At the link below you will find the weekly newsletter for the Catholic parishes of the Hurunui District and the Chatham...
john oconnor
funeral flowers?
Last weekend after each of the four parish Masses, and later in the day at Cheviot, I spent time with parishioners at some of the cemeteries in the parish.Each visit...
US elections
I'm thinking especially of my US friends today as they await the results of the today's presidential elections. Â As of last month (according to this blog's stats),...
holy souls
The Christchurch Catholic radio programme Sounds Catholic last Sunday offered this reflection for the month of the Holy...
Brackenridge
After this weekend's Masses around the Hurunui we marked the month of Holy Souls by visiting some of the Hurunui cemeteries. It was a privilege to pray with...
newsletter 4 November
At this link you will find the weekly newsletter for the Catholic parishes of Good Shepherd (Hurunui District) and St. Therese of Lisieux, Chatham...
thinking about heaven
The church I knew best as a teenager was Sacred Heart basilica in Timaru. I was often at Mass there, when at school with the Marist Brothers, or in my teen years at St....
be a saint!
Be a saint! Â Nothing less will satisfy. Â Take a few moments to check out this encouragement from Fr. Robert Barron.
Sistine ceiling
In a few hours Pope Benedict will celebrate Vespers in the Sistine Chapel for the vigil of the feast of All Saints. The pope has chosen the Sistine Chapel to begin the...
Chathams visit
It is a privilege to serve as the Parish Priest of the Chatham Islands (Rekohu).  My visit last week was (I think) my twelfth to the Islands. My plan is to visit every...
Latest Posts
earth & heaven
Mountain tops are significant places in the Bible. In the Old Testament God was thought to dwell in the distant heavens therefore if you wanted to get close to God you might climb a mountain. Think of Abraham and Isaac, up a mountain in today's first reading, or Moses...
gift of the law
Most of us are not too keen on rules. Something in us fears that laws will limit our liberty and therefore we will be less happy. The underlying thought is that we will be more likely to be happy when we can do whatever we want whenever we want. So when today's...
from the pit
Catholicism is a communal faith and Catholicism is also about personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In different eras of Christian history one has sometimes been emphasised at the expense of the other. At these times we have forgotten that both personal...
seven years on
Today, February 22, marks seven years since the devastating 2011 earthquake which brought tragic loss of life to our city of Christchurch where we continue the long and difficult process of rebuilding lives and livelihoods. There are many signs of great hope as people...
jumper leads
The daily scriptures from the Liturgy of the Church give me plenty of material for reflection. But when I am open and expectant the people of the events of every day also speak to me with the power of the scriptures with vivid reminders of the presence and action of...