It was a privilege for me to spend the day yesterday with architect James McCrery, here in Christchurch at the invitation of Bishop Barry Jones to help the parishes of...
john oconnor
God & golf
Bishop Robert Barron's keynote address yesterday to the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. This meeting is the primary reason for Pope Francis' current visit to...
language of form
I had the privilege earlier in the year of meeting with Washington DC based, internationally renowned, Catholic architect James McCrery. For a couple of hours in his...
true reform
As Pope Francis is today in the afternoon of his first full day on US soil, the US media is flooded with commentaries on the couple of speeches he has given so far...
Msgr Bede RIP
This morning the parishioners of the Catholic diocese of Christchurch and many friends from further share sadness at the death last night of Monsignor Bede O'Gorman,...
shepherd one
In a few minutes Pope Francis will walk on US soil for the first time after an inspiring few days in Cuba. In his brief time in Cuba the pope addressed issues of...
rain for our roots
There is never a dull moment as a priest living parish life, especially on a Hurunui Sunday. It is now just after 2 on a Sunday afternoon and I am back at Hawarden...
a mother’s tears
I will never know the depth of enduring pain felt by a mother who watches helplessly as her child suffers and dies. As a priest I have buried too many children and...
Masterchef
For some weeks the people of the Hurunui, and especially parishioners, have been delighting in the inspiration provided by our Hurunui friends Richard and Leo in the...
“long to reign”
Early tomorrow morning NZ time (10 September) Queen Elizabeth will overtake her great great grandmother Victoria as the longest-serving British monarch. Â Each year her...
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let’s get personal
Many Catholics aged over 65 can still recite word-for-word catechism answers they learnt at school. However the tragic down-side
growing pains
The one who embraces this journey soon discovers that the pathway provided is more personally tailored to us than any life we might create for ourselves.
here’s hoping
Hope begins in the personal meeting with a divine presence-made-flesh, and encountered in the messy and imperfect reality of our daily experience.
bones alive
I am now going to open your graves; I mean to raise you from your graves, my people … and you will live.
discipline
We disciples of Jesus are followers of Jesus because we have found in Him the answer to the restlessness and dis-ease of our lives.