By organising this colloquium the Society of Mary wanted to come to a better understanding of its founder as Superior General (1836-1854) and at the same time contribute to the history of the founding of the Church in Oceania. Prior to it, “a curtain raiser conference” was held on 27-29 July in Auckland enabling many more people to hear the expertise of the presenters and share in this event. The Conference ended with Mass celebrated by Bishop Leamy sm using the chalice of St Peter Chanel.

Photo: 90 participants in the Colloquium in Suva pause for a photograph at Pacific Regional Seminary ,Fiji

Fr Brian Cummings, provincial-elect, presides at the burial in the Marist plot, Hastings.

Fr John was for many years chaplain to a Third Order group in Hastings while he was a resident at the Holy Family Home. Earlier he had been for many years attached to St Bede’s College as Bursar. It was appropriate that a past rector, Fr Des Darby sm presented a fine homily. His Requiem was attended by many Professed and Lay Marists. RIP

The final group of Wells of Living Water Programme, which has finished after 11 years at Emmaus. Fr Jim Dooley sm (second from left top) and Fr Gerard Whiteford sm (far right bottom) have been on the staff with Sisters Anne-Marie Thompson and Lyndal Browne.

Fr Vince Curtin sm & Br Hugh Peacock sm, are now resident pastors of St Patrick’s Parish, Akaroa. They form part of the Christchurch South pastoral area.

No doubt they were practising their verbs at the recent French Festival. Bon Chance et Dieu vous benisse!

Fr Bernard Carney sm and Fr Peter Ewart sm, are now at Hoon Hay Parish. They have taken up residence for pastoral ministry in South Christchurch.

Brian Cummings is the new Major Superior for the NZ SM Province

Whaia Te Whaea - Hemi Hekiera sm and Dave Gledhill sm were commissioned by Bishop Denis Browne to mark the launch of the Hamilton Marist Maori Focus Unit.

40 Marists, from various provincial committees, met in Wilton recently to give direction to the present and incoming Provincial councils. The theme came from an attractive booklet called 'Our Iceberg is Melting'. Some felt that while icebergs may be melting, penguins can still swim around them well in the sea.

A Liberating Life was launched in Wellington recently.

A snapshot biography of nine Marists, two of whom are Australian, was launched at Emmaus recently. The Author or assembler of the attractively coloured layout and presentation is Michael Fitzsimmons

On behalf of the vocations committee, it was co-ordinated by Fr Pat Brophy sm. There is a booklet, a leaflet and an accompanying poster and is geared to promotion of vocations to Marist Life. Copies are available from him.

In place of our usual paragraph from A Basic Guide: Marist Laity, there is a quotation from Bishop Pompallier from his Advice to Missionaries, cited by Jessie Munro in her address to the Colloquium in Suva:

“God is not a foreign God, for a father is not a foreigner to his children. He is not a God foreign to this land; He made New Zealand, just as He made all other great lands. There is nothing in Heaven or on earth which does not draw its life from Him. He is everywhere, everything belongs to Him. He has always been in New Zealand – it is His, as all New Zealanders should be His.”

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FOR MORE MARIST NEWS LOOK UP Society of Mary New Zealand

These new members of the Third Order of Mary (Kautaha o Malia) seem very pleased to be welcomed into Mary’s Family. It is hoped that a youth group will be established later in the year to promote this.

Another development in the Auckland Tongan area is the medical expertise of Dr Aloysius Foliaki being offered to Tongan people after the monthly Chaplaincy Mass. A psychiatrist, Dr. Foliake speaks on Positive Parenting. This service is hoped to be continued and expanded by other professional Tongans in the area to help the urbanising of the people, especially the youth, by presenting strategies to prevent problems.

The Australian Province of the Society of Mary received a very substantial grant from Catholic Church Insurance to help finance a project initially proposed by Kevin Redmond to sponsor poorer youth from Oceania to attend World Youth Day in Sydney, July 2008. Is Fr Frank Bird sm, (photo: far left in the blue shirt) announcing this news to youth at a Logos meeting in Auckland? Hope so!

Other Marists involved in this ministry are John Jolliffe sm and Peter McAfee sm. They form community with Neil Vaney sm, in Three Kings, Auckland.

In Wellington, the JC Colin Youth Project works closely with Challenge 2000 based in Johnsonville.

The Marist Network of Schools is also a section of the JC Colin Youth ministry. The Marists involved here are Kevin Murphy sm, Mark Walls sm, and Br Ray Kelleher sm. Fr Pat Brophy sm . is based in Feilding.

Fr. Jeff Drane sm, on the right, in Wellington, works with Refugees and helps them learn budgeting and ways of coping with city life. He lives in Newtown. Several other Marists work among new migrants to NZ and are involved in the cutting edge of their lives.

The group is led by Marist Sisters and an FMS Brother. They meet monthly in Wailekutu on the outskirts of Suva. This is the site of the Nazareth Prayer Centre, sited on a hill which overlooks one section of the inner harbour of Suva.

The Superior of the Centre is Fr Denis Mahony sm, of Nelson. His sister, Sheila, sponsored the building of a chapel, the size of a classroom and most tastefully furnished with stunning views of the harbour. It is built on the hill not far from where this photo was taken.

More News from Overseas

The last Australian Provincial Chapter commissioned its Provincial Administration to reconfigure the Province's commitment to parishes.

As part of the programme to fulfil this mandate, the Council was joined by Michael Carroll and Bernie McFadden and engaged in a lengthy discussion. The meeting was very valuable and some progress was made in identifying the criteria that the province will use to help it decide whether the Society should stay in a parish or whether it should withdraw.

The meeting identified the need for the province to get more specific details on the manpower resources of the Province. Who is available? When? What would they be able to do.

The NZ province has been urged by the General Administration in Rome, to work closely with the Australian province, so what policies it adopts are of interest to NZ. The ultimate aim for there to be one province but in the meantime, closer co-operation and sharing of resources are steps in that direction.

FOR ALL THE LATEST MARIST NEWS LOOK UP Society of Mary New Zealand

In his letter to Marist Principals', the Director of Champagnat Education, Br John McMahon said, "These Brothers died as a result of the religious persecutions which took place in Spain during the 1930s. They are now officially recognised as martyrs, as heroic witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

On the day of the ceremony, these Brothers will be joined with 451 other men, women and children, including priests, other members of Religious Congregations and lay people. We salute all these martyrs for their Christian commitment and thank them for the wonderful witness they give each of us."

Their call is to be truly missionary: they are to go from place to place announcing the word of God, reconciling, catechising, visiting the sick and the imprisoned, and doing works of mercy. They attend especially to the most neglected, the poor, and those who suffer injustice. They are ready to carry out these tasks anywhere and at any time. Society of Mary. Constitution No 12.

Information from around the world on the Society of Mary and what Marists are doing. Their page on 'Marist Laity' is a link back to this site.