,” he added.

“So I am very nervous about suggesting any of the good points about Frank,” he said, to much laughter from the congregation.

But Fr Darragh found ways to point out many of Fr Roach’s good points — his love of reading and of history, his friendliness to ministers from other churches, his hospitality, his generosity, and his love of music.

Fr Darragh fondly recalled Fr Roach’s sense of humour.

The homilist referred to the photo on the front of the order of service, saying it captured something about Fr Roach. He is anticipating that we will indulge in some type of humour,here at the funeral. It is going to be something we can laugh at, Fr Darragh said.

“And that is what he was very good at. He could make people laugh.

“When you went into a place where there was a gathering, or a dinner, or lunch or something, where he was, nearly always there was laughter. He had that talent. He knew he had it and he wanted to use it, because that was good. . . .”

“Perhaps the most important of all, he could laugh at himself. And he quite often did tell stories about himself that were humorous stories that made him look silly, as Fr Frank would say, but they were meant to be humorous.”

One such story concerned the time a loud party was taking place next to where Fr Roach was saying evening Mass, Fr Darragh said.

Loud music and drunken laughter and shouting went on until the early hours of the morning, and Fr Roach went to the property, where he shouted at those present to stop the noise. It was disrupting his concentration, which was focused on rewriting his homily for the next Mass. He told those at the party that if the noise didn’t stop, he would curse that house.

Now these are fairly strong words, and no priest should ever say them, Fr Darragh noted.

But Fr Roach was obviously taken seriously. About five minutes later the noise stopped, and “Frank never got a wink of sleep for the rest of that night because he was guilty and worried” about what he did, and he knew it was wrong.

He told this story, and at the end of the story, he would say “wrong again”, which he often said, Fr Darragh added.

Fr Roach died in Auckland Hospital on December 18, aged 89, after a short illness. In his priestly ministry, he served at Te Awamutu, Papatoetoe and Grey Lynn, before a ministering in Samoa in the early 1970s.

Returning to Auckland in 1974, he worked in the Samoan Chaplaincy and was parish priest at Grey Lynn, Hillsborough, Waiuku, Mangere East, Pukekohe and Panmure parishes, before his retirement in 2014.

Fr Roach was ordained in 1957, before Vatican II, and “he didn’t agree with a lot of the changes that happened. He thought they messed up the Church, and he said so”, Fr Darragh said.

But Fr Roach didn’t think priests should return to wearing elaborate garments, and he was no fan of enforcement of some rules and regulations for the sake of it. But he did think the rules should be there.

“He and I met in the early 70s, and from then on we were friends,” Fr Darragh said.

The two disagreed on “almost everything theological, but we were still good friends for all that time”.

“When [Fr Roach] went to Samoa in the 1970s, he was a bit despondent about the condition of the Church. But when he went there, he found a Church that was vibrant, strong and musical. Samoa, in a sense, was his renewal.”

Fr Darragh spent a few minutes of the homily at Mangere East speaking in Samoan, with his remarks drawing several ripples of laughter from many in the congregation.

Fr Roach also became involved with the Tongan community in Auckland — and he was one of the founders of the Tongan Catholic community here, Fr Darragh added.

At the end of the homily, Bishop Patrick Dunn thanked Fr Darragh for giving “a eulogy that was not a eulogy”.

At the start of the Mass, in welcoming people, Bishop Dunn noted how many people considered Fr Roach as “family”.

The bishop said people gathered for the funeral as a type of “extended family”.

He also noted Fr Roach’s love for his own family.

Bishop Michael Gielen and Bishop Denis Browne were among the concelebrants at the Mass. Fr Roach’s body was interred at Panmure Catholic cemetery.

The post Fr Frank ordered no sad faces at his funeral appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

The Cathedral of Sts Patrick and Joseph will get a new dean — Fr Chris Denham. Fr Denham will also be the parish priest of St Peter’s parish, Waiheke.

Fr Andrew Matthew was moved to St Benedict’s, Newton, replacing Msgr Paul Farmer, who will be retiring, but continuing as vicar for administration for Auckland diocese.

Pa Peter Tipene will move to St Mary, Immaculate Conception parish in Avondale. Fr Mathew Vadakkevettuvazhiyil will become parish priest of Holy Cross, Papatoetoe.

