Kete Kōrero
BISHOP RICHARD LAURENSON
The Jubilee of Hope 2025, is a significant event in the Church’s calendar, for people everywhere and in every state of life. This includes us here in the Diocese of Hamilton. This special year of hope is set to begin on Christmas Eve 2024 with the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. For the Hamilton Diocese the Jubilee kicks off with a Special Opening of the Holy Year in the Cathedral on New Years’ Eve.
Theme and Significance
The theme “Pilgrims of Hope” comes from St. Paul’s Romans 5:5, “Hope does not disappoint”. This reflects the Pope’s desire to foster a greater sense of global unity, solidarity with the poor, and care for our common home, welcome of those displaced by oppression, especially our Eastern Christian family. A Jubilee Year is designed to be a time of conversion, emphasising God’s mercy and the forgiveness of sins.
New Zealand’s Participation
It is hoped that our liturgies in New Zealand will reflect the intentions of the Jubilee Year. Adaptation may be needed to harmonise with the global Church in celebrating this special time.
Prayer and Hymn
A Jubilee prayer has been provided in English, Maori, Samoan and Tongan for use during gatherings throughout the year and a special Hymn is offered for parishes to sing. The prayer in English can be found on the back cover of this issue and the rest can be found at the National Liturgy Office Website, nlo.org.nz, click on ‘Jubilee 2025 Resources.’
I encourage you all to use the prayer at meetings and other gatherings in the Parish, and sing the Jubilee hymn, “Pilgrims of Hope,” at mass, offertory or communion time. The Coral Nature of the music seems best suited to these times, rather than as an Entrance or Recessional hymn.
Pilgrims of Hope
Original text: Fr Pierangelo Sequeri, Eng. Andrew Wadsworth Music: Francesco Meneghello
Like a flame my hope is burning, may my song arise to you: Source of life that has no ending, on life’s path I trust in you.
1. Ev’ry nation, tongue, and people find a light within your Word. Scattered fragile sons and daughters, find a home in your dear Son.
2. God, so tender and so patient, dawn of hope, you care for all. Heav’n and earth are recreated,
by the Spirit of Life set free.
3. Raise your eyes, the wind is blowing, for our God is born in time.
Son made man for you and many, who will find the way in him.
Events in NZ include:
Opening of the Jubilee Year for HAMILTON, Sunday 29 December 3:00pm, at the Cathedral Pilgrimage to the Hokianga, NGA TAPUWAEHIKOI 2025 10-12 January (Details and registration www.aucklandcatholic.org.nz/lifeinfaith/nga_ tapuwae-2025/) Culminating at the Anniversary Mass Totara Point, Hokianga 12 January, 11:00am.
Pentecost Sunday in Rotorua, celebrating our many cultures that make up the one Church. Pilgrimage to Wellington Shrine of Our Lady, for the Feast of the Assumption. (15 August)
Missionary of Mercy:
In the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis established the “Missionaries Of Mercy”, and granted to Fr Richard Shortall SJ, special and ongoing faculties to bring the Mercy of God to anyone and everyone who needs it. Fr Shortall will spend the year travelling the diocese bringing this ministry of mercy to anyone who wishes to meet the Divine Mercy of God for any reason whatsoever.
Spiritual Renewal
There is a great distinction between worldly hopes, which can often fail and disappoint, and the hope we Christians place in God’s eternal promises, which will never fail. This hope is a source of encouragement to rebuild a world broken by sin. We simply must remain steadfast in our belief in God’s ultimate plan of salvation. Hope does not Disappoint, and the Hope we have in Our Lord, also spurs us on to spreading the Good News, helping the poor, and caring for the world as the Lord intends us to. This Jubilee offers an opportunity for personal and communal spiritual renewal. New Zealand Catholics are encouraged to deepen their faith through pilgrimage, prayer, the sacrament of Reconciliation, and works of mercy.
BISHOP’S LETTER
ST MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT ROSE
EDITOR’S NOTE
MISSIONARY OF MERCY MoM SCHEDULE
WIM PINTO
WINNER OF PRO-LIFE ESSAY
CELEBRATING 70 YEARS: ST PIUS X, TOKOROA
DIOCESAN JUBILEE CALENDAR JUBILEE WORDSEARCH THE GENIUS OF ALPHA AROUND THE DIOCESE: ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS THE PRO-LIFE GENERATION
LUCE & FRIENDS: THE 2025 JUBILEE MASCOT
Publisher: Catholic Diocese of Hamilton
Editor: Kirsty Muir | kirstym@cdh.org.nz
Design & Photography: Taila Burton-Gollop
Proofreader: Patricia Parsons
Advertising: kete@cdh.org.nz
Online Kete articles: ketekorero.cdh.nz
Phone: 07 856 6989
Postal: PO Box 4353, Hamilton East 3247
ISSN number: 2357-2221
Deadline for content: 7 February, 2025 @catholicdioceseofhamilton youtube.com/CatholicDioceseofHamiltonNZ
St Marcellin Champagnat Rose
On a sunny Saturday morning in late November, a new rose was introduced by Amoré Roses.
