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Bomb threat closes St Patrick’s College Wellington

St Patrick’s College in Kilbirnie, Wellington, was evacuated on Wednesday morning after a bomb threat was made via email.

Rector Neal Swindells said the threat was made about 9.30am.

After contacting the police Swindells made the decision to send staff and students home.

Police remained at the school for much of Wednesday, working with the school’s management team, and investigating the threat.

As far as Swindells knew, the school had not received such a threat in the recent past.

He was not sure if any other schools in Wellington had been threatened in the same way on Wednesday.

It was obviously unsettling for staff and students, but the school had to make the decision to disrupt everyone’s day to make sure they were safe.

The threat follows similar incidents in February which closed a number of schools around the country.

At the time, police said the “robotic sounding” phone calls could be linked to an international hoax which had hit the US and other countries.

Evans Bay Intermediate School, neighbouring St Patrick’s, was also evacuated, and students moved to nearby Rongotai College.

College principal Kevin Carter said his school was happy to help out. “They were very close to St Pat’s, and they wanted to evacuate the area.”

Carter said the intermediate students watched a movie in the hall for about an hour and a half, then headed back to their own school shortly before 2pm.

Chris Skinner concludes Jubilee Year of Mercy tour

Fr Chris Skinner recently concluded 10 day tour of the Dunedin diocese offering a series of music workshops in parishes and schools.

The diocese was keen to promote a number of activities during the Jubilee Year of Mercy, and Chris focussed on a number of his songs with a mercy theme.

Offering workshops, concerts, he also played at several Masses.

On its website the Diocese says he “delighted all ages with his music”.

“Throughout all ten days, Fr Chris’s joyful energy remained high, delighting people from ages 2 to 92 with his melodious voice and prayerful presence”, says Amy Armstrong of the Dunedin Diocese in a statement.

A significant focus of the visit was three workshops in Oamaru, Dunedin and Invercargill where he spent a lot of time teaching parish and school musicians.

Jen Martinez new LOGOS leader

Forty staff, volunteers, friends and supporters of the Logos Project in Auckland recently attended a Mass at which Jennifer Martinez was commission as the leader of the Logos Project.

Jen Martinez has worked at The Logos project for more than ten years.

“The experiences and opportunities I received in my younger years have had a profound impact on me, and are why I am so passionate about faith and personal formation,” says Jen Martinez.

“Many years ago I lived in a Catholic young adult community run by the Christian Brothers and I was very involved in different ministries within the Edmund Rice Network.”

“I also trained and worked as a chef after I left school at Marist College.”

“I love the fact that each day I have the opportunity to support young people to grow in their faith and in who they are called to be,” she said.

At the same Mass, Fr Denis O’Hagan SM also became Chairman of the LOGOS board.

Founded in 1999 by the Society of Mary, The Logos Project works with young people in the Auckland region.

It runs a range of programmes designed to develop young people, helping them to know who they are what they stand for.

More images available at Logos.org

Sources

The comfort and challenge of Craig Larkin’s An Inner Music

On the occasion of the Wellington launch of Craig Larkin’s An Inner Music, Sr Stephanie Kitching rsm spoke of her experience of the book.

She spoke to those assembled for the Wellington launch of An Inner Music and told of she found it both a comfort and challenge.

An Inner Music discussed by Stephanie Kitching — Sr Stephanie Kitching rsm talks of Craig Larkin’s book; An Inner Music

Tena koutou katoa. It is special to be here tonight.

I have known Craig Larkin since he was a secondary school student appearing in a lead role in the Mikado, a Gilbert and Sullivan musical being mounted at St Pat’s College by Fr Gerard Mills.

My mother was one of the seamstresses and wardrobe mistresses so Craig would be at our home with other students and clergy. Sunday nights were always exciting….Enough….

This book, An Inner Music: Living a Life in God, sits both comfortably and challengingly.

The comfort
The physical feel of the cover and the easy lie of the pages make it an easy read. The layout of each chapter in clearly defined sections with the benefit of a very readable type face and spacing between the lines is reader friendly.

The language used and the writing style make it seem as though we are sitting with Craig and he is sharing with us in the moment.

There are minimal illustrations used but these, along with the illuminated capitals at the beginning of each section fit the topic of the book.

