Kete Kōrero December 2023

Kete Kōrero

A MAGAZINE OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF HAMILTON

DECEMBER 2023

LETTER FROM THE BISHOP CLEARLY, DEARLY, NEARLY / BISHOP RICHARD LAURENSON 4

DECEMBER 2023 PUBLISHER: Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, New Zealand EDITOR: Samuel Harris ASSISTANT EDITOR: Kirsty Muir

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR / PROFESSOR THEO BOER

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OUR NEW BISHOP / KIRSTY MUIR

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THE EPISCOPAL ORDINATION OF RICHARD LAURENSON 12 POETRY AND PRAYER 16 DIOCESAN HIGHLIGHTS 17 LOVE’S CONTINGENCY: POETRY REVIEW / RICHARD TURNBULL 24 CALENDAR 26 KIDS’ PAGE 27

ART DIRECTOR: Taila Burton-Gollop MANAGING EDITOR: Alex Bailey WEBSITE: ketekorero.cdh.nz EMAIL: kete@cdh.org.nz PHONE: 07 856 6989 POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 4353 Hamilton East 3247

ISSN 2357-2221

COVER, CONTENT PAGE & BACK COVER: THE ORDINATION OF BISHOP RICHARD LAURENSON, PHOTOS BY TAILA BURTON-GOLLOP

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EDITOR’S NOTE

struggling to accept the Church’s teaching or live it.” https://tinyurl.com/FisherSynod

SAMUEL HARRIS

The Denial and the Dissonance by Elizabeth Hansen “At one point last year I realised I carried anger over this into every single Mass I attended. There on the kneeler, facing the altar, I’d be struggling to separate that anger from the knowledge that it was my time at Franciscan that taught me to love the Mass in the first place. I talked to a priest I trusted, and his candidness caught me off guard: Yes, this does damage to our faith. As obvious as that is, it was validating, and I didn’t realise I needed to hear it. … I believe [Jesus] hears and responds to that act of faith: Say the word, and I shall be healed. And I know that when I’m angry, his altar is big enough to take it.” https://tinyurl.com/HealedLH

Have you made some new year’s resolutions? Our new liturgical year starts on the first Sunday of Advent as “the People of God begin again on the way to living the mystery of Christ in history … to awaken in our hearts the expectation of he ‘who is and was and who is to come’ (Rv 1.8)” (Pope Benedict XVI.) My own resolutions are around prayer - to pray more and to pray “better.” Pope Francis has proposed the 2024 year just begun as a Year of Prayer, to renew the “joy and commitment” of being “men and women of prayer” - to learn, practise, and hone what has been called “the art of prayer.”

Life is busy and seems to be getting ever busier. One year draws to a close, another begins, we work and rest, struggle and rejoice, fail and succeed, get up in the morning and keep on going. I hope that the Christmas season is a time of peace and rest for you and yours.

This will be my last issue of Kete Kōrero as editor: I’ve enjoyed the work here but it’s time to move on to focus on my main job, my family, and other projects. A huge thank you to those people who have given up their time and talents to contribute to the magazine when asked - we couldn’t have done it without you. I wish the new magazine team all the best in their mission to serve Bishop Richard in his role as teacher and shepherd.

Below are a few essays that have caught my eye recently that we’d like to share with you.

Merry Christmas!

The Long Weekend, Super Sunday, or Double Christmas — how will you do Mass this Dec. 25? by The Pillar “Whatever your plans for Christmas, please, pick one of the options above, and get to Mass. Twice. We’ll see you there.” https://tinyurl.com/Masses23

Walking Together in Communion, Participation, and Mission: Reflections on the Synod on Synodality by Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP “Some people think love and truth inevitably conflict or that one must give way to the other depending on the circumstances. Rather than wagging a finger, the correct response to such perceived tension is the ‘synodal’ one of patient listening and showing people the face of Christ.

That does not mean abandoning what has been revealed

by God or refitting our faith and morality for the current fashions. The Synod demonstrated that we can listen to the experiences of others with genuine Christian charity and without compromising truth, accompanying those 03

CLEARLY, DEARLY, NEARLY BISHOP RICHARD LAURENSON

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t Richard was born near Worcester in England to landed gentry. Orphaned as children he and his older brother were reduced to poverty. As adults they gained their land, but death taxes had to be paid. Richard gave up his studies and worked for his brother until they could pay off those taxes and get their heads above water. Richard then set off to study for the priesthood. Oxford College (est. 1098) is the second oldest university established by the Church in the world. He went from there to Parish and Bologna (The Original University) to study canon law, returned to England, and became Chancellor of Oxford when he was 37 years of age.

Shortly after St Edmund of Canterbury made him his chancellor, and Richard stood by him in his struggles against the King of England. (Henry VIII was not the first problem king.) It was this king, Henry III, who finalised what we know as the Magna Carta, but kept trying to weasel out of it, so St Edmund and then St Richard kept the pressure up to bring to England a new sense of freedom from the tyranny of kings, lords, and knights.