During the open day of Amoré Roses, the new St Marcellin Champagnat Rose was presented and
blessed.Saint Marcellin Champagnat founded the Marist Order. The Marist Brothers founded, were involved with, or continue to be involved with, many primary and secondary schools throughout New Zealand.
Amoré Roses® with the assistance of David Kenny –the Rose breeder from Dublin – released the Rose “Saint Marcellin Champagnat” with at least $30 per rose every rose sold (at $60) being donated to the Marist Trust. Donations were also made during the day.
While only limited stock was available on the day, any extras that were purchased will be delivered in Winter 2025. Many were also purchased and donated to St John’s College. These are to be planted when their Administration Entrance upgrade is complete.
A comment from a guest on the day “Bishop Richard , the way you drew the connection between roses and Mary was very beautiful and quite uplifting. It was a wonderful day which Jan and Paul hosted so generously. A chance to reconnect with so many St John’s people including the Marist Brothers”
The Rosary, promoted by St Marcellin, might be reduced to sentimentality of presenting flowers, however roses have a darker side too. The thorns of their stems remind us of the crown of our Savior. Red petals evoke the blood He shed. The yellows and pinks - the water that flowed from his side. Their slender stalks recall the reed he held as He was cruelly mocked and the rods which beat him. Their leaves?
The clothes stripped from His tortured body.
It is no accident that Christians would take the rose, which the Greeks associated with Aphrodite, the ‘goddess’ of love, and apply it to Mary. Mary leads us deeper into the mystery of the love of Christ, all the while reminding us that true love requires sacrifice. For Christians, the rose is a catechism of the charity of Christ.
Finally, roses are signs of the graces Divine Providence accords Mary to offer. Roses tumbled from the tilma of Juan Diego. A rose graced the Virgin’s brown at Knock. At La Salette roses crowned her head, a wreath of roses adorned her cloak, and a third garland surrounded her slippers. At Lourdes, St. Bernadette saw upon each of her feet a blossoming rose.
The repeated appearance of the rose indicates its privileged place in connection with devotion to Our Lady. Mary herself has chosen them as one of her signs.
Bishop Richard then went on to bless the rose named after Marcellin Champagnat, whose devotion to the Mystic Rose, Mary our Queen and mother, is legend.
www.amoreroses.co.nz
My new rose planted in a sheltered sunny spot, enjoying it’s new home over in the BOP.
EDITOR’S NOTE
At the risk of sounding like a walking and talking cliché, this year certainly has flown by! The highlight of the year for me, filling and unpacking our baskets as editor of the Kete Kōrero. Meeting many new faces and sharing faith filled stories brings me joy and I give thanks to you for your patience as I found my feet. Next year looks set to be a big year in the Church, we embark on a journey, where we are provided with opportunities to renew our faith and strengthen our relationship with Christ. Our webpage, https://www.cdh.org.nz/jubilee-2025, will continue to be updated through the year of any Jubilee related activity. Sneak peaks of the Hamilton Diocese calendar are printed in this Kete, along with the Missionary of Mercy dates. Do not be a stranger when it comes to making a visit to Fr Shortall, look for the reminders in your parish newsletters. Pilgrimages can be made close to home or further afield, retreats are a good option too. Keep an eye on our webpage, bookings will be open for 2025 by the time this issue goes to print. Our schools team has also advised that ‘Catholic Schools Day’ will be celebrated on 25 May next year throughout the country. Schools may tie this in with the Jubilee year.
As we also enter the Christmas season, we are reminded of the joy and hope that the birth of Christ brings to our lives. Coming home for Christmas may have many connotations and we see many Catholics who are CEO’s - ‘Christmas and Easter Only’ Catholics. Our Churches tend to be packed out and I often hear murmurs “well where are they the rest of the year.” However, whatever the motives, God’s grace is working! Be sure to be welcoming, reach out and start conversations, this is our opportunity to be pilgrims of hope. Let the Joy of Christ radiate outward. While deepening our own relationship with Christ, we can extend His love to those around us.
