News & Views
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NZCBCIR Meeting 2026
“Our Kaupapa is Dialogue” Aotearoa New Zealand is ranking as the 16th most religiously diverse nation in the world. With only about 4.6million people and about half of the population considering themselves as not affiliated to any religion, the other half is religiously very diverse. Even the diversity of Christian churches and denominations is increasing.
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World Day of Prayer 2026
“I Will Give You Rest: Come” – the title chosen for this year’s World Day of Prayer featured women of Nigeria.Every year, on the first Friday of March, women (and men) across the world and from different Christian Churches are praying together. The theme for 2026 is taken from the Gospel of Matthew and reminds
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The Beauty of Truth
What is true and what is not true? How is truth connected to beauty? On Saturday, 21 February 2026, a conference led by the Dominican Friars of Australia and New Zealand focussed on the “Beauty of Truth” as seen through the writings of St Thomas Aquinas. St Thomas Aquinas was born 800 years ago and
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Building a Climate of Hope
At the end of the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2026, more than 50 participants of 15 different faiths or religious groups met for a workshop in Browns Bay, Auckland, to discuss their personal and communal contributions of how they could mitigate Climate Change while also looking at ways of adapting to the impacts of climate
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Iconography in Auckland
Chris Verryt is an iconographer from and in Auckland. Iconography is the art of ‘writing’ icons, pictures who are much more than paintings. Similar to icons on our computers, they point towards something bigger… The most recent icon written by Chris Verryt depicts the Wedding of Cana. It was here that Jesus started his ministry
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Majestic Kauri Trees
Kauri trees of different sizes, tūī birds, kererū (NZ woodpigeons), – and the feeling of nature in the middle of New Zealand’s biggest city. It is amazing what the reserves in Auckland offer. The new Kauri Glen Reserve in Birkenhead is a fine example of these kinds of oasis.The pathways and bridges are wide enough
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60 Years of Nostra Aetate – Why Interreligious Dialogue Matters
“In our times”… (Nostra Aetate) – a title that doesn’t really tell us anything about the content of this encyclical. However, it also makes the document timeless. The content was relevant in the times of Vatican II (1962-1965) as much as it has been relevant ever since.Interreligious dialogue is nothing new. There have always been
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The Holy Spirit at Work…
I was at a Christmas party where I saw a little girl dropping a beautifully wrapped lolly. I tried to tell her, but she didn’t hear me. A little boy just happened to be around, so I asked the boy to pick up the lolly and take it to the girl. He did so without
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Roses
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”Antoine de Saint-Exupéry November is the month of roses in the Southern Hemisphere – the Hamilton Gardens offer a beautiful variety of these beautiful flowers…
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Martin of Tours
There are two Saints with the name of Martin who are famous among Catholics: Martin of Tours (316-397) and Martin of Torres (1579-1639). Both died in November, but their lives were very different.Martin of Tours is known for sharing his cloak with a beggar. He shared what he had, what kept him warm with a