Fr Neil Darragh was appointed parish priest of St Francis de Sales and All Souls in Devonport. Fr John Tollan will move to St John the Baptist in Parnell, replacing Fr Denham.

Fr Emile Frische, MHM, will become parish priest at East Coast Bays, while Fr Raphael Lobo will move to the Hibiscus Coast.

Fr John Dunn will be parish priest of Mother of Perpetual Help, Glendowie, in addition to St Ignatius in St Heliers.

Fr Carlo Cruz was appointed parish priest of St Mary’s, Mt Albert.

Fr Philip Lakra, OFMCap, will be the parish priest of St Patrick’s, Panmure.

Fr Iosefa Euese will be the new parish priest of St Mary’s, Papakura, replacing Fr Peter Murphy, who was recently appointed as spiritual director at Holy Cross Seminary.

Fr Richard Hamil, MSP, was appointed parish priest of the Mid-North parishes, with Fr Richard Cortes, MSP, as assistant parish priest.

Fr James Adayadiel, SDB, will become assistant parish priest of St Paul’s, Massey; Fr Albertus Suprapto, OFMCap, will be assistant parish priest of St John Evangelist, Otara/St Peter Chanel, Clover Park; Fr Ephrem Tigga, OFMCap, will be assistant parish priest in St Joseph’s, Takapuna, and Deacon Thomas Park will be at St Mark’s, Pakuranga.

Fr Euese will be chaplain of the Samoan community, while Fr Matthew will minister at the Tertiary chaplaincy.

Fr John O’Connor will be returning to Christchurch, while Fr Shane Reade, SDB, will be moving back to Australia.

Fr Savelio Tevaga moves to Liston Village and Fr Leo Doyle to St John Vianney House. Fr Andrew Nguyen is retiring from the Vietnamese chaplaincy.

The post Auckland clergy appointments for 2021 appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

The diocesan “mission map” has three key goals – to strengthen Catholic communities for missionary discipleship, to build up the spirituality of young people and to care for the poor.

In a video on Auckland diocese’s YouTube channel, Bishop Patrick Dunn said the mission map “is a response in our diocese to the call Pope Francis made soon after he became Pope when he said that he dreams of a missionary option for the Church and he wants every facet of the Church to be reaching out”.

“My hope with the mission map is that, somehow, especially in our fostering spirituality for young people, and in outreach to the poor, that we will find ways to help people in our diocese to become active disciples, to become disciples, not just followers, but people who will go out and share in the mission. That’s my big prayer,” Bishop Dunn said on the video, in which he discussed the pastoral plan with Auckland auxiliary Bishop Michael Gielen about the pastoral plan.

“Our hope is that it won’t be business as usual in the Church . .  . it is a whole change of focus,” Bishop Dunn added.

“We are both praying that this plan, the mission map, will bear rich fruit for the Church in our diocese, but also for our wonderful nation.”

Bishop Gielen said on the video that he appreciated the simplicity and clarity of the mission map.

“I know I have involved in a lot of these type of things before, strategic plans and such like, and sometimes they can become very complicated. So I appreciate the fact that we are clear about what we are doing, that we have got three priorities and that we have got a timeline in which to do those. Lastly, I appreciate the fact that they are practical.”

The mission map is the result of a process of discerning God’s call through consultation and collaboration with the baptised. After seeding by a “vision group” in 2017/2018, the concept came to fruition from consultative processes of working groups, workshops, and listening sessions, stated the Auckland diocese website (www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz).

“The purpose of this discernment is to allocate diocesan resources to promote the diversely gifted people of God within the diocese to be; witnesses to Christ, apostolic in their endeavour, at the service of the world together,” the website stated.

Mentioning the mission map launch in a facebook post on November 28, Bishop Patrick Dunn said the “’Mission Map’ challenges each one of us to be open to a conversion of heart so that we may seek the face of Jesus in our society, especially in the poor and the sick, the young and the old, and serve him with tenderness and love. Our mission is to live and to share the Joy of the Gospel.”

According to the mission map page on the Auckland diocese website, strengthening Catholic communities for missionary discipleship will involve growing and developing servant leaders, and being strong, inclusive communities of missionary disciples.

Building up the spirituality of young people will involve strengthening families and making schools and parishes visible and active as one faith community.

Caring for the poor involves being visible, present and active working for the poor and marginalised, advocating for peace and justice and developing and enabling “people who care”.