Chosen to be Bishop of Chichester, the king opposed Richard by promoting another candidate. Appeal was made to the pope who chose Richard and ordained him Bishop of Chichester in Lyon in 1245. (From Lyon came the church to NZ.) King Henry refused to let him live in any of his properties for two years, and forbade anyone to feed or house Richard. Richard lived with a friend, and visited his diocese on foot for two years, growing figs in his spare time. (England was warmer then than now.) Only when the king was threatened with excommunication (which meant

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the nobles then could overthrow him) did he give Richard the diocesan property back.

This whole episode led Richard to depend on the Lord, but gave him a zeal for the proper practices of the faith. He ensured that God was properly worshipped. He insisted upon strict adherence to discipline among the clergy, aided the poor, and fearlessly denounced the corruption and vices of the contemporary Church as well as the royal court.

Two examples are noted online: A priest of noble blood was very corrupt. Richard deprived him of his church income and refused the king’s petition in his favour. On the other hand, when a knight violently put a priest in prison, Richard compelled the knight to walk round the priest’s church with the same log of wood on his neck to which he had chained the priest.

Somehow Richard is patron saint of coachmen (in modern parlance, taxi, bus, and train drivers) probably because he walked everywhere in his first two years as bishop.

Clearly St Richard had a strong personality, charisma, and courage. To face a king in all his force is not easy. To be able to force knights to repent and do what they did requires so much support from the whole people of the region that the knight would have had no choice but to obey.

I wish to imitate Richard in his undying loyalty to the cause of Christ and his Church, in the reality of today’s world.

To that end I have chosen his prayer as my own, and this forms the basis of my motto: Clearly Nearly Dearly. This motto sank into my heart as a young musician at St John’s.

Godspell’s ‘Day By Day’ has stayed with me throughout my life. Anyhow his prayer in modern translation works out to: Thanks to you, my Lord Jesus Christ For all the benefits you have given me, For all the pains and insults you have borne for me.

O most merciful Redeemer, friend and brother, May I know you more clearly, Love you more dearly, Follow you more nearly.

SCULPTURE IMAGE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS ICON BY WILFRIDSELSEY - OWN WORK, CC BY-SA 4.0, VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

BY PROFESSOR THEO BOER

Two years ago the End of Life Choice Act 2019 came into force in New Zealand. A recent article on the Stuff platform discusses (without once using the words “euthanasia” or “suicide,” preferring euphemisms) some of how the law has played out in that time, under the headline “End of Life Act brings bittersweet relief for patients and the families they leave behind.” Professor Boer here discusses “bracket creep,” where legislation is amended to make assisted suicide available to more and more people. He says, “Be careful what you wish for when you legalise assisted dying.” In New Zealand, despite euthanasia advocates’ assurance it will not happen here, bracket creep is a concern for those who believe that legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide was a grave mistake.

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fter euthanasia was legalised in the Netherlands in 2002 I supported the Dutch legislation and worked for the authorities reviewing euthanasia cases between 2005 and 2014. I was convinced that the Dutch had found the proper balance between compassion, respect for human life, and respect for individual liberties. Over the years, however, I became increasingly concerned about some developments.

After an initial stabilisation, we saw a dramatic increase in the numbers, which went from 2000 in 2002 to 8800 in 2022, with a continuing rise in the numbers in 2023. In some urban districts in the Netherlands up to 15% of all deaths are the result of assisted dying. The outgoing director of the Euthanasia Expertise Centre – which provides assisted dying to more than 1100 patients yearly – expects the euthanasia numbers to double again in the near future. We

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also saw developments in the way the legal criteria were interpreted. In the pioneering years of Dutch euthanasia it was found almost exclusively in terminally ill mentally competent adults. After two decades the practice extended to include those with chronic conditions, disabled people, those with psychiatric problems, incompetent adults with an advance directive, and young children. Expansion is now under debate for euthanasia in and for elderly persons without a medical diagnosis.

Given these numbers I expect that advocates of assisted dying in France will argue for a more restricted law than is found in the low countries. Here is my prediction: any law that allows assisted dying will, by some, be experienced as an injustice and will be challenged in the courts. Look

at Canada, where euthanasia became legal in 2016. Not more than two years later the Superior Court in Quebec ruled that restricting euthanasia to the condition of a terminal illness in Canadian law is discriminatory and thus unconstitutional. “Why only euthanasia for terminally ill patients, who already have access to an ever-widening array of palliative care, whereas chronic patients may suffer more intensely and much longer?”

In 2020 it was decided that psychiatric patients should also be included. This slippery slope dresses itself in the clothing of justice, so that the next steps can easily be predicted. “Why only an assisted death for people suffering from a disease, and not for those suffering from meaninglessness, alienation, loneliness, from life itself?”

The paradox of legalising assisted dying is that what starts out as a welcome opportunity for those who love their selfdetermination becomes an invitation to despair to others.

