FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK AND BASKET OF STORIES

Questions set by the Sacred Heart Girls’ College Year 13 Photography class and Mrs Stuart.

1. The earliest extant examples of Christian art are graffiti found on underground tombs in Rome known as what?

2. Name the famous Italian smiling lady and her French home which is currently being renovated due to Covid-19 restrictions.

3. Traditional art featuring stylised turtles and hibiscus flowers would come from what part of the world?

4. What are the three primary colours, and what colour do you get if you mix them together?

5. What is the term for the patterns painted on marae rafters?

6. Which pigment was the most expensive pigment for many years and so became the characteristic hue used in depictions of Our Lady?

7. What is the rule of thirds?

8. Name the visual arts subjects you can take at Sacred Heart in Year 13.

9. Who is the famous New Zealand conceptual artist whose last name is also a fruit?

10. Who is the famous New Zealand painter whose work, such as the painting entitled “I Am”, often included Christian symbols, motifs and texts?

Answers for this quiz can be found on page 26. Kete Kōrero continues to evolve as we try new things. Lots of photos in this issue, as we want to include plenty of “faces and places’’ from around the diocese. If a group in your parish runs an event or get-together, please send our team some photos and a write-up. We aim to load current events up on to our blog (www.ketekorero.cdh.nz) in good time, and events closer to publication date might find their way into the news section in the printed pages too. Photos need to be of good quality (your basic smartphone should be fine) and sent as separate email attachments as .jpeg or .png files (not inside a Word document).

In this issue we launch an Arts and Culture section. Catholics love to tell stories, to attempt to capture in different artistic forms the deep truths of our religion. Stories of who and what we are as human beings and as sons and daughters of our loving God. We love film, poetry, music, sculpture, architecture, fiction, paintings. In this new section we aim to “hit the streets” as Pope Francis encourages in his message for the 2021 World Communications Day, quoting Blessed Manuel Lozano Garrido: “Open your eyes with wonder to what you see, let your hands touch the freshness and vitality of things, so that when others read what you write, they too can touch first-hand the vibrant miracle of life”.

If you would like to write a review of something you’ve seen or heard recently - classic or contemporary - get in touch and we can discuss it. (If spelling or grammar isn’t your strong point, don’t worry, we are here to help.) As you can see, the section will include both shorter and longer articles and reviews of film, music and books. We also have a column for word nerds: exploring the background of some common Catholic words and a chance to delve into te reo Māori and learn some new kupu.

This publication is externally funded by wonderful sponsors, and we are always looking for new ones so that we can get this publication out to more people and include more great content. Get in touch with me if you would be interested in supporting our mahi!

Brigid Conroy Editor-in-Chief

BASKET OF STORIES

Last time we asked people to share with us what it means to be a disciple and friend of Jesus. This question can open up rich and deep conversations: why not chat about it around the dinner table with your family, or ask a friend or workmate the same question, and see where it takes you? Here are a couple of stories.

PEACE BE WITH YOU

My journey with the Lord is challenging. Some days I am like a yo-yo. I used to often attend church and home groups. The persistent desire to understand God’s words is strong, and my longing and thirst to love the Scripture strengthened about three years ago. I tried watching YouTube videos and listening to inspirational speakers but they did not satisfy my appetite for God’s food, the living word. Last December a friend I have known for over twenty years said to me, “Lucie, I will be able to help you to enjoy Christ’s love.” This is where my exciting Christian faith started. My friend told me, “Jesus is your intimate friend, talk to him, laugh and joke with him, ask him questions like, ‘What do you want me to do today? or, ‘What are you telling me today?’ and praise and thank him every day.” With my friend’s help, I was able to take away what felt like a veil from my face, and the Lord’s glory and brightness has been shining on my face every day now. The phrase “Peace be with you” has been on my mind these past few weeks. Every day I am enjoying the beautiful gifts the Lord has given me - perfect love and peace. I have to remind myself to be God’s disciple, that it is God’s work I am doing, not for my own ego but for God’s glory.

Lucie Lowell Ogden - St Patrick’s Parish, Taupo

IN A WORD, PILGRIMAGE!

It’s a road we keep making by walking - and we walk “yoked” (Matthew 11:29) closely to our Lord Jesus Christ, talking and listening and singing, and sometimes weeping. We also walk with a “band of brothers and sisters” - all those who declare a faith in Christ as saviour and who serve the coming king. We walk in the footsteps of our tipuna (parents and ancestors), including “a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1), and in the steps of martyrs and reformers and sharers of the holy scriptures. We walk best if family and friends are engaged with and encouraging of our pilgrimage. We stop regularly, as we move through life, to rest, take stock, enjoy the view, lay down our burdens, take bread and wine. We walk longing for, looking for and working to hasten in the soon coming kingdom (sobered by Jesus’ words recorded in Luke 2), calling others - Come! When we stumble or fall, Jesus bids us, “Arise, come to me!” What joy!

John Dickson - St Mary’s Parish, Ōpōtiki

DO YOU HAVE A STORY?

Share it with your diocesan family on this page. Pope Francis, speaking in his exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of The Gospel) about our call to evangelise the world, has emphasised the importance of “the art of accompaniment”: of being a companion who listens, encourages and leads with compassion and care. For the next issue, tell us about how you have been companioned in your walk of faith. Who - perhaps an individual or a group - led you deeper, and how did they do it?

Email kete@cdh.org.nz with “Basket of stories” in the subject line, by June 30. 150 - 200 words is a good length.