There have been lots of exciting things happening around our Diocese over the past month – have a read of some of them below!
Bishop Leads Personal Blessings on Pentecost Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes
A moving moment of spiritual connection marked Pentecost Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes in Palmerston North, as Bishop John Adams offered a personal blessing to every member of the congregation who wished to receive it.
During his homily, Bishop John extended a heartfelt invitation to come forward at the conclusion of Mass for a special blessing: a prayer for the Holy Spirit to come anew into each person’s life with guidance, strength, and peace.
The invitation was warmly embraced by the congregation. As the recessional hymn began, a long line quickly formed, stretching down the length of the church. One by one, Bishop John prayed individually over each person — children, adults, and families — in a moment marked by reverence and quiet power.
“It was a deeply reverent and powerful time,” said one parishioner. “I could sense the Holy Spirit was truly present and was being carried out into the world as we left the building.”
Pentecost, which celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, is often seen as the Church’s birthday — a time of renewal and bold witness. This year’s celebration at Our Lady of Lourdes was a vivid expression of that call.
Tracey Radford
Parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes, Palmerston North
National Formation Day Hosted in Palmerston North
Palmerston North Diocese was honoured to host Catholic leaders from across Aotearoa New Zealand in Palmerston North on June 16 for a national formation day focused on evangelisation as the heart of Church life and leadership.
The day was led by Daniel Ang, director of the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation, who encouraged those gathered to see evangelisation not as one task among many, but as the organising principle shaping how we lead, form others, and build our communities.
Emily Sit, Director of Mission and Evangelisation for the Diocese, said the formation day was about “creating space for diocesan leaders in New Zealand to reflect, reimagine and realign their leadership in service of mission.”
“We need to share more openly, deepen trust, and grow in our reliance on the Holy Spirit,” she said, “who convicts us of the urgency of evangelisation as a priority for the Catholic Church here in Aotearoa as elsewhere.”
The day fostered a strong spirit of openness, with leaders engaging in prayerful conversation about how we can prioritise mission in a time of cultural change. Powerful insights were shared about the need for renewed structures, servant leadership, and a rediscovery of the Church’s deepest purpose.
Over 60 Teenagers Confirmed in New Plymouth
On Sunday 15 June, 65 young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop John Adams at St Joseph’s Church in New Plymouth. Congratulations!
Fr Marcus Francis Appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Palmerston North
On June 24, a Mass was held at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Palmerston North, during which Fr Marcus Francis was formally appointed as Vicar General of the Diocese of Palmerston North.
The appointment was made official during the liturgy, where Bishop John Adams led Fr Marcus in the Profession of Faith and Oath of Fidelity, as required by canon law for those assuming offices of ecclesiastical governance. These
formal acts mark the beginning of Fr Marcus’ term as Vicar General, a role that involves assisting the diocesan bishop in the administrative and pastoral leadership of the diocese.
“It is a privilege for me to accept the office of Vicar General as I am called by it to follow in the footsteps of some tremendous servants of the Diocese,” Fr Marcus said. “I call to mind Msgr Tim Hannigan, Msgr Brian McAloon, Msgr Dave Bell and most recently Msgr Brian Walsh.
“Bishop John brings an energy and vision to the Diocese that fills me with optimism and enthusiasm for the ministry that he and the presbyterate who work with him share. The upcoming Hope and Renewal Summit is already
significant evidence of this.
“I pray that I will be found worthy of the trust placed in me and true to the Act of Faith and Oath of Fidelity I made at the Cathedral.”
New App for Understanding Things Māori
‘Let’s Ako’ – a great new resource for understanding things Māori has been developed. It is designed to help people to know about things that are important in the Māori World.
The app has been developed by the Bank of New Zealand as key part of their sustainability strategy to integrate tikanga Māori/Māori culture and Te Reo Māori/Māori language into everyday practices, policies, products, and services. This app aims to contribute to building an inclusive Aotearoa, for the long term.
As a treaty honouring Church, we are committed to inclusion, (reinforced in our recent diocesan synodal discernment) and walking our faith journey with the first peoples of this land.
The app is easy to use and offers information on the areas of:
- Different tribal areas
- Different greetings
- How to pronounce Māori kupu/words correctly
- Learn waiata/songs
- Protocol at marae
- Create your pepeha/self-introduction and so much more!
Check out ‘Let’s Ako’ – free to download from Google Play or the App Store. Mauri ora!