Wishing you and your family a truly blessed and safe Christmas Season.
MISSIONARY OF MERCY
During October when the priests of our diocese gathered with Bishop Laurenson, they expressed a desire that this Missionary of Mercy (MoM) ministry be a part of how we will celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope. Fortunately, New Zealand’s only MoM resides and works in our diocese! He is Father Richard Shortall SJ who is known to many.
Earlier this year Pope Francis outlined his vision for the Jubilee Year of Hope in the formal document that
established it, Hope does not Disappoint. In paragraph twenty-six, he wrote:
For the last Extraordinary Jubilee, I commissioned Missionaries of Mercy, and these continue to carry out an important mission. During the coming Jubilee, may they exercise their ministry by reviving hope and offering forgiveness whenever a sinner comes to them with an open heart and a penitent spirit. May they remain a source of reconciliation and an encouragement to look to the
future with heartfelt hope inspired by the Father’s mercy. I encourage bishops to take advantage of their precious ministry, (…) In this Jubilee Year, may no one be deprived of the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness and consolation.
How will Richard exercise this particular ministry? Let him answer that question himself:
By way of introduction to this particular ministry, let me tell you what I did during the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 throughout the Maitland- Newcastle Diocese in New South Wales, Australia. Travelling around this rural diocese in a motorhome, I spent a week in parish communities offering parishioners a special opportunity to encounter our kind, all-embracing, welcoming, understanding, merciful God. I did this by sitting in the church ready to listen to the stories of anyone who chose to sit down with me. Whenever I arrived in a particular parish, I promised parishioners that
I would sit in the church ready to listen with a merciful gaze, open arms and a welcoming non-judgemental heart to any story of pain, sorrow, disappointment, or heaviness of spirit that they brought to me. My hope was that in such a conversation they would experience something of God’s closeness to them and forgiving acceptance of them. In doing this I was carrying out what Pope Francis calls ‘the apostolate of the ear.’
Perhaps it was those experiences of suffering—the ones I had known in my own life—which enabled me to provide a safe and caring environment for these conversations. In preparing for this special ministry, I became firmly convinced that what parishioners in Australia would desire most from the Year of Mercy would be the opportunity to tell their stories. Some might want to celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation, but not all. Many just needed to experience the words of Pope Francis that were a constant encouragement to me: God forgives us not with a decree, but with a caress.
So often these conversations would begin with words such as these:
“Father, I have a secret. It goes back to when I was ...”
“Father, this is the sorrow of my life …”
“Father, will God ever forgive me …?”
“Father, ours has been a loveless marriage …”
Sometimes, as many as eight people would sit with me during the day. After such full days of listening to these stories of pain, sorrow and deep hurt I often found it difficult to sleep at night. Despite at times keenly feeling the weight of these stories, I remained faithful to the daily rhythm of sitting in the church. If there were gaps in these times of sitting when no-one came, I would sit quietly, read, pray and … knit!
So, the plan for our MoM’s ministry during this Jubilee Year of Hope is that he spend three days as a time in those churches that have been chosen for him to visit – sitting in the church, ready to listen to whoever chooses to come. Some parishioners might choose to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation with a priest who does not know them or tell a story, long embedded in their heart, that needs to be told. The atmosphere will be very respectful and safe. Parish priests will need to assure our MoM that they will provide such a space for him and those who come to him. If there is no such promise, our MoM will not visit that church!
When Pope Francis commissioned his Missionaries of Mercy in March 2016 Richard still remembers his words: In this ministry you are to express the maternity of the Church. The Church is a mother because she offers conversion in a welcoming and loving way. As part of our diocesan celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope, Richard desires to offer this particular ministry once again.
