• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Marist
    • A Certain Way
    • Bearing Mary’s name
    • Doing Mary’s work
    • Marist Founder: J C Colin
    • Marist Places
    • Spirituality
    • Marist Family
  • Marist New Zealand
    • New Zealand Marist news
      • Get Marist News
    • Administration
      • Finance and administration
      • Marist Archives
      • NZ Marist History
      • NZ Marist Links
      • Privacy Policy
      • Renewal
    • Education and Youth
      • Gap Year
      • Logos
      • SMNZ Colleges’ Senate
      • Network of Marist Schools
      • School chaplaincy
      • SMNZ Colleges’ Senate
      • Youth House
    • “Foreign Lands”
      • Social Outreach
        • Abandoned and neglected
        • L’arche
        • Ministry to Seafarers
        • Not-for-profit facilitation
        • Police Chaplaincy
        • Wellintown
      • CathNews
      • Marist Internet Project
      • Music Ministry
      • RPD Unit
    • Marist Spirituality
      • In Every Way
      • Marist Messenger
      • Pa Maria
      • Spiritual Direction
    • Marist Laity
      • Marian Mothers
      • Marist Third Order
      • Mother of Good Hope
    • Missionary parishes
      • Homily Helps
      • John Rea: Healing ministry
    • Tangata Whenua
  • Marist World
    • International Marist news
    • Marist Americas
    • Marist Asia Pacific
      • Asia
      • Australia
      • New Zealand
      • Oceania
    • Mission Districts
      • Asia
        • Ranong
      • Brazil
    • Marist Europe
  • Marist Vocation
    • Who are the Marists
    • What Marists do
    • Life as a Marist
    • Train as a Marist
      • Good Shepherd College
      • Marist Seminary
      • Marist Novitiate
      • Pastoral Placement
    • Want to know more?
  • Contact us
    • Fr John Rea
    • Marist Archives
    • Marist Laity
    • Safeguarding minors
    • Society of Mary New Zealand
    • Vocations Enquiry

Society of Mary

Marist Fathers New Zealand: Life and spirit

  • everyway
  • mike-mahoney-wataraoa
  • christie baptism
  • reflection
  • kk-at-wairoa
  • jeffdranesmoa
  • refugeekids
  • cerdon
  • arthurtoothillmarae
  • laneyliere

Groups strengthen faith during St Mary of the Angels diaspora

St Mary of the Angels Young Adults
Young adult leaders at St Mary of the Angels

Numbers attending Mass St Mary of the Angels have dropped slightly while the church is closed for earthquake strengthening, yet the parish continues to reach out.

With Sunday Mass now celebrated at four venues, the parish is making an effort to engage with students.

Located in the heart of central Wellington, St Mary of the Angels’ parish is a spiritual home to five university hostels and numerous student flats.

Known for its student-friendly liturgy, particularly at the 5:00pm Sunday Mass, this Mass continues albeit on the other side of the city.

“Moving across town puts additional pressure on students; it’s a bit harder to get there,” says Parish Priest, Fr Barry Scannell.

“Like us, the students are looking forward to coming back home to St Mary St Mary of the Angels at Easter next year”.

While primarily a liturgical and devotional centre, St Mary of the Angels also has three groups that appeal to students.

Theology on Tap

Theology on Tap is a monthly event hosted by the St Mary of the Angels’ young adults group. A familiar format to those used by other theology on tap groups, meetings are held in a nearby pub.

Theology on Tap at St Mary of the Angels has been going for about 5 years.

“It’s a chance to meet other and learn about our Catholic faith”, says regular attender, Jane Ellis.

She enjoys the variety of speakers; local Catholic politicians, pro-life leaders and Catholic educators.

The most recent speaker was Mons Gerard Burns, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Wellington, Vicar for Māori and executive board member of Caritas Internationalis.

Monday Night Group

Vicky Wall is a member of another group for young adults, “The Monday Night” group.

She says the group meets weekly to read and discuss a document relevant and important to how we live.

Calling it a springboard to interact, share and pray with our friends, the group has just finished focussing on “Amoris Letitia”.

“The biggest challenge using Amoris Letitia has been that none of us are married.

“The group got by using examples of our own childhood families”, said Vicky Wall.

Having completed Amoris Letitia the group is now thinking of what they would like to read next.

SMYAC’s

SMAYAC’s is another youth group in the St Mary of the Angels’ parish.

It meets on the first and third Thursday of each month.

On the first Thursday the focus is spending some quiet time with God and resting in his presence in the Blessed Sacrament.

Each of the group takes turns to organise the time which varies from silence, reflecting, praying and sometimes even Taize singing.

The third Thursday’s meetings are spent reflecting on the upcoming Sunday’s gospel.

As an aid to their reflection the group uses Lectio Divina to meditate, pray and commune with God through His Word. Sharing, a hymn and a time dedicated to prayers of intercession are all important components to the SMYAC meeting.

Image: Facebook

Related posts:

  1. Theology on Tap at St Mary of the Angels Theology on Tap is one of the new faith events at St Mary of the Angels in Wellington. Theology on...
  2. Billeting likely to continue at St Patrick’s College St Patrick’s College Wellington is pretty sure it will continue billeting students despite fears they could be liable if something...
  3. Strengthening St Mary of the Angels presbytery begins Work has begun on strengthen and refurbishing the presbytery at St Mary of the Angels, Wellington. The accommodation on levels...
  4. $9.3m to strengthen St Mary of the Angels church Strengthening St Mary of the Angels church in central Wellington, New Zealand is going to cost about $9.35 million. The...
  5. Earthquakes close St Mary of the Angels for 18 months The iconic central-city Wellington Church, St Mary of the Angels Church is closed for up to 18 months. The closure...

November 11, 2016 Filed Under: Front page story, New Zealand Tagged With: Central City Churches, Missionary Parishes, Reaching out, Youth

Primary Sidebar

Recently

  • Mike and Yvonne Moore thanked for involvement at St Bede’s College
  • Tim Duckworth assumes office of NZ Provincial
  • €20k needed to reopen Marist Camino pilgrim hostel
  • Abuse and Cover-Up; Gerald Arbuckle’s challenging new book
  • Marist Ranong secondary school reopens
  • LOGOS celebrates 20 years

Keep chatting



Search sm.org.nz

We’re about

Administration Asia Australia City centre church Communications Earthquake Education Foreign Lands Formation International International Mission Looking outwards Maori MAP Marist Marist Spirituality Media Mission Missionary Parishes New Evangelisation Oceania Ranong Rome Seminary Spirituality St Mary of the Angels Superior General The Future Vocations Youth

Copyright © 2022 · Society of Mary New Zealand ·