I have seen literally hundreds of euthanasia reports in which the wish to shield one’s relatives from the agony of witnessing their suffering and carrying the burden of longtime care was one of the reasons, if not the essential reason, to request an assisted death. In a society where assisted dying is available people are confronted with one of the most dehumanising choices possible: do I want to live on, or do I want to effectuate my death?

Netherlands must act as an alarm to what can happen.

Look at the Netherlands and you may see France in 2040.

Like those currently arguing for a change in the law in France, I once believed it was possible to regulate and restrict killing to terminally ill mentally competent adults with less than six months. (Paradoxically, I doubt whether my country would have legalised assisted dying if we had had the level of palliative care in 1994 that we have now.)

Moreover, by taking this bold step I believed we could regulate suicide and death in this way that would curtail those all too familiar cases where someone ends their own life. I was wrong.

Theo Boer is Professor of Health Care Ethics at Groningen Theological University and a former member of one of the Dutch Governmental Euthanasia Review Committees.

This article initially appeared in Le Monde, December 1, 2022 under the heading: Fin de vie: “Ce qui est perçu comme une opportunité par certains devient une incitation au désespoir pour les autres”. https://bit.ly/3XZs5dd.

Statistics in the article have been updated as of September 2023. Reproduced with the permission of the author.

The logic of many is that assisted dying will bring down the numbers of violent and traumatising suicides. If true, this would be a powerful argument in favour of changing the law. But the Dutch statistics speak another language.

Whereas the percentage of euthanasia of the total mortality went from 1.6% in 2007 to 5.3% in 2022, the suicide numbers also went up: from 8.3 suicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2007 to 10.8 in 2022, a 30% rise. If we also include the deaths from assisted suicide in patients considered to be at risk of committing suicide (psychiatric patients, people with chronic illnesses, dementia patients, elderly, and lonely people) the total increase in self chosen deaths over the past decade would be closer to 50% than to 25%. Meanwhile in Germany, a society very similar to the Netherlands in terms of religion, economy, and population – but without the legal option of a medicallyassisted death – the suicide rates have gone down.

So, as other countries start to look at this issue, the PHOTO BY MUSKAN ANAND VIA PEXELS.COM

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OUR NEW BISHOP

BY KIRSTY MUIR All Saints by the Sea parishioner Kirsty Muir spoke to then-Father Richard Laurenson on his election as Bishop of Hamilton and writes a reflection on the appointment.

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re you resolved to show kindness and compassion in the name of the Lord to the poor and to strangers and to all who are in need?” This question is asked during the Examination of the Candidate in a bishop’s ordination, and it is what Bishop-elect Laurenson expects to be his biggest challenge. We live in a suffering world and there are many people who have been hurt in the past in the Church and by church people. He wonders if he will be able to do enough.

While the people in the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton are rejoicing in the announcement of our new bishop, a parish priest sits and contemplates the task that is ahead and what is being asked of him.

After long two years with no shepherd, the Catholic Diocese of Hamilton has now been given a bishop.

The announcement by the Holy See was made October 25 2023 at 11pm (NZDT): “The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Richard Philip James Laurenson, of the clergy of Hamilton, until now parish priest of the All Saints by the Sea parish in Papamoa Coast and diocesan chancellor, as bishop of the diocese of Hamilton, New Zealand.”

With the recent appointment of Bishop John Adams as bishop of Palmerston North, it means all six dioceses in New Zealand now have a bishop.

The first three days following the announcement one could barely get a word in, in–person with Bishop-elect Richard.

For him it was three days of solid phone activity with emails, phone calls, and social media and text message alerts relentlessly beeping. It is clear he is well-known not only in

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our diocese but across New Zealand.

But for those who haven’t had a chance to meet him, who is this priest Pope Francis has appointed to be our bishop?

WITH FOUR FILIPINA SISTERS OF ST PAUL OF CHARTRES. THEY RAN THE SAINT PAUL CLINIC IN SUAI, EAST TIMOR BEFORE THE CRISIS. NZ USED THEIR GROUNDS AS OUR HEADQUARTERS IN ENFORCING THE PEACE. IT WAS RETURNED TO THEM WHEN NZ LEFT SUAI.

Confirmed under the patronage of St John, Apostle, educated at St Mary’s (now Marian) and St John’s College, Hamilton, Father Richard entered the seminary when it was located in Mosgiel. Leaving the south with a Baccalaureate in Theology from Otago University he was ordained to the priesthood in 1995 at the Cathedral of the Blessed Virgin Mary, coincidently the same place he is set to become a bishop.

Once ordained into the priesthood Father Richard served as parish priest in many parts of the diocese including St Joseph, Waihi; Immaculate Conception, Taumarunui; St Mathew, Hillcrest; Cathedral; St Joseph, Fairfield; and St Peter Chanel, Te Rapa.

