...or a new year present, gift for grandchild leaving school, confirmation, wedding, a gift for an intelligent and searching adult, or a present for no reason at all...
john oconnor
highway for God
In the midst of the busyness of these pre-Christmas days you might find time to take in a performance of Handel's Messiah. This masterpiece was composed in only 24 days...
Gaudate. Rejoice!
This third Sunday of Advent is the day on which the rose-coloured candle on the Advent wreath is lit. Â Tap this link to find out more about this Gaudate Sunday.
Advent III
The priests of the diocese continue to savour the graces of their retreat last month. Â Many people of the diocese also heard Fr. Robert Barron at the public lecture....
OLV school
This Sunday (11 December @ the 10.00am Mass) our parish hosts the school community for an end-of-year school Mass. The 10.00am Mass will be followed by a gathering of...
ad limina
Today Bishop Barry leaves NZ for the "ad limina" visit to Rome. There, with the other bishops of New Zealand, he will meet with the pope and with the offices of the...
Advent: praying in the car
I have found the car to be a great 'monastic cell' for prayer. This is probably helpful since my appointment to North Canterbury will give me a lot more 'car-time' next...
time for change
This is not the ideal way to break this news, so here goes...I received a call from the bishop a few days ago asking if I would be willing to accept a new appointment...
Fr. Robert Barron in ChCh
A number of the priests of our diocese are on retreat in Christchurch this week. Â The retreat is being led by Fr. Robert Barron, a priest of the Archdiocese of...
Advent: Life in God’s Gaze
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they...
Latest Posts
election NZ 2017
The New Zealand bishops have this week published an encouragement and a challenge for us in preparation for the September general election. "Politics is never far from conversations in family homes and with colleagues at work. Our fast approaching election this...
ordination music
And yet more savouring of Saturday's ordinations. This time Ken Joblin who led the choir and orchestra inspiring the congregation to join in full voice shares with us 45 minutes of the music from the ordination Mass. Tap on the image of Ken and his team below to...
ordination album
Here in the Christchurch diocese we are still savouring the inspirational celebration of last Saturday's triple ordination. You can see the complete album by tapping on the image below. Peter Fleming was the official photographer for the celebration and he has...
never be afraid
It is 40 years ago today that my paternal grandfather William O'Connor died. Grandad spent the last few weeks of his life not on the Gray's Corner Farm where he had lived for fifty years but at our family home in Timaru. I recall the morning a couple of weeks before...
ordinations
It has been a great day of celebration for the diocese of Christchurch with the ordination of three new priests. No need for words, the images convey something of the beauty and depth of the celebration.