MISSIONARY OF MERCY | SCHEDULE OF PARISH VISITS
HAMILTON CLUSTER (1)
18-20 Feb 2025
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Hillcrest - University - Melville - Fairfield - Te Rapa - Frankton - Raglan & Te Mata
TAURANGA CLUSTER (1)
11-13 Mar 2025
Tauranga - Mt Maunganui - Te Puke - Bethlehem - Te Puna - Matakana Island - Omokoroa - Maketū
GISBORNE CLUSTER
8-10 Apr 2025
Gisborne - Matawai - Tolaga Bay - Tokomaru Bay
WHAKATANE CLUSTER
13-15 May 2025
Whakatāne - Matata - Edgecumbe - Kawerau - Poroporo
OPOTIKI CLUSTER
20-22 May 2025
Ōpōtiki - Te Kaha
WAIHI CLUSTER
10-12 Jun 2025
Waihi - Katikati - Whangamatā
CAMBRIDGE CLUSTER
29-31 Jul 2025
Cambridge - Matamata
MORRINSVILLE CLUSTER
5-7 Aug 2025
Morrinsville - Te Aroha - Paeroa
MISSIONARY OF MERCY | SCHEDULE OF PARISH VISITS
NGARUAWAHIA
12-14 Aug 2025
Ngaruawahia - Huntly - Te Kauwhata
ROTORUA CLUSTER
26-28 Aug 2025
Central - North - Reporoa - Murupara
TAUPŌ CLUSTER
2-4 Sep 2025
Taupō - Tūrangi
TAUMARUNUI CLUSTER
16-18 Sep 2025
Taumarunui
TOKOROA CLUSTER
7-9 Oct 2025
Tokoroa - Putāruru
TE AWAMUTU CLUSTER
18-20 Nov 2025
Te Awamutu - Otorohanga - Te Kuiti
TAURANGA CLUSTER (2)
25-27 Nov 2025
Tauranga - Mt Maunganui - Te Puke - Bethlehem - Te Puna - Matakana Island - Omokoroa - Maketū
HAMILTON CLUSTER (2)
9-11 Dec 2025
Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Hillcrest - University - Melville - Fairfield - Te Rapa - Frankton - Raglan & Te Mata
*LOCATIONS MAY VARY DUE TO PASTORAL REQUIREMENTS
Over the years Wim has provided his time, skills and talent to the practical functioning of the Church
as well as the wider Whakatāne community. Wim is a musician with world renowned experience and a member of the choir and more contemporary group ‘Spiritus’, as guitarist and vocalist.
He was the one ‘up the ladder’, changing light bulbs, and installing metres of fabrics to beautify, in preparation for Easter and Christmas celebrations.
A quiet and humble, kind and gentle koroua, he prays the rosary every Wednesday following morning Mass. Sometimes a cuppa and a chat usually rounds off the morning before (these days) driving his mobility scooter for a round of engagements and commitments to daughters and mokopuna, retirement villages like Mary Shapley and Golden Ponds. The country and western club are also lucky to be included in his world.
Wim is a man of faith and practice who seeks to serve God and who considers his musical talent as God’s tāonga (gift) to share for the benefit of those who live in care, no longer having options because of physical and mental restrictions.
When you meet Wim you leave with a smile in your heart. Beautiful. Child of God.
Nga mihinui e te rangatira tapu mai a mātou rohe o Whakatāne. Tēna koe me tino nui o te aroha kia koe hoki.
Wim Pinto
Wim Pinto is our 92 year old beloved elder who still volunteers inside the St Peter Chanel, Whakatane Parish. For almost two decades he has been fixing and checking off electrical item donations for the St Vincent de Paul shop.
Winner of Essay Award
JESSE COX
Homeschooler Jesse Cox, won this year’s senior award for top essay in the Pro-Life Essay Competition, sponsored by the Catholic Development Fund (CDF). We share his essay below. Anglea Liju won the junior category and we had five highly commended. Thanks to the CDF and the judges for their support of this competition.
“Fewer women would have an abortion if wombs had windows.” (Bernard Nathanson, Physician, Former
abortionist, Director of NYC Centre for Reproductive and Sexual Health, Co-founder NARAL). I will be considering the quote “Belief in God makes us bearers of values that often do not coincide with the fashion and opinion of the moment and calls us to adopt standards and behaviours that do not belong to the common way of thinking.” I will examine how the Catholic response to crisis pregnancies can be countercultural. I will explain how the fashions and
opinions of utilitarianism, hedonism and image lead to a culture of death.
“Utility is the great idol of the age to which all powers must do service and allegiance.” (Friedrich Schiller). As shown in this quote our current society thinks a person does not have worth unless he or she is useful. The current culture believes we need to have a career and be making money to have value. Women should be focusing on their jobs and be contributing to the economy. As for a baby, our society
generally believes they are not useful at all. Conversely the Catholic Church believes every life has worth and every human should be treated with dignity and respect no matter how useful they are. Saying that a woman only has value in a career is therefore making motherhood countercultural. The Church believes babies are an amazing gift and motherhood is a great calling. As Mother Teresa said, “How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.” Children remind us of the importance of beauty and God’s goodness over utility.