During this time he obtained a Licentiate in Canon Law after studying at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome from 2007 to 2010. I asked if canon law was something he was always interested in but it was actually Bishop Denis Browne, Hamilton bishop from 1994 to 2014, who noticed his talent for this and asked him to do it. Turns out he’s actually really good at it. Naturally on top of parish priest responsibilities his skills were put to further use. He is currently diocesan chancellor, Vicar for Marriage, a OPPOSITE PAGE: BISHOP RICHARD LAURENSON’S OFFICIAL PORTRAIT, BY DEEARN STRAWBRIDGE.

member of the College of Consultors and, since 2019, Defender of the Bond at the Tribunal of the Catholic Church in New Zealand. He was also judge and associate judicial vicar from 2016 to 2019.

As a military chaplain (territorial/reserve) for over a decade he served for a time with peacekeeping forces in Bougainville and Timor Leste. If you look closely at the press release photo you might make out the Veterans’ Badge, awarded to all returned service personnel a few years ago.

At the time of the announcement Father Laurenson was parish priest of All Saints by the Sea, Papamoa Coast, where he has been since August 2021. An overhaul there of the sacramental program for children gives a glimpse to his passion and perhaps a future focus as bishop; formation in all areas is a focus for him. Father Richard mentioned that while we do a ton with our children it is not just bringing people to Christ, but it’s bringing people back to and remaining with Christ. Father Richard recently started an extremely successful adult formation evening.

Branded informative, informal and inhouse it ticked all the boxes to get people along, whether they were daily Mass-goers or looking to come back to the Church after

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years away. Bringing people together with a drink, food, and short video series with plenty of table discussions has proved successful. A good parish-based catechesis for our practising adults of all ages will do much to lift the People of God in the diocese.

As he mentioned in his press release, his main priority will be focused on staying the course to be Catholic in the fullest sense. “The worship of God is our number one reason for being Catholic, so the promotion of good and Godly liturgy will be a personal priority. To enable the right worship of God we need priests, holy priests, so calling our young men to a life of brave adventure with the Lord is more necessary than ever.”

With the phone calls slowing and the cloud of overwhelm lifting it was finally a chance for him to respond to a few more questions.

It was a privilege to be at the first post-announcement Mass hearing the words in the Eucharistic Prayer: “... together with Francis our Pope, Richard our Bishop-elect ...” I couldn’t help but feel the emotion. I wanted to know,

“Are you nervous?” Father Richard responded, “The feeling now is similar to when I was ordained a deacon in 1994.”

In 1995 when he was ordained a priest he was not at all nervous and it was the natural next step. Becoming a bishop seems as huge as when he became a deacon: life is about to change once again. While he knows he is doing the Lord’s work, it still seems like a leap into the unknown.

I have heard people say, “Father Richard would make a great bishop” - I asked him his response to comments like this and he said of course he couldn’t ignore the idea that one day he might be asked. In prayer it became obvious that if it was God’s will (expressed through a request from the pope) for him to become a bishop one day he would have to say yes. As he said to some of his parishioners, saying yes seemed like a good idea at the time, it now just seems incredibly daunting.

An intellect, a perfectionist, a faithful servant, and a humble man, it is also easy to see why there is fear in making mistakes. He says that to hand over all trust to the Lord is easy to say one will do, but as humans we all have moments where we scrutinise ourselves and find it hard to

A YOUNGER RICHARD IN BOUGANVILLE. OPERATION BEL ISI (PEACE IN TOK PISIN), 2000.

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flowing freely there as well.

His episcopal motto is inspired by Saint Richard of Chichester, a lesser-known saint, but one with a very similar story: studying canon law, working as chancellor, and then elected bishop. I asked what it was about this saint that led to this choice and Father Laurenson said it was the saint’s prayer:

WITH A LOCAL IN BOUGANVILLE, 2000

Thanks be to you, my Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits you have given me, for all the pains and insults you have borne for me. O most merciful redeemer, friend and brother, may I know you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, day by day. Amen Bishop-elect Richard wants to say to you, our faithful, “Thank you for your unwavering prayers for a steadfast bishop. Thank you for your heartfelt congratulations.” He asks for you to continue to pray for him, your prayers are appreciated and needed now more than ever. Through the grace of our Lord he will endeavour to be a good and faithful shepherd leading his flock to Christ.

SHOWING THE CHILDREN PICTURES OF THEMSELVES WITH A “FLASH” OLD TECH DIGITAL CAMERA. TIMOR, 2002

believe that this is a calling the Lord wants. He prays that he will not disappoint in leading the people of the diocese.

My thoughts also go further than asking the man himself how he is feeling. I also wanted to know how his family has taken the news. He says that of course they have been extremely supportive, unreservedly pleased for him, and they are confident he is the right man for the job. His mum was “moved and delighted” when he told her the news.

As we are never too old to need our mums, he told her he was terrified after his shock when he first found out. Her motherly response, one shared by us all: she knows it’s a big job, but also knows he’s perfectly fitted for it. She also mentioned she had no idea so many people at St Peter Chanel Church knew who she was, the congratulations PHOTOS SUPPLIED.

