New Zealand Catholic bishops’ annual conference
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) held its annual meeting in Wellington from 16-22nd October.
The NZCBC elected Archbishop John Dew (Wellington) as President, Bishop Pat Dunn (Auckland) as General Secretary, and Bishop Colin Campbell (Dunedin) as Vice-President, and confirmed the membership of its commissions for a further two years: Commission for the Church – Archbishop Dew, and Bishops Denis Browne (Hamilton) and Campbell, and Commission for the Church in Society – Bishops Peter Cullinane (Palmerston North), Dunn and Jones.*
The priorities identified by NZCBC agencies for 2010 were approved.
The bishops met with the executive of Te Rūnanga o te Hāhi Katorika ki Aotearoa, the Conference’s national Catholic Maori advisory body. Their priorities included developing relationships with other NZCBC agencies, promoting vocations for the priesthood and religious life among Maori, and increasing the participation of rangatahi (young people) at Mass. The appointment of a Maori bishop was also discussed.
The bishops met with Br Pat Lynch FSC, Chief Executive Officer of NZ Catholic Education Office, Fr Philip Handforth, Rector of Holy Cross Seminary, and Fr Trevor Murray, Director of the National Liturgy Office.
Fr Murray and the bishops did further work on liturgical texts and discussed the new Missal. It is in English and Maori and has been sent to Rome for approval. The bishops approved the catechesis on the new Missal, which will take place next year.
The bishops met with members of the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society, affirming the work being done and supporting new directions being considered by the Society.
They also affirmed the work being done by Apostleship of the Sea and met with some of its members, including National Director Garry Conway.
The NZCBC agreed that individual bishops will promote the Apostleship of the Sea on-call chaplaincy among their priests, and lay involvement in the apostolate. It was also decided that Sea Sunday, a day of prayer for seafarers held on the second Sunday in July, will be included in the Catholic Church’s National Calendar.
To celebrate the Year of the Priest the bishops agreed that parishes will be encouraged to celebrate priesthood and pray for priests in the week preceding Good Shepherd Sunday 25 April 2010. A prayer for vocations to the priesthood has already been sent to parishes. The bishops also decided to publish an essay on St John Vianney, written by Bishop Takuira Mariu SM.
A Mass will be celebrated in Hamilton on the evening of Sunday 18 April 2010 to mark the Week of Prayer for Priests, when the bishops will be in Hamilton for a Conference meeting.
END
Extra information about the allocation of responsibilities during the NZCBC elections:
Permanent Council – Archbishop Dew and Bishops Dunn, Campbell and Barry Jones (Christchurch)
NZCBC Finance Committee – Archbishop Dew;
Te Runanga O te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa – Bishop Jones;
Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania Executive – Archbishop Dew and Bishop Jones;
ICEL - Bishop Browne;
ICPEL – Bishop Campbell;
Good Shepherd College Senate – Bishop Dunn;
Good Shepherd College Finance Committee – Archbishop Dew, Mr Paul Bayliss;
Mixed Commission – Bishop Cullinane;
National Committee for Professional Standards – Archbishop Dew;
Prison Chaplaincy Services Board – Bishop Jones;
Interchurch Hospital Chaplaincy Board – Bishop Jones;
New Zealand Catholic Education Office Board – Bishop Cullinane;
Catholic Bishops Committee for Ecumenism – Bishop Jones;
Bilateral Dialogue with Anglicans – Bishop Jones;
Bilateral Dialogue with Presbyterians – Bishop Campbell;
Bilateral Dialogue with Methodists – Mr Peter Richardson;
Pontifical Mission Societies (liaison) – Bishop Owen Dolan (Palmerston North).
Angela Pyke
Communications Adviser
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
apyke@nzcbc.org.nz
Tel 04 496 1725, Mob 021 611 052
The New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) held its annual meeting in Wellington from 16-22nd October.
The NZCBC elected Archbishop John Dew (Wellington) as President, Bishop Pat Dunn (Auckland) as General Secretary, and Bishop Colin Campbell (Dunedin) as Vice-President, and confirmed the membership of its commissions for a further two years: Commission for the Church – Archbishop Dew, and Bishops Denis Browne (Hamilton) and Campbell, and Commission for the Church in Society – Bishops Peter Cullinane (Palmerston North), Dunn and Jones.*
The priorities identified by NZCBC agencies for 2010 were approved.
The bishops met with the executive of Te Rūnanga o te Hāhi Katorika ki Aotearoa, the Conference’s national Catholic Maori advisory body. Their priorities included developing relationships with other NZCBC agencies, promoting vocations for the priesthood and religious life among Maori, and increasing the participation of rangatahi (young people) at Mass. The appointment of a Maori bishop was also discussed.
The bishops met with Br Pat Lynch FSC, Chief Executive Officer of NZ Catholic Education Office, Fr Philip Handforth, Rector of Holy Cross Seminary, and Fr Trevor Murray, Director of the National Liturgy Office.
Fr Murray and the bishops did further work on liturgical texts and discussed the new Missal. It is in English and Maori and has been sent to Rome for approval. The bishops approved the catechesis on the new Missal, which will take place next year.
The bishops met with members of the Hibernian Catholic Benefit Society, affirming the work being done and supporting new directions being considered by the Society.
They also affirmed the work being done by Apostleship of the Sea and met with some of its members, including National Director Garry Conway.
The NZCBC agreed that individual bishops will promote the Apostleship of the Sea on-call chaplaincy among their priests, and lay involvement in the apostolate. It was also decided that Sea Sunday, a day of prayer for seafarers held on the second Sunday in July, will be included in the Catholic Church’s National Calendar.
To celebrate the Year of the Priest the bishops agreed that parishes will be encouraged to celebrate priesthood and pray for priests in the week preceding Good Shepherd Sunday 25 April 2010. A prayer for vocations to the priesthood has already been sent to parishes. The bishops also decided to publish an essay on St John Vianney, written by Bishop Takuira Mariu SM.
A Mass will be celebrated in Hamilton on the evening of Sunday 18 April 2010 to mark the Week of Prayer for Priests, when the bishops will be in Hamilton for a Conference meeting.
END
Extra information about the allocation of responsibilities during the NZCBC elections:
Permanent Council – Archbishop Dew and Bishops Dunn, Campbell and Barry Jones (Christchurch)
NZCBC Finance Committee – Archbishop Dew;
Te Runanga O te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa – Bishop Jones;
Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania Executive – Archbishop Dew and Bishop Jones;
ICEL - Bishop Browne;
ICPEL – Bishop Campbell;
Good Shepherd College Senate – Bishop Dunn;
Good Shepherd College Finance Committee – Archbishop Dew, Mr Paul Bayliss;
Mixed Commission – Bishop Cullinane;
National Committee for Professional Standards – Archbishop Dew;
Prison Chaplaincy Services Board – Bishop Jones;
Interchurch Hospital Chaplaincy Board – Bishop Jones;
New Zealand Catholic Education Office Board – Bishop Cullinane;
Catholic Bishops Committee for Ecumenism – Bishop Jones;
Bilateral Dialogue with Anglicans – Bishop Jones;
Bilateral Dialogue with Presbyterians – Bishop Campbell;
Bilateral Dialogue with Methodists – Mr Peter Richardson;
Pontifical Mission Societies (liaison) – Bishop Owen Dolan (Palmerston North).
Angela Pyke
Communications Adviser
New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference
apyke@nzcbc.org.nz
Tel 04 496 1725, Mob 021 611 052