Hedonistic behaviour is based on a belief that pleasure is the most important thing in life and this is a dangerous belief for a woman in a crisis pregnancy. Our current culture definitely believes in this and lives in an extremely hedonistic way.
Common ways that show this behaviour in our society are the use of drugs, drinking, promiscuity, screen addiction and overeating unhealthy food. Belief in God calls us to adopt much different standards and behaviours. A Catholic’s life should show sacrifice, self-restraint and also a greater and deeper joy. St Maximilian Kolbe reminds us that, “Let us remember that love lives through sacrifice and is nourished by giving.Without sacrifice there is no love. Sacrifice the senses, taste, hearing, and above all, the mind and the will in holy obedience.” In a crisis pregnancy a hedonistic response would be to abort the baby because having and raising a baby is not always pleasurable and requires the parents to sacrifice much of themselves. It requires great self-restraint. Giving life to a baby gives a greater and deeper joy to a person’s life. Furthermore the bible teaches us, “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God’s glory.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) Because the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit one must keep the body sacred.. Therefore a hedonistic lifestyle violates the way Catholics are supposed to live. If we want to keep our body sacred then we need to show this by valuing and protecting a woman’s body and her unborn child’s life. It is vastly counter-cultural to live a life of sacrifice in an incredibly hedonistic society.
In our current culture a person’s image is one of the biggest powers and influences of the moment. Image is promoted immensely by social platforms such as Instagram, tiktok
and Twitter where people constantly upload photos and videos of themselves looking ripped or gorgeous. This can make others feel depressed and self conscious that they are not up to that standard. It is not a realistic representation of human society.“How many Christians live for appearances? Their life seems like a soap bubble. The soap bubble is beautiful, with all its colours! But it lasts only a second, and then what?” (Pope Francis). If a woman gets pregnant she may likely feel pressure to abort the baby as it doesn’t fit the image of a good looking, successful, career driven woman. This can be particularly true if she has the magic number of two children already, or if she isn’t wealthy, or not in a good relationship or too young or even too old.
As Catholics our belief in God calls us to think more about the state of our soul rather than worry about appearances and how we look to others. We must not grow attached to things of the world, rather we must keep our hearts and eyes towards Heaven. Bishop Barren notes: “Unless you crucify your ego you cannot be my follower, says Jesus. This move - this terrible move has to be the foundation of spiritual life.” Barron says it is hard to not have an ego but Jesus is calling us to get rid of it and follow his way of humility. This is counter-cultural towards the common way of thinking. A Catholic response would be to keep the child, love and nurture it and live the hidden family life like the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
Utility, hedonism and the importance of image contribute to a culture of death.
The culture of death leads to crisis pregnancy and then to the killing of an unborn child. As Catholics, our belief in God should mean that we value goodness and beauty, self -sacrifice and humility. We as Catholics are failing in this and should be leading the way and showing others that abortion is murder. We must have different standards and behaviours to the common way of thinking. We must protect the unborn child, uphold motherhood and live lives of sacrifice and joy.
“A Catholic’s life should show sacrifice, self-restraint and also a greater and deeper joy.”
Bibliography:
• Barron, Robert. https://www.wordonfire.org/ reflections/b-easter-wk7-saturday/ 18 May 2024.
• The Bible, Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, Oxford UP, 2004
• Kolbe, Maximillian quote. https://catholic-link. org/quotes/without-sacrifice-there-is-no-love-stmaximilian-kolbe/
• Mother Teresa quote. https://spiritualquotestoliveby. com/children-quotes/
• Nathanson, Bernard, Richard Ostling. Aborting America. 1979.
• Pope Francis on Vanity.
• https://church.mt/vain-christians-are-like-soapbubbles-pope-francis/#:~:text=Their%20life%20 seems%20like%20a,of%20God%20Paul%20VI%20 said.
• Schiller, Friedrich. On the Aesthetic Education of Man, p.26, Courier Corporation. 2012.
Celebrating 70 Years
Celebration of 70 years as a Parish and 62 years since our church of St Pius X was opened. JILL SEERDEN
On Sunday the 24th of November we gathered as a Parish and celebrated our years as a Parish and the opening of our church.
By early morning the lawn was mown, tent erected, tables for food placed nearby and white chairs set out, giving the appearance of a garden party about to happen.
The day started with Mass at 9.30am celebrated by our Parish Priest Father Robert Sharplin. Altar servers, Arsenry and Mikhail Pahuyo and Wiremu Collier assisted Father. The Samoan group led the music with James Coxhead on the guitar and Patsy Hill on the organ.