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THE EPISCOPAL ORDINATION OF RICHARD LAURENSON

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t’s a beautiful day for the Diocese of Hamilton,” said Bishop Steve Lowe at the beginning of his homily, as the diocese gathered for the ordination of Father Richard Laurenson as the fourth bishop of Hamilton on the evening of December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass was a joyous occasion, with beautiful music, laughter and tears, heartfelt words of humility and gratitude, and a sense of family and community and of excitement in new beginnings.

priests, and pray for more young men to respond to the call of the Lord.

The new bishop then invited the people to join him in praying the prayer attributed to St Richard of Chichester (seen on page 5), from which he draws his episcopal motto.

Bishop Richard addressed the congregation at the end of the liturgy as follows: First round of thanks must go to the Lord for all he has done and is doing for us. Then I wish to thank Mum and Dad for their gifts of life and love. To the whole family, thank you for the many ways you have supported, chided, and loved me over the years. To my many friends, some here tonight and others not able to make it, thank you for your friendship and support.

Thanks go also to Bishop Denis, who inherited me as a deacon to be ordained priest, thank you for your care and ministry over the years; to Bishop Steve for your friendship from seminary days as well as your ministry to us as Bishop of Hamilton. To you, Steve, and to my brother bishops, thank you for your kind words of welcome, and warm encouragement as I started to discover what being a bishop means.

To my brother priests, I am sure many of you were consulted and still I was selected, so this is half your fault. I hope and pray we can progress the cause of Christ together in the world.

To the people of God of Hamilton, I pray I will be a good bishop for you and with you. Pray for me, pray for your PHOTOS BY TAILA BURTON-GOLLOP

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After praying in front of the Marian shrine, Bishop Richard moved through the cathedral blessing the people as Mo Maria was sung.

Bishop Richard kneels and is anointed with Holy Chrism as the sign of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Anointing is meant to be a bit “messy,” and the oil was an occasion of mirth as it ran into the new bishop’s ear and smudged his glasses; drops can be seen on Bishop Richard’s vestments in our cover photo.

Bishop Richard addresses the congregation at the end of Mass, the intensity and import of the occasion evident in his face and voice.

Bishop Richard receives his episcopal ring (seen on page 2), a sign of fidelity (above) and his mitre, a symbol of governance (below). His crosier, symbol of pastoral care, is seen on the back cover.

Bishop Richard seated in his cathedra from which the diocese’s mother church takes its name.

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During the Examination of the Candidate the bishop-elect responds to questions about his resolve to uphold the faith and discharge his duty.

The open Book of the Gospels is held over the head of the bishop-elect to symbolise the bishop’s primary duty to preach the Gospel.

Bishop-elect Richard prostrates himself while the Litany of Saints is sung by choir and congregation. “Bless this son of yours; O Christ hear us, Lord Jesus hear our prayer.”

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A moment between the new bishop and his mother Phillippa Laurenson and his sister Clare Hemara, following the procession of the bread and wine.

Monsignor Giosuè Busti of the Apostolic Nunciature displays the letter from “Bishop Francis, servant of the servants of God, to my brother Richard …” announcing Bishop Richard’s appointment.

The Prayer of Consecration and the laying on of hands are the centre of the ordination rite.

Bishop Richard prays at the Marian shrine.

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POETRY AND PRAYER PRAYER OF ST THOMAS AQUINAS AFTER COMMUNION I give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, who have been pleased to nourish me, a sinner and your unworthy servant, with the precious Body and Blood of your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ: this through no merits of mine, but due solely to the graciousness of your mercy.

And I pray that this Holy Communion may not be for me an offence to be punished, but a saving plea for forgiveness.

May it be for me the armour of faith, and the shield of good will.

May it cancel my faults, destroy concupiscence and carnal passion, increase charity and patience, humility and obedience and all the virtues, may it be a firm defence against the snares of all my enemies, both visible and invisible, the complete calming of my impulses, both of the flesh and of the spirit, a firm adherence to you, the one true God, and the joyful completion of my life’s course.

And I beseech you to lead me, a sinner, to that banquet beyond all telling, where with your Son and the Holy Spirit you are the true light of your Saints, fullness of satisfied desire, eternal gladness, consummate delight and perfect happiness.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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OF THE FATHER’S LOVE BEGOTTEN FROM THE DIVINE OFFICE Of the Father’s love begotten, Ere the worlds began to be, He is Alpha and Omega, He the source, the ending he, of the things that are and have been, and that future years shall see: evermore and evermore.

Blessed was the day forever When the Virgin, full of grace, By the Holy Ghost conceiving, Bore the Saviour of our race; And the child, the world’s Redeemer, First revealed his sacred face: evermore and evermore.

Glory be to God the Father, Glory be to God the Son, Glory to the Holy Spirit, Persons three, yet Godhead one.

Glory be from all creation While eternal ages run: Evermore and evermore.

DIOCESAN HIGHLIGHTS Some highlights from around the diocese of the year just been.

It is very exciting that children after Mass enjoy the garden and dream of eating their own carrots and lettuce. (Plantings were made some months ago with unsuccessful results.

Slugs. A second attempt was made. Disappointment and hope. The reality of being a gardener.) Mauri ora!

Tenei te mihi kia tatou katoa.

