I know that a few parishes in the Christchurch Diocese are considering building (or restoring) parish churches to replace those destroyed or damaged by the Christchurch...
john oconnor
Annunciation
Take a moment to appreciate this Millet masterpiece. Even if you have never seen the image before, you will guess that these peasants are praying. When the one who...
a liminal life
The life of a Christian is lived most fully when it is experienced as a "liminal" existence, on the threshold of heaven. That's a great word "liminal", "occupying a...
mud pies
After the Good Shepherd Parish Masses yesterday morning I drove down to Christchurch for a couple of meetings. The latter meeting was with the Vocations Team, the group...
Sun Day
The first Christians had to decide which day of the week would be the Christian day of worship. They might have chosen Thursday evening since the first Eucharist was...
the little things
I spent much of the day driving with stops to visit parishioners in their homes all over the Good Shepherd Parish. Late in the afternoon I was ready to head for home,...
fathers’ feast
I took this picture a few years ago at Los Angeles Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles. The carving is of St. Joseph with a young Jesus. It is a rare and powerful...
Patrick’s day
When most people think of St. Patrick’s day they think of the saint who freed Ireland of snakes. Many people celebrate this day wearing green and enjoying good Irish...
go with me
One hundred years ago today, 15 March 1915, the first Catholic Bishop of the newly created diocese of Christchurch died. John Joseph Grimes was an English Marist...
Fr. Jack O’Connor
It is the end of a wonderful day of celebration of my uncle Jack's 50th jubilee of his ordination as a priest of the diocese of Christchurch. While the actual date is...
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pray to sleep
You might use this “PRAY TO SLEEP” audio when you are ready for sleep. Just press play and with any luck you’ll be asleep before the end of it
practising
Why is it that a Catholic who is baptised, prays regularly and insists that their children are baptised doesn’t feel able to call themselves “practising”?
walking on water
“Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see the distant scene; one step enough for me”.
all day long
The most effective witness of faith is rarely the one who preaches on the street corner or even the church preacher, but the one who lives
ring the bells
“To the person of faith, it’s a moment of grace; to the person without faith, it’s a moment of peace. What’s not to like?”