The 1st Reader was Margaret Brownsey a long-time Parishioner and two other Parishioners, Maria Portegys (nee Aarts) and Ellen Jones, nee (Risbridge) brought up the offertory gifts.
Using the prayers for the Dedication of a Church and the readings for the Feast of Christ the King, Fr. Robert neatly gathered the thread of the themes into an appropriate homily.
After Holy Communion Richard Mace presented a slideshow of photos of the building of the hall and church and the life of the Parish over the past 70 years. This
construction work had been led, all those years ago, by Parish Priest Father O’Connor and the local community.
At the end of the show there was an outburst of spontaneous applause. One woman murmured that it had brought back many memories of that time.
After Mass we gathered on the church grounds around the tent to enjoy shared memories and light refreshments provided by parishioners and served by members of the Samoan Society.
The day was fine and sunny. The children were entertained with a treasure hunt while the food was laid out on the tables and blessed.
Inside the tent many pictures of the progress of the building of the church and the Dedication and Blessing of St Pius X were displayed.
The progress had been captured on camera by the late Mr
Parishioners sat and enjoyed morning tea sharing their memories of the past. There was a great spirit among the people, the sun shone and we had fun. A great morning by all who attended.
Thank you to everyone who helped to make the day successful, especially to Father Robert.
Jubilee 2025 PILGRIMS OF HOPE
The Holy Father has announced the Jubilee of 2025, with the theme "Pilgrims of Hope." Pope Francis stated in his 2022 letter that, "We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us, and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire; that is why I have chosen as the motto of the Jubilee, Pilgrims of Hope.”
Can you complete our Jubilee themed word search?
HOPE PILGRIM ROME
JUBILEE HOLY DOORS LUCE PILGRIMAGE POPE
THE GENIUS OF ALPHA
MIKE BAIRD
The genius of the Alpha Course is that it meets people wherever they are at in their faith walk. St Matthews are into their 6th year of running Alpha.
Saint Matthew’s, Silverdale is the sister parish to the Cathedral parish in Hamilton. Some would say we’re
the little sister but we have a big heart. This has been expressed by our hosting an Alpha Course each year over the past six years, one year being missed because of COVID.
The genius of the Alpha Course is that it meets people wherever they are at in their faith walk. Regular Mass goers get refreshed and renewed while completely unchurched hear for the first time that God loves them and has a plan
for their lives.
This year thirty three people met weekly over eleven weeks to share a meal, watch an engaging video unpacking the essentials of Christianity, then break out into small groups to discuss the evening’s topic. It’s an open environment with all opinions welcomed. There’s no pressure to say anything, but the floor is open for those who want to.
Participants included long-time Catholics, those curious from other churches, unchurched people invited by friends and family and some who simply walked in off the street. Ages ranged from teenagers through to retirees with most guests being under thirty-five.
We had wonderful support from Marian School who provided the venue and from the Bernadette Trust who assisted with financial backing.
People are already asking if another Alpha Course will be run. God willing yes, early 2025. Further information can be found at www.alphacourse.info
Please email joannak@cdh.org.nz to apply to the Bernadette Trust for funding toward an Alpha Course for your parish.
AROUND THE DIOCESE
St Pius X, Tokoroa
SULUFAGA: CELEBRATING OUR CATHOLIC FAITH AND SAMOAN CULTURE IN TOKOROA
BY JAMES COXHEAD
On October 27, 2024, the Samoan Society of St. Pius X Church in Tokoroa held its annual Sulufaga, or Samoan Feast Day, a celebration deeply rooted in the community’s cultural and spiritual traditions. This year’s event was a poignant reminder of the Society’s enduring legacy, which began in 1953, and its dedication to preserving Samoan language, music, and customs in the life of the church. The Feast Day Mass was a vibrant celebration of Samoan Catholic tradition. All hymns and responses were sung in
Samoan, showcasing the community’s linguistic heritage and commitment to worship in their native tongue. A special highlight of this year’s celebration was the Siva, a Samoan dance, performed during the Taulaga (offertory procession).
The graceful and heartfelt performance by Elle Ahloo and Mainifo Asiata, students from Bishop Edward
Gaines Catholic School in Tokoroa, was a testament to the younger generation’s engagement in keeping Samoan cultural practices alive.
Father Robert Sharplin, who has been a constant source of guidance and support for the Samoan Society, presided over the Mass. His dedication to the community was acknowledged with heartfelt gratitude during the celebration.
