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...
Blog
pocket stuff
I suspect you can tell a lot about a person from what they carry in their pockets. Examination of the contents of a wallet alone would give a lot of personal  and...
Francis’ first year
A few people have been asked to write a reflection on Pope Francis first year for the Catholic Church in Aotearoa New Zealand Facebook page. You can read my...
happy St. Patrick’s
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...
R.E. Congress 2014
I am often inspired by the clarity, attractiveness and depth of Fr. Robert Barron's reflections. This weekend  (13-16 March) he was a keynote speaker at the Archdiocese...
you raise me up
During the week I met a young priest new to New Zealand and on loan to the Christchurch diocese. On of his tasks of that morning had been to write the reflection for...
priests & adventure
I'm not sure how I missed this great 2010 Kim Hill interview with Fr. Michael Mahoney, presently Parish Priest of South Westland. Â In this inspiring chat Michael...
Lent & Autumn
It is Lent and, at least here in New Zealand, it is also Autumn. It is different in the northern hemisphere where it is springtime, but I like our southern match. You...
Sunday celebration
Don't forget in the zeal of your Lenten fasting and abstinence that even in the more rigorous old rules of 1959 "There is no fasting or abstinence on Sundays" in Lent....
created and free
If I invited you to listen closely to today’s scripture readings, then asked you to sum them up in a couple of words, you might answer that these readings are all about...
Latest Posts
two saints
Jesus certainly doesn’t intend to condemn the attitude of service but rather the breathlessness with which it is sometimes lived.
two great lights
Fifty years on you can’t miss how these astronauts were moved by what they were experiencing, and we can’t help being moved by the same beauty
very near
Last week’s TIME magazine featured the architect Antoni Gaudi and his beautiful basilica of Sagrada Familia. Gaudi was a holy man
fire
Late this afternoon we learned that the former Holy Name Seminary in Christchurch is engulfed in flames.
sleeping alone
While loneliness is a painful reality, it is most often the result of grasping at and attaching to things, projects and people we mistakenly think will bring us happiness