In 2025, the Catholic Church will embark on its next Jubilee Year, a time of profound spiritual significance that has been celebrated for centuries. First initiated by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, the Jubilee is traditionally held every 25 years, though popes may...
The Prayer of the Poor Rises Up to God
UNITED IN PRAYER A PRAYER RESOURCE FOR FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS.33rd Sunday in Ordinary TimeThe World Day of the Poor, established by Pope Francis and celebrated this year on Sunday 17 November, calls for reflection on the Gospel’s emphasis on poverty and...
Celebration Sunday 2024
‘Let my actions be a continual prayer and speak to you of my love’‘Mā aku mahi ka rangona tonutia ngā karakia me taku aroha ki ā koe’.- Meri Hōhepa Suzanne AubertCelebration Sunday is set aside to commemorate and celebrate the life, spirituality, and good works of...
“Go and Invite Everyone to the Banquet” | World Mission Sunday 2024
October is traditionally observed by Catholics around the globe as Mission Month. It is the month that unites Catholics worldwide in prayer, solidarity, and support for the Church's missionary effort. World Mission Sunday is celebrated on the second-to-last Sunday of...
Imagine Peace for All | Social Justice Week 2024
For the next three years the focus for Social Justice Week will be on peace and responding to conflict. The overarching tagline is: ‘Imagine Peace For All / Pohewatia te Rangimārie mō te Katoa’. Each year there will be a unique focus. Social Justice Week 2024 runs...
Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary | 15 August
Aotearoa New Zealand’s National Patronal Feast is on Thursday 15 August. We celebrate the Assumption of Mary Mother of God because this illustrates for us the truth about Christ’s promise of eternal life and the resurrection of the faithful. The solemnity of the...
Day of Prayer for Seafarers | Sunday 14 July
On Sea Sunday, celebrated in 2024 on 14 July, churches all over the world come together to remember seafarers and pray for them, their families and those who support them. Let us remember all those who work and live from the sea, among them sailors, fishermen, women...
Day of Prayer for Refugees and Migrants
“We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the...
Mānawatia a Matariki | Celebrating with whānau
Matariki is a celebration for all New Zealanders. It is a time to celebrate whānau and all the precious moments. A time to huddle together and stay warm. We share kai, we share stories, we farewell our loved ones that have gone before us and give thanks for the year...
Towards the Jubilee | Year of Prayer 2024
Below you will find information and resources for the 2024 Year of Prayer."Teach Us to Pray" bookletJubilee Prayer"Pilgrims of Hope” – Officical hymn for the 2025 JubileeDiocesan resource bookletPrayer resourcesIn preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, Pope Francis has...
“You shall love the Lord your God … and your neighbour as yourself”
The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is celebrated in the Southern Hemisphere between Ascension Sunday and Pentecost Sunday (May 12 to 19 in 2024). The World Council of Churches and the Holy See’s Dicastery for Christian Unity jointly oversee the preparation of the...
Peace be with you | Resources for Pentecost Sunday
UNITED IN PRAYER A PRAYER RESOURCE FOR FAMILIES, INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS.Today, we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, often referred to as the birthday of the church. This feast holds particular significance for the Diocese of Palmerston North,...