Support for the mission map will be through several key pillars, including “formation through training, education and experience that enables the People of God, no matter their age, stage of life or background to live and proclaim the joy of the Gospel”.

Another support pillar involves “technology supporting mission”.

Clear communication is another support pillar, whereby ways of sharing the story of the Church, its outreach, its beauty and its source of life, can be explored.

Another pillar is astute financial and resource management, which will see decisions “made for the common good, with professional expertise and prayerful discernment”.

It was admitted that there “is no silver bullet that gives an exact recipe that makes instant disciples”. Some suggestions were given which could be adapted to people’s situations, including taking part in community action such as teaching literacy programmes; conducting book discussions and book swaps with others that promote spiritual growth; praying the daily office in a public place such as a church and inviting others to join in; having food, clothing, and cleaning supplies in store for those in need; sponsoring an activity in the local Catholic school and celebrating community heroes.

The post New pastoral plan launched in Auckland appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn stepped down from the role at the end of his three-year term and because of health reasons.

Hamilton Bishop Stephen Lowe was also appointed vice-president and secretary of the conference.

Auckland Auxiliary Bishop Michael Gielen was given responsibility for Youth and Young People and the Bilateral Dialogue with the Anglicans.

The bishops met in Palmerston North on October 28-30.

They also met with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa, the incoming Deputy Head of Mission and First Secretary of the Nunciature Msgr Jose Martinez Franco, and outgoing First Secretary Msgr Edward Karaan.

Bishop Gielen, who attended an NZCBC meeting for the first time, said he was struck by the generosity and the genuine care the bishops have for the Church.

He said during the meeting there was a time set aside for reflection on the challenges and the opportunities the Church is facing as well as on the impact that the pandemic had.

“There was a deep passion and concern for how we can better serve the Church and an openness to listen to what people had to say and to where the Holy Spirit was leading,” he said.

The post NZCBC new appointments appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

In an interview with Gary Hoogvliet,  presenter of the Shine TV programme “Our Nation Our Voice 2020”, screened on September 17, Bishop Dunn said the Catholic Church would not go so far as to tell people who to vote for, but would urge voters to seriously study the two referendum questions that would also be before them.

The bishop called implementation of the End of Life Choice Act “is quite alarming”.

“My fear is that I suspect that many Kiwis, perhaps the majority of New Zealanders, see it as a merciful choice,” he said.

Bishop Dunn said that New Zealand law is far more liberal compared with similar laws around the world.

“In our own society in New Zealand, we’re very concerned about the issue of suicide and yet, that bill is really saying that the elderly or those who are frail, that if they want to end their life, then, that’s fine,” he said.

“One of the big implications that really worries me is that the elderly and people who are frail will begin to feel they are a burden on society and they’ll feel some sort of pressure to actually opt for voluntary euthanasia,” he added. [They would have to come within the scope of the act in terms of terminal illness and other criteria in order to be eligible].

Bishop Dunn stressed the society that we want is one “where all citizens are honoured and treasured from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death”. Euthanasia, he said, “turns that whole concept upside-down”.

Bishop Dunn said it’s “probably fair to say the Church doesn’t have an opinion” on the legalisation of cannabis for recreational use.

“I, personally, have huge reservations about the wisdom of taking that step. In my experience, talking to schoolteachers and those who work with young people, they are very apprehensive about legalising recreational cannabis,” he said.

Bishop Dunn said that, in voting for candidates, voters need “to be conscious of the needs of the poor, or the vulnerable or marginalised people in society”.

“Going into the election . . . what I’m encouraging people to do just to, in their own particular electorate, is to ask themselves what candidate and what party will help to care especially for those who are most in need in our society today,” he said.

Bishop Dunn highlighted homelessness as a huge issue today.

“The whole tradition of the government providing housing, state housing, is part of our history and I suspect that’s something that governments over recent decades have reneged on, maybe, dropped the ball in that regard. I think that present politicians and people now are very aware that we’ve got a major crisis and that government will have to come to the party to provide more accommodation for families that are really struggling to make ends meet,” he said.

He said candidates may not tick all the boxes, but the challenge for voters is “to find the very best candidate we can, a person of values”.

Bishop Dunn said he is aware that the old model of Christendom, where Church and State share the same values, “is passing in a country like New Zealand”.

But, he said, it is not the end of the world for Christians. “It just presents fresh challenges for us to be faithful to the Gospel and to be missionary disciples in a new age,” he said.

