Tag Archive for ‘Christchurch’
Monday 11 February
Genesis 1:1-19, Ps.104, Mark 6:53-56 Our Earth We live surrounded by beauty. Even here in Christchurch, where so much is broken and destroyed, wildflowers bloom in the rubble. The trees stand green and stately. The mountains and the hills remain and the sun shines brightly. Surely all this intricate beauty points to a creator. To […]
One Cathedral to unite them all
Two of the highest profile buildings badly damaged in the Christchurch earthquake of February 2011 were the two Cathedrals. The Anglican gothic building in the centre of Cathedral Square was a city landmark. The rebuilding project has been marked by controversy; the Dean has resigned and a group of architects has taken the Diocese to […]
Saturday 7 July
Amos 9:11-15, Ps.85, Matthew 9:14-17 A people redeemed Today’s first reading paints a beautiful picture of a happy future and a country at peace, where everyone has a place to live, enough to eat, and worthwhile work to do. Utopian, too good to be true? Maybe, but something to work towards and to pray for. […]
Worshipping in the Wilderness
To be able to worship Our Creator, Jesus Christ, in the wilds of New Zealand is an extraordinary and unique experience of what it means to be both Catholic and human. Having tramped, climbed, and explored the wild and not-so-wild regions of this country for almost 40 years, from when I was in my early […]
Reflection: Earthquake Anniversary 22 Feb 2011
This year Ash Wednesday marks the first anniversary of the devastating February 22 earthquake in Christchurch – a shocking confrontation with the reality of the Ash Wednesday exhortation: “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you will return.” That fateful day we didn’t need any ritual reminder of our mortality. It was all around […]
The Faith of our Fathers
The History of St Bede’s College 1911 – 2011 by David McCarthy [Published by the Centennial Organising Committee 2011] This impressive book of 458 glossy pages and weighing over 2 Kg does worthy justice to the hundred years (1911 – 2011) of history of this Catholic secondary school for boys. It is the work of […]
Missionary Priests farewell their mothers
She responded to God’s love wholeheartedly: her daily prayer, her love for the Mass, her occasional retreats at the Cenacle, she responded to the Lord’s love as a dear friend. That friendship was at the very heart of her life. It was her joy and consolation. Also I want to say a word or two […]
Kiwis taking their own lives.
During the last week there has been a lot of media comment about suicide rates in NZ. This is unusual because there are strict rules about reporting suicide in the media. First came the scary statistic that in 2008 NZ had the highest rate in the OECD countries for young women 15-24 yrs. (The OECD […]
Family History Perishes in Quake
Original Artwork and Stained glass donated by pioneer Catholic families are part of the collateral damage suffered by the Catholic Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Christchurch. The painstaking task of stabilising the building must be completed before any of this artwork can be recovered if indeed they are still in a condition to be […]
Evangelisation, Ecology and Solidarity with Christchurch
Evangelisation is the task for all Church Members Commenting on the choice of theme, the Pope affirmed that “the faith cannot endure by itself in the world, it is not automatically transmitted to men’s hearts but always has to be announced. And the announcement of the faith, in order to be effective, must come from […]
Entries(RSS)