MĀRA KAI AT ST PETER CHANEL, WHAKATĀNE

BY BONNIE SAVAGE

For the past five years there has been a slow and steady progress towards introducing edible landscaping around the church of St Peter Chanel, Whakatāne. Within a relatively short time bananas have been harvested. A steady supply of spinach, beans, lettuce, and culinary and medicinal herbs regularly find themselves in the parish kitchen as catering ingredients for use by our Catholic Women’s League branch.

At the front of the church five olive trees are growing healthily and cropping, while at the back of the building grapevines and lemon, peach, and plum trees grow, looking like they’ll provide decent crops this summer.

The vision is to plant items mentioned in the Bible. A potted fig, babaco, and pawpaw wait for a spot in the dedicated orchard space. Swan plants are thriving, providing for the monarch butterflies.

Over the year about nine parishioners have started volunteering regularly to maintain and manage specific areas, such as pruning, composting, planting flowers, and general tidying. I am grateful.

The plan is to introduce a decent sized chili bed. Taro is growing. I am planting kamokamo, kumara and taewa (Maori potato) again this year. The māra kai/food garden will gradually reflect the diverse cultures that make up the congregation. Beautiful.

It makes sense to utilise the land for food and medicine as an offering to God and community. Toxic sprays are absolutely excluded. It is exciting to provide organic kai and to know that it has been planted, nurtured, and dedicated for the joyous higher good. By this we automatically develop a relationship with the māra plus folk know the whakapapa of the kai and its nutritional value. More than ideal.

ALL HIGHLIGHTS PHOTOS INDIVIDUALLY SUPPLIED.

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NET MINISTRIES AUS/NZ HAMILTON TEAM

BY THE HAMILTON NET TEAM

The National Evangelisation Team (NET) has had an amazing year in this diocese. This year we have had the privilege of running retreats and visiting classrooms in all the Catholic secondary schools in the Hamilton Diocese in Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, and Gisborne. Alongside these retreats we also run and participate in youth group and young adult events. The Hamilton NET team changed in the second half of the year due to unforeseen circumstances, but both teams loved their time in the diocese. One highlight from the first half of the year was Set Free and Heavencome which was a youth and young adult conference and a highlight for the second half was Chanel Shield which is a friendly competition between the Catholic secondary schools in the Hamilton Diocese.

SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST: PARISH OF ALL SAINTS BY THE SEA

BY KIRSTY MUIR

For the second year in a row, the Mass on Corpus Christi concluded with a procession of the Blessed Sacrament.

During this Mass forty-nine children received the sacrament of Confirmation and made their first Holy Communion. At the conclusion, in their best white attire, they then led the procession out of the church. Our parish priest (now bishopelect) Rev Richard Laurenson carried the monstrance holding our Lord, with assistant Rev Matthew Gibson and altar servers carrying candles and incense, followed by around three hundred parishioners.

The Litany of the Precious Blood of Jesus and other hymns were sung, and the congregation paused en route for a time of adoration. The procession was witness to the real presence of the body and blood, soul and divinity of Jesus in the Eucharist, a sign of faith presented to all people as the monstrance was carried through a busy intersection and around public areas of Mount Maunganui.

A video highlight from the procession held at the end of the Holy Mass is available on the diocesan YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/CatholicDioceseofHamiltonNZ

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ST JOSEPH’S CHURCH, TE AROHA

ST MARY’S CHURCH, PAEROA

A highlight of our year at St Joseph’s, Te Aroha, has been the installation and dedication of memorial Rosary windows in the former baptistery of our church. Artwork was by the Studio of St John the Baptist in Auckland, with each window dedicated to a deceased parishioner or deceased family members. The Rosary Chapel was formally dedicated on the Feast of St Mary Magdalene with a large congregation of parishioners and family members present, and is now used regularly for both community and private prayer.

Palm Sunday came alive for us this year with the participation of the school children in the Procession of Palms at the start of Mass, as well as their leading many of the readings, prayers, and hymns of the Mass. Some of the students of St Joseph’s School brought palms and other artwork they’d made to add to the joy and life of the liturgy.

It was wonderful to have so many parents present with us also.

BY FR MARK FIELD

BY FR MARK FIELD

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DANCING THROUGH HISTORY: SUZANNE AUBERT’S LEGACY INSPIRES CREATIVE CLUB AT OUR KURA

BY AMIE-LEE MILLS

In a quaint corner of New Zealand, nestled within the rich tapestry of Māori culture and history, lies a school with a unique and compelling story to tell. Our kura, like a vibrant thread in the fabric of our community, has embarked on an extraordinary journey of creativity and heritage through the art of dance. With deep roots in history and a profound legacy to honour, the students at our school embarked on a dance journey that brings to life the remarkable story of Suzanne Aubert. Suzanne Aubert, a visionary woman, left her homeland in France to embark on an adventure that would take her across the world to New Zealand. What makes this dance performance truly exceptional is that the students themselves have choreographed their own moves and created the music that accompanies their dance. With

deep dedication and creativity, they have masterfully crafted this narrative, bringing Suzanne Aubert’s journey to life in a unique and captivating way. The dance unfolds the captivating tale of how Suzanne Aubert connected with the Māori people, delving into their culture, and learning the intricacies of te reo Māori. This was no ordinary journey for Aubert; it was a cultural exchange that would forever shape her destiny. The dance captures the essence of her dedication and the deep respect she had for the indigenous people of New Zealand, all choreographed and set to music composed by the talented students. Suzanne Aubert’s life was marked by compassion and healing. She dedicated her time to creating herbal remedies that provided solace to the sick and suffering. The dance group, inspired by