“Christians seem to be almost a minority now, even though we live in a country where many of our institutions actually have Christian origins. But that is the challenge for us, not to bewail the past, but to face the future with confidence and with hope. And not to be downhearted,” he said.

“Someone like St Paul, I think, would relish the opportunity to live the Gospel in this sort of pretty challenging time.”

The post In TV interview, bishop highlights election issues appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Cardinal Dew, in a pastoral letter, said churches have proven to be part of the spread of the virus overseas “and we don’t want that in New Zealand”.

“To be safe, I am suspending all Masses and parish activities which involve gathering until Tuesday 18 August,” he said.

“This means there will be no Masses this weekend, and the dispensation from Sunday obligation is in place. The dispensation also applies to the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is a Holy Day of Obligation and falls on Saturday,” he said.

Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn suspended Masses until Friday (August 14).

“Gatherings of more than 10 people will not be allowed, so there will be no Masses or parish gatherings during these three days. We are not sure what this will mean for our weekend Masses as there is the possibility that this period of Level 3 restrictions could be extended if community tracing has not been successful,” he said.

“However, we are hopeful that things will return to normal after Friday, and that our weekend Masses will be resumed as usual.”

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference earlier released a statement outlining the pastoral implications of the government’s announcement on Tuesday (August 11) night.

The statement said under Alert Level 3, all churches must close except for small private weddings and funerals of up to ten people with physical distancing and other public health measures in place.

Under Alert Level 2, religious gatherings are restricted to a maximum of 100 people. The decision as to whether Masses can continue under this restriction was left to dioceses and parishes.

“Not all parishioners will be able to attend Mass in many larger parishes. Others will not attend due to health reasons, concerns or fears. For these reasons, the dispensation of attendance at Sunday Mass will be in place,” the statement said.

“We know this is a challenging time for many people, the more so because this re-imposing of restrictions follows more than 100 days of national hope and gratitude for the absence of community transmission. Our thanks and prayers go to you all for your wonderful work and witness during this pandemic.”

The post Masses suspended as Covid Alert levels raised again appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

In a letter sent to New Zealand priests dated July 10, New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference president Bishop Patrick Dunn said the New Zealand bishops had decided that the phrase “ . . . one God for ever and ever” would become simply “. . . God for ever and ever”, leaving out the word “one”.

Bishop Dunn noted that a letter from CDW Prefect Cardinal Robert Sarah, sent on May 13 to presidents of bishops’ conferences which are members of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL), called for the change, “asking us to alter the wording of the conclusion used for the Opening Prayer (Collect) for most days of the year”.

Bishop Dunn added that Cardinal Sarah “points out correctly that the underlined word ‘one’ does not actually occur in the Latin (. . . Deus, per omnia Saecula saeculorum) and has asked that we remove it from these Collects”.

This alteration “changes the conclusion of our prayers from being simply an affirmation of the Holy Trinity (‘in the unity of the Holy Spirit’) to being also an affirmation of the divinity of Our Lord, Jesus Christ, (‘God, for ever and ever’)”, Bishop Dunn wrote.

The NZCBC recommends this change be implemented at all Masses from August 1 this year onwards, or earlier if priests prefer.

So the Collect conclusion will read: “We ask this in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God for ever and ever. Amen.”

Bishop Dunn noted that this change is now being implemented in other English-speaking episcopal conferences and will be incorporated into liturgical texts being published from now on.

In his letter, Cardinal Sarah noted that the CDW has, for some time, seen the addition of the word “one” as problematic and mistaken.

“On the one hand, it can serve to undermine the statement of the Son’s unique identity within the Trinity, which the Latin formulas so strongly convey and, on the other hand, it can also be interpreted as saying the Jesus Christ is ‘one God’.

“Either or both of these interpretations is injurious to the faith of the Church.”

Cardinal Sarah added: “This is of particular import in this time when many people see Jesus simply as a good man or moral teacher, akin to Socrates or the Buddha, but they fail to recognise him as the incarnate Son of God and Second Person of Trinity.”

Cardinal Sarah noted that the use of “one God” in English is an “outlier”, which is not mirrored in any of the other main language translations.

Since the English translation of the Roman Missal is often used as a guide for translations into other languages which are “less diffuse”, the risk of unauthentic interpretation is increased.

“Where this has previously come to our notice, we have corrected the translation,” Cardinal Sarah wrote.

