JPCA

This week the Māori Vicarate, Social Impact, Catholic Caring Foundation, and the Justice & Peace Commission hosted monthly staff prayers using the themes of The Faces of Christ, The Church of the Poor and Red November: Aid to the Church in Need. Welcomed by Loraine, our Vicar for Social Impact, we began by acknowledging and holding space for those who have passed in the last year. November, beginning with All Saints and All Souls, is the month we remember all our loved ones who have gone beyond to their heavenly reward. She then directed attention to the Gospel of Matthew …
Read More about Red November. Faces of Christ. Church of the Poor

Having a yarn with our Aussie Mob We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians who walked upon and cared for the land in Wonnarua Country. We recognise the continued deep spiritual attachment and relationship of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to Country and their commitment to the ongoing journey of Reconciliation. For us, Country is a word for all the values, places, resources, stories and cultural obligations associated with that area and its features. It describes the entirety of our ancestral domains. (Prof Mick Dodson). The Justice and Peace Commission offer a glimpse into the Triannual Australian National Aboriginal and …
Read More about The Travel Journal of NATSICC Assembly 2025: Pilgrims of Hope Across the Ditch

“LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. With tremendous praise and thanks to all those who contributed and made our ‘Peace with Creation 2025’ photo challenge a grand success this Season of Creation. Praise be to you all! ‘For justice, peace, love and beauty.’ Amene JPCA 🕊 View individual photos from the challenge on our Facebook page.

This week for Social Justice Week we join with Caritas Aotearoa in closing their three year peace campaign with ‘Let’s build peace together.’ Here in this online sacred space, we share our thoughts on this year’s Social Justice Week theme. We are also gathering each morning at 10am to pray together for peace as a workplace. This morning saw us ‘building peace through prayer.’ In our busy working days and lives it is easy to forget the intrinsic power of prayer. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us when we pray, go into our room, close the door and …
Read More about Social Justice Week 2025

August 9 every year commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This date, adopted in December 1994 by UN General Assembly, marks the date of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Geneva in 1982. This year heralds 31 years since the UN first declared an International Day in celebration and awareness of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, better known today as World Indigenous Peoples Day. Bit of a history buff?  Read more about the conception of IDoWIP here. As with all …
Read More about International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples 2025: I am not AI

Next Tuesday, July 22nd, the Eastern and Western Churches (Catholics are part of the Western Church for those new to the reference) celebrate the Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene – the Apostle of the Apostles. This year I was challenged to recalibrate my understanding of St. Mary Magdalene by taking the concept of ‘mere figure of feminist theology’ and moving beyond that typecast to appreciate her deeper value. I am old enough to remember when we stopped referring to Mary Magdalene as a prostitute. Not comprehending at a young age what a colossal shift in perception that must have …
Read More about Modern Magdalene: A Brief History in Restorative Justice

Scrutiny Week, the rise of Matariki, and the Feast Days of John the Baptist and the Sacred Heart. What a time for celebration! One could be forgiven in thinking New Zealand Parliament went quiet after the Budget Day onslaught in May. For those following the shifts in political seasons in Aotearoa, many would know last week was the 3rd ever ‘Scrutiny Week’ – something that sounds remotely religious. In contrast to our Catholic scrutinies, it was unlikely MPs attending select committee hearings applied prayers, exorcism and the laying on of hands to defend their 2025 Budget plans… or did they? …
Read More about Scrutinising Scrutiny Week

Feeling confused and disheartened this Budget Day? You’re not alone. The Justice & Peace Commission blog their opinion on the current political climate in Aotearoa New Zealand. As we sat around the morning tea table, we couldn’t help but notice the similarities between what is happening in the world, the current political state of our country and the direction of our ministries within the Church. As Catholics we believe in something referred to as ‘predestination.’ Essentially, this means God knows our future, but we still have the freedom to choose our actions in responding to God’s grace (it’s worth a …
Read More about Budget Day 2025: If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it might just be a chicken.