The Sulufaga Feast Day serves not only as a religious observance but also as a vibrant cultural gathering, uniting generations in faith and tradition. The Samoan Society of St. Pius X extends its thanks to all who contributed to the success of this year’s celebration, particularly the students, parishioners, and Father Sharplin.
As the Society moves forward, it continues to build on its decades-long history, fostering a sense of unity and pride among Tokoroa’s Samoan Catholic community.
St Mary, Star of the Sea, Gisborne
ROSARY PROCESSION
BY FR MARK FIELD
To bring the Month of the Holy Rosary to a close, the Parish held a Rosary Procession on the last Sunday of October. The Lord blessed us with a beautiful, sunny day, and a good number of parishioners, young and old, came to walk and pray together. One parishioner who was received into the church at the Easter Vigil earlier this year commented, “What a lovely procession today!” And it was!
In early October we celebrated the Centennial of Sacred Heart Church in Tolaga Bay. We were delighted to have Bishop Richard with us for the occasion, and a large contingent of parishioners from Gisborne travelled to be there also, many with historical links to Tolaga
Bay. The church was built by Mill Hill missionary Father Bernard Kreymborg in 1924, and Mass is still celebrated there each month.
St Pius X, Katikati
FLOWERS
BY JENNY HODGES
For the past few years, Clare Oram (nee Fitzgerald) has enabled parishioners of the Katikati Catholic parish to place flowers on the cross in memory of their departed loved ones. Her sister, Athleen McCabe from Te Aroha, has been instrumental in continuing the same tradition in that parish and it is believed that their mother brought the custom from Ireland.
Clare Oram organised for the cross to be made and she and another friend, Mary Nelson, bring flowers from their gardens. Clare saturates the oasis on the cross and props it into position and offers the flowers before and after Mass. Many of the parishioners are migrants and are far away from burial places of loved ones, so it is a real consolation to us.
IN MEMORY
We remembered our loved ones who’ve passed away, With a cross of flowers on All Souls day. Each flower is in memory of somebody dear, Who’s with us in spirit - so always seems near.
NET
THE 2024 HAMILTON NET TEAM: XAVIER, JESS, TESS, ELLE, MICHAEL & RUBY
For the last 10 months we’ve become ingrained in the Hamilton Catholic community whilst we’ve outreached to thousands of high schoolers, visiting Catholic Schools all over the diocese as well as a trip to the diocese of Palmerston North. Recently, we ran the Aquinas College Year 12 overnight retreat. We had times of small groups and games, as well as time to share our stories of how Jesus has worked powerfully in our lives and gave them the opportunity to pray and reflect. At this retreat, we were able to provide an opportunity for a time of Adoration and Reconciliation. We were pleasantly surprised to witness 60-70 young people be inspired to receive the Sacrament of Penance for themselves, so persistent that even when Adoration was over, students waited further to receive the gift of God’s mercy. Many of these young people experienced what it was like to be the prodigal son; living life away, and coming back into the loving and warm embrace of their Heavenly Father. This is just one story of a multitude we have been privileged and blessed to witness. We are touched by the support and prayers from the entire community and all those who helped our mission come to life and we hope that the impact of this Christ-centred mission will resonate for years to come. In closing, we invite everyone to join us in prayer as we seek to nurture the next generation to live in faith, hope and love.
Footnote: From the Youth Office and all who have had the privilege of encountering our NET Team this year, we give our heartfelt thanks for all you have done and the powerful witness of hope you have been for our young people especially. Your commitment and hunger for the mission is inspiring and we know that each one of you will go on to do great things from here. Thank you for your YES and may God bless and keep you as you continue on your journey!
St Thomas Aquinas, Tauranga
ALL SAINTS PARTY
MARGIE COOPER
We did “build community” such a wonderful, fun filled evening, and an impactful way of Taupassing on our Catholic faith to the future generations. An enriching evening learning about the Saints, full of stories and inspiration.
Our “All Saints” party was a huge success, thank you to all who participated and shared in the love. Whether they came dressed up or just to spend time together as a community of believers with the same love of Jesus Christ.
Community building is all about bringing people together and creating a sense of belonging.
Chanel Centre
TE ROUROU
KIRSTY MUIR
We love sharing our ‘baskets of talk’ with you through this magazine, and in addition, we communicate with you on our social media channels and a Kete blog on our website. In the past we have sent our regular newsletters to our subscribers via email. Earlier this year I was looking for a better way to hold all our online communications, but in a way that is easily shareable. Our baskets were overflowing and the Kete didn’t have enough pages!