The cardinal’s letter also stated that the CDW had previously raised the matter with ICEL informally.

The letter said it would be up to English-speaking episcopal conferences, through ICEL, to decide “how best to translate these formulas in order to safeguard their Trinitarian shape as well as their profession of the Son’s divinity”. Models in other languages were suggested.

The New Zealand bishops decided the simplest option would be to leave out the word “one”.

The post Wording change for Opening Prayer at Mass appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

Auckland Bishop Patrick Dunn, who presided over a small investiture ceremony held at the Pompallier Diocesan Centre on June 27, thanked Ms McQuade for applying her passion for Catholic education to schools in the diocese.

“Linda’s a person of great vision, great skill and great humility, so she’s probably finding this a bit difficult,” Bishop Dunn said. “Linda brought her passion for education and encouraged all our schools to become great places of learning, but also great places for evangelisation.”

Ms McQuade started out teaching in the 1970s, and was appointed deputy principal at McAuley High School in 1983.

Bishop Dunn said the Sisters of Mercy had the courage and vision to appoint her as principal of the college.

(From left) Papal Dames Lyndsay Freer, Linda McQuade and Pat Lythe with Bishop Patrick Dunn.

“Those who knew Linda at McAuley knew she built on the great foundations of McAuley High School, and the college just grew from strength to strength and became the premier school in New Zealand for young Pacific Island women,” the bishop said.

In 2000, Ms McQuade moved to Marist College, and fell in love with the Marist charism – she became a lay associate of the Marist Sisters and, in 2005, took special vows as a consecrated person.

Ms McQuade said it was initially hard for her to understand the charism. She was given books and retreats by the sisters at the school.

“It was just beautiful, and I did fall in love with that. That was the change in my life in terms of realising how important my faith was to me, and hence the decision [for] consecrated life,” she said.

Ms McQuade went on to work for the diocese in 2006, and represented Bishop Dunn in various meetings and events as proprietor of the diocese’s 43 primary and 15 secondary schools.

Ms McQuade said Catholic schools have changed over the years as society has changed.

“We now have a different responsibility, and that is really more involved with students starting to really understand and know Jesus Christ, and fall in love with Jesus Christ, because if they fall in love with Jesus Christ, they commit themselves to the Church,” she said in her thanksgiving speech. “For me, that is the work we now have to do in our schools.”

Ms McQuade acknowledged her mother, who was her role model and inspired her to become a teacher, the priests who have helped her along the way, the Mercy Sisters as well as the Marist Sisters, people she worked with in Catholic schools and at the diocese.

“I just want to finish by simply acknowledging Bishop Pat . . . just for who you are. You are the person who enables people to have the freedom to go and do things. You don’t micromanage them. You just give them the ability to run with projects,” she said. “You are really a servant-leader and good role model for us.”

Former McAuley principal Anne Miles and former Marist principal Monica Johnson also thanked Ms McQuade for her service.

“You have such a love for Catholic education,” said Mrs Johnson. “Your award is well-deserved.”

The post Akld Catholic educator honoured appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.

“I’m very conscious that on Palm Sunday, we are moving into Holy Week. And it’s certainly going to be a different kind of Holy Week, with none of the large gatherings and the beautiful liturgies that we usually associate at this time of the year,” he said in a video recorded at the Pompallier Diocesan Centre and posted on St Patrick Cathedral’s Facebook page.

“But instead, it is going to be a personal private journey as it is for many people at different times. “

Bishop Dunn said on Palm Sunday Mass and a Good Friday liturgy, will be broadcast on Shine TV, channel 25 on Freeview (Channel 201 on Sky TV).

The Palm Sunday Mass will be shown on Sunday at 1.35 pm while the Good Friday liturgy will be at 8.30 am on that channel.

Bishop Dunn also announced there will be a 3 pm national Catholic liturgy available in all the websites of the different dioceses of New Zealand.

Each diocese had already linked resources such as prayers and reflections on their websites for Holy Week.

“I pray that Holy Week this year will be a time of  special blessing and I wish you a very happy Easter even if we are going to celebrate it in our bubbles and in the middle of a pandemic. Our forebears in faith endured similar challenges and survived and flourished. And I’m sure, we will, too. So, God bless you all,” Bishop Dunn said.

The post A different kind of Holy Week appeared first on NZ Catholic Newspaper.