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her remarkable work, uses their own choreography and music composition to depict the compassion and care that she shared with those in need. The story of her life comes alive through their intricate and heartfelt dance, making it a truly unique and personal tribute. A pivotal moment in the performance is the establishment of the Home of Compassion, a haven for those in need. As the students elegantly dance through this part of the story, it is clear that they too have embraced the spirit of compassion that Aubert embodied. Our kura, much like the Home of Compassion, has become a beacon of hope and education, driven by the principles of empathy and care, all beautifully expressed through the students’ own choreography and music. As the dance concludes, our kura stands as a living legacy to the incredible woman that Suzanne Aubert was. The students, through their self-choreographed dance and original music, have paid homage to her story, her compassion, and her unwavering commitment to making the world a better place. The legacy of Suzanne Aubert lives on not only in our school’s history but in the hearts and minds of the students who have brought her story to life through dance. In conclusion, the dance performance at our kura is a celebration of history, heritage, and the enduring spirit of compassion. It is a tribute to Suzanne Aubert, a woman who bridged continents and cultures to make a difference in the lives of many. The dance serves as a testament to the power of creativity, education, and the enduring legacy of an extraordinary individual. Suzanne Aubert’s story, told through the art of dance with choreography and music composed by our talented students, reminds us all that we too can make a positive impact on the world, leaving behind a legacy that inspires generations to come.

PRO-LIFE ESSAY COMPETITION This year the Diocesan Education Office held the inaugural Pro-Life Essay competition for students in our Catholic schools and homeschoolers. The competition was sponsored by the Catholic Development Fund and ran over three months.

Students were invited to write and submit an essay outlining the Catholic pro-life position in response to a selected prompt or quote. It was a wonderful opportunity for our young people to grow in learning about the importance of protecting vulnerable life, and about what the Church teaches and why she teaches what she does. Organisers were very pleased with the outcome and on Wednesday October 25 John Coulam and CDF’s Marian Greene had the great privilege of attending a St John’s College assembly to present senior first-place winner Matthew Jeremiah with his prize. Matthew won $500 for his efforts.

A first place, runner-up, and two highly commended prizes were awarded in the junior section. Keep an eye out for next year’s competition.

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FAMILY WEEKEND 2023

ST THOMAS MORE CHURCH, MOUNT MAUNGANUI

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CATHOLIC ANSWERS

CY KELLETT’S VISIT TO THE HAMILTON DIOCESE

ALL SAINTS PARTY

PARISH OF ALL SAINTS BY THE SEA The first annual All Saints Day party took place at St Thomas More Catholic Church (Parish of All Saints by the Sea) this year, with games, food, a talk from Fr Matthew Gibson, and a costume parade.

MARCH FOR LIFE

WELLINGTON, SATURDAY DECEMBER 2 A group of 22 proudly represented our diocese and drove down for the national march in Wellington.

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LOVE’S CONTINGENCY

BY RICHARD TURNBULL CAVE ART BY CHARLES HUGHES WISEBLOOD BOOKS, 2014, 102 PAGES, USD$15 WISEBLOODBOOKS.COM Charles Hughes is an American lawyer, now retired, who lives in Chicago with his wife, a Presbyterian minister. He came late to poetry for Cave Art, published in 2014 when he was in his sixties, was his first collection.

Unusually for a modern poet Hughes has chosen, for the most part, to write in traditional forms. If Shakespeare could read ‘Lawyer story: the settlement, 2001,’ for instance, (one of Hughes’s best), he’d discover a sonnet indistinguishable – metrically – from one of his own: fourteen lines, a ten syllable five beat stress pattern and the same rhyme scheme. As Hughes remarked in an interview, a poem subject to the demands of formal structure may be closer to reality since it is a recognition of the inescapable constraints to which each human life is subject.

He is the poet of the domestic where love and sorrow are often communicated through silence and prayer (‘Ambition,’ ‘November Song,’ ‘Mornings After ThirtyEight Years’); and of memory and reflection, which in bringing the past into the present - the Vietnam War, Bonhoeffer’s last day, the cave paintings of Lascaux gives to them a new resonance (‘Night Vision 1968,’ ‘In Memory of William Sampson’).