While researching the best way to hold all our online communications, I kept coming back to Hail.to. With children at both St Thomas More and Aquinas College, I was well used to receiving a newsletter created through Hail.to.
Hail.to is a Kiwi company, and while we love the platform - we love the name even more! We know it is trusted by many more of our Catholic schools and also some of the Anglican dioceses.
This online platform is essentially a collection of individual articles that can be collected into multiple newsletter type publications. From here Te Rourou was born, which is the landing page for the collection of all our online articles and news - don’t worry - it is to complement the Kete Kōrero, not replace it.
It was named in consultation with Pa Gerard. He explains:
“Basically, a ‘rourou’ is a flax woven food basket… One expression of this Maori saying is… Mā tōu rourou, mā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi! …. with your food basket and my food basket the people will flourish…
(Note: there are similar expressions but same meaning.)
Hence, ‘ Te Rourou’ can refer to or encapsulate the sharing of resources, contributions and knowledge that may further serve or nourish the wellbeing of people.”
One example of how we will use our online articles, is a
monthly newsletter that will be sent to our subscribers, with the name of the newsletter incorporating a phrase from our Bishop’s Motto, Clearly: from the Hamilton Diocese.
In ‘Clearly’ while we share a host of relevant articles, we also give some of our ‘groups’ and ministries a voice. An exciting feature with Hail.to is the use of ‘tags’, as every article will be tagged. An example of tags are ‘parish life’ or ‘quiz’ or ‘youth.’ You can read all the articles in the newsletters or just the ones that seem relevant to you.
Sharing our articles is easy too, you can share the entire newsletter link, or each article owns its own URL too, meaning you can share articles direct to social media. We continue to look for ways to reach every corner of our diocese, bringing us all together in Christ’s name, Amen.
To become a subscriber, head to:
https://hail.to/catholic-diocese-of-hamilton
Previous publications and articles can all be found on this landing page of Te Rourou.
The Pro-Life Generation
We share an immense amount of gratitude to the youth who represented the Hamilton Diocese at the National March for Life this year. Thanks to the adults who organised and accompanied them on their pilgrimage South. The future of the diocese is in safe hands!
JUBILEE 2025
LUCE
is echoed in the “Pilgrims of Hope” logo lettering.
“Luce” is a female name in Italian. The word “luce” means light in Italian & in Latin (in the ablative case).
Archbishop Fisichella says the mascot was inspired by the Church’s desire “to live even within the pop culture so beloved by our youth.” - @CatholicTV on X (formerly Twitter).
Luce:
• LIGHT in the EYES represents the vision of the Light of God and the journey toward it. Light is a symbol of hope. The shape of the light resembles a shell, a symbol of perseverance in faith, as well as a symbol of the iconic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, where the shell signals the way to the Cathedral.
• The ROSARY BEADS represent a life filled with deep prayer. They symbolise simple, daily Christian prayer.
• The “BORDONE” - walking stick - evokes the arduous journey of the pilgrim. It symbolises the pilgrimage of life, a journey toward eternity.
• DIRTY BOOTS, a symbol of humility and a long, arduous journey. The colour green, representing hope, loo-chAY | /luːtʃeɪ/
• The SAILOR’S RAINCOAT - a symbol of journeying through the storm. As indicated by the waves in the Jubilee logo, it shows that life’s pilgrimage doesn’t always navigate calm waters. Like the “sanrocchino,” the short canvas cloak that served to protect pilgrims from the elements, it symbolises divine protection on the pilgrimage towards eternity.
• The iconic YELLOW OF THE SAILOR’S RAINCOAT recalls the colours of the flag of the Holy See, while also representing one of the pilgrims in the Jubilee logo.
Companions:
• The DOG (Santino) was for San Rocco (the Saint Pilgrim), a sign of Divine Providence that assisted him in times of extreme need. It symbolises his fidelity to God’s calling. The dog is also a symbol of frienship.
• The DOVE (Aura) (symbol of the Holy Spirit) as a companion on the journey. The dove is also a symbol of purity, the search for God, freedom, and a messenger of peace.
• The ANGEL (Iubi) represents the union between earthly experience and the presence of God in life, offering courage in moments of solitary suffering. It symbolises God’s presence, accompanying each person’s journey. A guardian angel as a companion throughout life.
• The ANCHOR (on the angel’s hat) is a symbol of hope.