The choice of mystics…female and male, religious and lay provides variation. There are not as many female as male but this is more a sign of the times. I note that Craig tells us that Julian of Norwich in the 14th century was the first woman to write in English.

Some of the mystics are familiar, eg, Hildegard of Bingen. Others are not so, eg, Jean-Joseph Surin whom I really enjoyed discovering. As Craig writes… he showed us God acts in the cracks of human life! And Surin loved music, both the inner and outward kind.

The approach in each chapter draws the reader in. First we hear about the person of the mystic, then about their spirituality and writings. This is followed by a small section of writing of that mystic which acts as a snapshot for the reader. Then the challenge is thrown down…how does this interact with the reader’s life journey in God?

Craig pulls together all his life’s study and reflection and prayer in this section, leading us form the human to the divine and back again.

Right through this book there is a groundedness. It is very real and related to us at this time

I am sure readers will discover their own gems. There will be something for everyone.

One example is Carryl Houselander – an old friend from the mid 80s when I read The Reed of God – a series of meditations on the life of Mary. Yes 30 years on, Craig provided me with yet another insight though his unpacking of this 20th century woman’s life and spirituality; it is in the connection between daily living and spirituality that we discover God.

The Challenge
This volume depths my understanding of the mystics and what makes them tick; and maybe I might find that the same thing makes me tick…what then?

I see the message of the book as: Am I ready to be caught by God? And, am I prepared to live from the inside out, rather than the outside in?

These are big questions for any of us, ones I find quite confronting at this stage of my life.

I can see myself in the coming months both renewing my acquaintance with mystics I have met before, and discovering new treasures in other mystics enclosed in the pages of this book which is written by one who in his own way, through failures, successes, joys, sorrows, plain sailing and trials was a mystic too.

“Stories of our Lives” Pa Maria Film Series very popular

Catering for demand, Pa Maria is adding a third season of its 2016 Winter Film Series.

The first two seasons run by the Marist Spirituality Centre have already been fully booked out.

This years Winter Film Series centres around “The Stories of Our Lives” and the Director of Pa Maria, Fr Brian Cummings SM, says, “The feedback from last year’s Series showed that those who took part in 2015 found the programme a helpful and innovative way of addressing spirituality”.

While many of this year’s registrations have come from those who took part last year, it is also noticeable that there are a number of people who will be attending for the first time.

For further information on this year’s Film Series email Brian Cummings.

NZ Marist promotes humane and safe practices on foreign fishing vessels

A change in law helping stamp out inhumane labour and unsafe practices on foreign fishing vessels in New Zealand waters is a victory for the Apostleship of the Sea, (AoS).

New Zealand Director of the Apostleship of the Sea, Fr Jeff Drane SM says there are reports of crews, while in New Zealand waters, being beaten, forced to work for minimal pay, and for days without rest.

The law change makes foreign fishing vessels subject to New Zealand law and the country a world leader in addressing unsafe and inhumane labour practices for seafarers, he said.

“The legislation making it compulsory for the re-flagging foreign fishing vessels operating in New Zealand waters is a first of its kind in the world”, he told CathNews.

Fr Drane says Fr Bruno Ciceri, a representative of the Apostleship of the Sea International at the Holy See’s Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and the work of AoS, has helped to convince the New Zealand Government of the need for this legislation.

“Because AoS is a widespread global apostolate we have to address the serious issues of fisheries globally,” Drane said:

Fishermen are underpaid and exploited
they are subject to physical and sexual abuse
they work onboard rusty and unsafe fishing vessels
fishing vessels fly under flags of convenience
with no adherence to the law of that country, these fishing vessels exploit the fish stocks
the indiscriminate taking of fish stocks amounts to theft from properly registered and controlled fishing businesses and, more importantly, theft of fish resources from indigenous peoples.

The AoS and the Catholic Church globally are active in addressing these issues.

In June AoS South Asia is organising a global Fisheries conference in Bangkok and another next year in Taiwan.

AoS New Zealand delegates will be attending both conferences with a view to actions we are able to take.

So far, nine vessels had been reflagged, three were in the process of reflagging and could not fish in New Zealand waters until they had, Primary Industries Minister Nathan Guy said.

The Minister confirmed about nine had decided not to fish in New Zealand waters.

Sources

CathNews
Image: Stuff