His love for his wife shines out in many poems, of which one of the most poignant is the delicate and understated ‘November Song.’ It is autumn and he is raking “raggedy leaves gone pale” after a hard frost; when out of this world of “lei of limes, green-golds, blue-greens,” his wife calls him in for lunch:

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In your young voice – A memory partly, partly a wish rehearsed For years, for our long love. I’d sing you summer And warm June rain…

They are old now and their love is in its autumn; two loves which, like the hostas in the opening line, “die back, don’t simply die” and which, in the final line, find themselves like “roots now burning with a perennial thirst.”

The ‘The Lapedo Child’ reflects on the significance of the discovery in Portugal in 1998 of the 24000 year old bones of a child. To the science community and the media the skeleton is presented as evidence of the missing hybrid linking Neanderthal to Homo Sapiens. But to Hughes the care with which this four year old boy was buried is evidence of a different kind: “an every-child, a hybrid, yes / Touched by the double stain of love and sorrow.”

He sees evidence of man’s fall and of God’s love; of how: “The inexplicable providence of God – / Spreads from each generation to the next.”

To an American of Hughes’ generation the Vietnam war is all too real and it features in several poems. The most remarkable is ‘Welcome Talk’ which is set in a lecture hall in 1969 where 500 college freshmen attend a lecture on John Donne’s great poem, ‘A Valediction Forbidding Mourning,’ written in 1611. The young men are all too aware that soon they will be conscripted to fight in Vietnam and will have to make, like Donne, their valedictions to their family and loved ones - “Impossible goodbyes for sure.” Donne’s valediction is a sad farewell written to his newly wed as he embarks upon a long journey overseas. Though times and circumstances appear very different, yet the human heart remains much the same. Hughes quotes a line from Donne, “Thy firmness makes my circle just…” and ends Becoming memory like other things That happen and abide, happen and vanish And still abide as part of who we are.

‘Easter Spoils, 2012’ is a reflection on the last words spoken by Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer at

Flossenburg jail on Sunday, April 8 1945, as he was taken away by the Gestapo to be hanged (he was hanged the following day): “This is the end – for me, the beginning of life.”

The poem tells us that April 8 was Low Sunday, which is better known to Catholics as Divine Mercy Sunday. (We know that Bonhoeffer held a religious service in which he preached on the readings – the same for both traditions – that describe the encounter of the doubting apostle Thomas with the Risen Christ). Bonhoeffer had spent two years in prison during which time he had written a great many letters, prayers and essays. After his death these became greatly valued and as many of them as possible were preserved and, later, published; they have never been out of print. This poem is Hughes’ tribute to the power of these words, and others like them, to transcend time and transform suffering through God’s word of Love.

While the “world still writhes / In its uneven pain” I hear Bonhoeffer voicing love’s contingency, Love’s need, the thousand ways love dies and dies And may live on in something someone says.

Love is contingent: it can die and it can live; love is need, for lover needs must have a beloved. So Christ died, and yet rose again from the dead; so Christ spoke the words of dereliction, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” yet took them from Psalm 22 where God the Father “hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.”

In the ironic line “No question who was strong and who was weak” Hughes invites us to ask that very question.

Bonhoeffer or the Gestapo? Christ or Pilate? But then, when we answer Bonhoeffer and Christ, to press further and ask ourselves why? What makes love more powerful than anything else in the world? Is it, perhaps, love’s capacity to pray for its enemies and to seek only their good?

A work colleague acknowledged a few days ago, with some shock, that Christmas is almost upon us. If you are looking for something different to give as a gift, you could do a lot worse than offer Cave Art.

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CALENDAR DECEMBER 24 - 4th Sunday of Advent 25 - Christmas Day 26 - Saint Stephen 27 - Saint John 28 - The Holy Innocents 29 - 5th day within the octave of Christmas 30 - 6th day within the octave of Christmas 31 - The Holy Family JANUARY 1 - Mary, the Holy Mother of God 2 - Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen 3 - The Most Holy Name of Jesus 7 - The Epiphany of the Lord 8 - The Baptism of the Lord 13 - Saint Hilary

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17 - Saint Antony 20 - Saint Fabian and Saint Sebastian 22 - Saint Vincent 24 - Saint Francis de Sales 25 - The Conversion of Saint Paul 26 - Saints Timothy and Titus 27 - Saint Angela Merici 31 - Saint John Bosco, Priest FEBRUARY 2 - The Presentation of the Lord 3 - Saint Ansgar (Oscar) and Saint Blaise 5 - Saint Agatha 7 - Saints Paul Miki and his Companions 8 - Saint Jerome Emilian and Saint Josephine Bakhita 10 - Saint Scholastica 14 - Ash Wednesday 18 - 1st Sunday of Lent 22 - Saint Peter’s Chair 25 - 2nd Sunday of Lent

KIDS LEAD MARY AND JOSEPH TO THE STABLE

READ LUKE 2:1-7 AND FIND 8 WORDS IN THE WORD SEARCH. In those days, a decree was issued by Caesar Augustus that a census should be taken throughout the entire world. This was the first such registration, and it took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

Everyone traveled to his own town to be enrolled.

Joseph therefore went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David. He went to be registered together with Mary, his betrothed, who was expecting a child.

While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.

She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

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