Central Catholic NZ

Central Catholic NZ This page explores what it means to be Catholic in the central regions of New Zealand's North Island

Stretching from the northern reaches of Hawke's Bay in the east under the shadow of Mt Ruapehu to Waitara on the west, encompassing Hawke's Bay, Whanganui, and Taranaki regions, following the coast down to Foxton across to Manawatu and Tararua and some of Wairarapa; the Diocese of Palmerston North is as diverse in geography as its people. Follow our page for news, events, photographs, reflections and discussions that are relevant to all Catholics within our Diocese and beyond.

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ— - ๐–๐ž๐๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐žโ€œI am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting a minuteโ€ Heโ€™s here. Today the...
09/06/2026

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ— - ๐–๐ž๐๐ง๐ž๐ฌ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ๐ŸŽ ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐ž

โ€œI am happy to die because I have lived my life without wasting a minuteโ€

Heโ€™s here. Today the relic of Saint Carlo Acutis arrives at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, where it will remain until Saturday 13 June. Nine days ago we began this novena; today it ends as the journey of these days began โ€” with Carlo, a teenager who lived just 15 years and wasted none of them. Come and pray with us.

Saint Carlo Acutis, give me that grace of graces โ€” perseverance to the end and a saintly death. Amen.

Sixteen parishioners from St Maryโ€™s Whanganui gathered at 5 a.m. on Sunday 31 May to pray the rosary for peace in their ...
09/06/2026

Sixteen parishioners from St Maryโ€™s Whanganui gathered at 5 a.m. on Sunday 31 May to pray the rosary for peace in their parish church, joining Pope Leo who was praying at the same time (7 p.m., Saturday 30 May in Vatican time) at the Lourdes Grotto in the Vatican Gardens.

The Oโ€™Shea Shield is one of the most anticipated fixtures on the Catholic secondary school calendar, bringing together s...
08/06/2026

The Oโ€™Shea Shield is one of the most anticipated fixtures on the Catholic secondary school calendar, bringing together students from the 17 Catholic colleges of the Wellington and Palmerston North dioceses for a weekend of faith-filled competition, public speaking and performance.

Held each year on the second weekend of Term 2 and hosted by a different college, the 2026 event was hosted by Sacred Heart College Lower Hutt under the theme โ€œReturning to the Heart.โ€

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ– - ๐“๐ฎ๐ž๐ฌ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ— ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐žโ€œThe Eucharist is my highway to Heavenโ€ Day 8 โ€” the eve of the relicโ€™s arrival. โ€œThe Eucharist is...
08/06/2026

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ– - ๐“๐ฎ๐ž๐ฌ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ— ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐ž

โ€œThe Eucharist is my highway to Heavenโ€

Day 8 โ€” the eve of the relicโ€™s arrival. โ€œThe Eucharist is my highway to Heaven.โ€ This is the line at the centre of everything: the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition Carlo gathered, and the relic that arrives tomorrow at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Tomorrow we welcome him. Tonight, we pray.

Saint Carlo Acutis, you who have always looked for your hidden Jesus in the Tabernacle, give me the grace of a deep fervour for the Eucharist. Amen.

07/06/2026

Listen to the two Johns โ€“ Cardinal John Dew and Bishop John Adams โ€“ discuss the process of the election of Pope Leo XIV.

In part 4, Cardinal John talks about the moments after the election of Pope Leo and his experience at Leo's first extraordinary consistory in January 2026.

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ• - ๐Œ๐จ๐ง๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ– ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐žโ€œThe Virgin Mary is the only woman in my lifeโ€ Day 7 of the novena. Carlo Acutis prayed the Rosary...
07/06/2026

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ• - ๐Œ๐จ๐ง๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ– ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐ž

โ€œThe Virgin Mary is the only woman in my lifeโ€

Day 7 of the novena. Carlo Acutis prayed the Rosary every single day and called Our Lady โ€œthe only woman in my life.โ€ Mary leads us, gently and always, straight to her Son. Ask her to walk these last days of the novena with you.

Saint Carlo Acutis, you who loved the Virgin Mary above all women, give me the grace to respond to her kind and good love. Amen.

Today is Corpus Christi โ€” the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.And this week, our diocese welcomes a saint who live...
06/06/2026

Today is Corpus Christi โ€” the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ.

And this week, our diocese welcomes a saint who lived for that very feast.
This Wednesday, St Carlo Acutis arrives. A teenage boy from Milan who called the Eucharist his "highway to heaven" and devoted his short life to helping others find what he had found there.

From Wednesday 10th to Saturday 13th June, his relic will be at our Cathedral. Daily Mass. Adoration. Veneration. Talks. And the Eucharistic Miracles Exhibition. Come for a few minutes, come for the morning, come and be still in the presence of a saint who knew how to live every minute for Christ.

Saturday 13th June is the final day 9am โ€“ 2pm โ€” the last chance to be near the relic before it leaves our diocese. Bring your family, bring your friends, bring yourself.

More details at www.pndiocese.org.nz/StCarlo

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ” - ๐’๐ฎ๐ง๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ• ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐žโ€œThe only thing we have to ask God for in prayer is the desire to be holyโ€ Day 6 of our novena fa...
06/06/2026

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ” - ๐’๐ฎ๐ง๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ• ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐ž

โ€œThe only thing we have to ask God for in prayer is the desire to be holyโ€

Day 6 of our novena falls today on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ โ€” Corpus Christi, the feast of the Eucharist itself. Today's prayer asks God for the one thing worth asking for: the desire to be holy. And on Corpus Christi above all, we see where that desire is met. Carlo Acutis built his short life around the Eucharist โ€” it is the heart of the exhibition he gathered, and the reason the relic is coming to our diocese. Find your way to Mass, find your way to adoration, and let the Lord, truly present, meet the desire He has planted in you.

Saint Carlo Acutis, you who have always asked God for what is essential, give me the grace of a deep desire for Heaven. Amen.

Bishop John shares his recent experiences overseas, and his thoughts on Pope Leo's new encyclical.
05/06/2026

Bishop John shares his recent experiences overseas, and his thoughts on Pope Leo's new encyclical.

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ“ - ๐’๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ” ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐ž โ€œSadness is looking at ourselves, happiness is looking towards Godโ€ Day 5 of our novena. โ€œSadn...
05/06/2026

๐ƒ๐€๐˜ ๐Ÿ“ - ๐’๐š๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐š๐ฒ ๐Ÿ” ๐‰๐ฎ๐ง๐ž

โ€œSadness is looking at ourselves, happiness is looking towards Godโ€

Day 5 of our novena. โ€œSadness is looking at ourselves, happiness is looking towards God.โ€ Carlo Acutis struggled with the same pressures young people carry today โ€” and he found that real joy comes from lifting our eyes off ourselves and onto the Lord. A small shift of gaze, a big change of heart.

Saint Carlo Acutis, you who have never looked away from your great love, Jesus, give me the grace also to live with this happiness in this world. Amen.

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