ordination
jubilee homily

jubilee homily

Bishop Paul Martin is happy to share his homily given last night at the priests' jubilee celebration in the diocese of Christchurch.   There is something very fitting...

ordination music

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...

ordination album

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...

faith & commitment

faith & commitment

This afternoon's diaconate ordination was a wonderful celebration of faith and commitment in this year of mercy as Cardinal John Dew emphasised in his homily. Cirilo,...

streaming live

streaming live

www.foodforfaith.org.nz is branching out this week with our first live streaming. Four young men will be ordained as transitional deacons at Holy Cross Seminary,...

thirty years

thirty years

Image above: sunrise over the Sea of Galilee Thirty years ago today I was ordained priest by Bishop Denis Hanrahan in the church of St. Thomas the Apostle in Timaru. I...

Fr. Jack O’Connor

Fr. Jack O’Connor

This weekend marks the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination to priesthood of my uncle, and grand-Godfather (ie my Godmother's Godfather), Fr Jack O'Connor. Earlier in...

7 December 1985

7 December 1985

I'm not going to miss the opportunity to remind blog readers to pray for me. Twenty-Eight years ago today I was ordained a priest, by Bishop Denis Hanrahan, in the...

Latest Posts

I AM

I AM

I try not to repeat these daily Lenten posts year to year but there are times when the same scriptures pop up annually and I realise that I can’t write it better than I did last year. Today is one such day, not only because of the thought I share but even more in the comments that are added by FFF readers. Today I have left some of last year’s comments helping us to appreciate the power of today’s readings.

my word your home

my word your home

The heart of the home in years past was the hearth.
It was at the hearth that the family gathered for the warmth and light of the flame and the food that was prepared there.
The fire was treated with respect since the same flame which provided energy for the home could just as easily destroy it.

stand up look up

stand up look up

The Israelites in their forty years in the desert were journeying from captivity to freedom, but the struggle of their desert years made them vulnerable to attack from every temptation as today’s first reading continues

confident in God

confident in God

I’m not sure if children today are told the great story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, but if not let’s make sure that the parable is taught at all schools of higher learning.

the teenagers

the teenagers

A few years ago I discovered the wonderful way that God uses my imagination in my prayer.
Such openness to imagination when seeking God does not take us away from reality into fantasy but instead brings me into what is most real and inescapably personal and intimate.