Catholic Social Services, Archdiocese of Wellington

03/09/2026

So proud of our Hospital and Prison Chaplaincy team. Ka mau te wehi!

✝🎉 CELEBRATING OUR CHAPLAINS ✝🎉

On 11 August Archbishop Paul hosted a morning tea to recognise and give thanks for the ministry of our lay hospital and prison chaplains. As part of the ecumenical prison and hospital teams, these chaplains offer a listening ear, prayer, comfort, worship, sacramental care, or practical pastoral support to people, families, whānau, and staff in times of vulnerability, uncertainty, grief, hope, and decision-making. Their compassionate care helps make visible the presence of Christ and the Church in places where people may be facing some of life’s most difficult moments.

The morning tea also provided an opportunity to congratulate Fou Sio on becoming a Level 2 prison chaplain. This achievement recognises his commitment to ongoing learning and professional development. Fou’s colleagues from the prison chaplain service were also in attendance, and Phil Alexander-Crawford, the Chief Executive of Tira Tūhāhā (Prison Chaplaincy Aotearoa) acknowledged Fou as a valued member of the prison team who brings faith and hope to those he works with.

Thank you chaplains for all you do! 😁🙏

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Photo, from left to right: Fou Sio (chaplain Rimutaka and Arohata Prisons), Phil Alexander-Crawford (CE of Tira Tūhāhā – Prison Chaplaincy Aotearoa), Archbishop Paul, Kate Sanders (chaplain Wellington Hospital) and Stephanie Martin (chaplain Wellington Hospital).

18/08/2026

17/08/2026

Become a Grief Support Facilitator

Grief can feel lonely - but understanding it can be the first step toward gentleness.

After the death of his wife of over 50 years, Peter joined our Seasons for Growth programme hoping to better understand grief and learn how to care for himself through such a painful time.
Through the programme, he recognised that withdrawing from others and experiencing bursts of anger can be common grief responses. This helped him let go of self-judgement and meet himself with greater kindness and compassion.

“I left reassured that my grief was a natural response to a profound loss.”

You can help others on their journey through grief, loss and change.

We are inviting people to train as Seasons for Growth facilitators and support adults as they navigate grief, loss and significant change.

Our next two-day facilitator training course is being held on 29 & 30 September. Full cost of the training (including resource material) is $423.25.

With training and support, you can create a safe space where people can understand their experiences, build resilience and discover hope.

Interested in becoming a facilitator? Contact Jess 021 374 405 to find out more or to register your interest: https://cadw.nz/community/seasons-for-growth-adult-facilitator-training-september-2026/

24/07/2026

So good to collaborate with others opposing the Move On Bill.

This week, we joined Catholic Social Services, Archdiocese of Wellington, Catholic Social Services Auckland, and Society of St Vincent de Paul in New Zealand in making an oral submission to the Justice Select Committee opposing the Summary Offences (Move-on Orders) Amendment Bill.

This Bill risks criminalising poverty, homelessness, and visible need, rather than addressing the underlying causes of hardship and distress in our communities.

This submission was an opportunity for Catholic agencies to work together and amplify our shared commitment to human dignity, compassion, and social justice. We now await the Justice Committee’s recommendations before the Bill proceeds to its second reading in New Zealand Parliament.

⬇️Watch the full submission: https://www3.parliament.nz/en/pb/sc/scl/justice/news-archive/watch-public-meetings-of-the-justice-committee

24/07/2026

Join our September Facilitator training now!!!!

14/07/2026

Four Catholic organisations want the government to drop plans for legislation that targets rough sleepers. 14 July 2026 - WELLINGTON - Caritas Aotearoa NZ and three other Catholic social service organisations have called upon Parliament's Justice Select Committee to reject proposed new legisla

09/07/2026

✨ Mānawatia a Matariki ✨

As we welcome the rising of Matariki, we take time to reflect, remember, and look ahead with hope.

🌿 Matariki Hunga Nui – Remembrance: Honouring and remembering those we have lost since the last rising of Matariki.

🤍 Matariki Ahunga Nui – Celebrating the Present: Giving thanks for the people, relationships, and moments that bring us together.

🌱 Matariki Manako Nui – Looking to the Future: Holding hope for the year ahead and the opportunities it brings.

At Catholic Social Services Wellington, we recognise the importance of connection, compassion, and supporting one another through all seasons of life.

Wishing you and your whānau a meaningful and reflective Matariki.

03/07/2026

🌱 Become a Certified Seasons for Growth Adult Companion

Are you passionate about supporting adults through change, loss and grief? Join our upcoming Adult Facilitator Training Workshop and gain the knowledge and skills to facilitate the Seasons for Growth Adult Program within your community.

Over this two-day professional development workshop, delivered by an authorised Trainer, you'll learn how to:

🌿 Understand how people respond to change, loss and grief
🌿 Recognise that grief reactions are a normal part of life's changes
🌿 Explore healthy ways of coping with change and loss
🌿 Build communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills
🌿 Facilitate supportive peer learning experiences
🌿 Help others integrate new learning into their relationships and everyday lives

📅 Sunday 13 & Monday 14 July
🕤 9:30am – 4:00pm (both days)
📍 Catholic Social Services, 132 Tory Street, Te Aro

💲 Cost (excluding GST):
• Training Fee: $300
• Subvention Fee (new trainees only): $21.25
• Resources: $102
Total: $423.25

✨ Spaces are limited, so we encourage you to register early to avoid missing out.
👉 Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/xTvcS4ywYt

19/06/2026

🌍 World Refugee Day | 20 June

At Catholic Social Services Wellington, we honour the courage, resilience and hope of people who have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety.

This year's World Refugee Day theme, "Until Everyone Is Safe," reminds us that safety is about more than escaping conflict. It is about belonging, dignity, opportunity, and the chance to rebuild a life.

May we continue to build communities where every person is welcomed with compassion, treated with dignity, and given the opportunity to thrive.

Today, and every day, we stand alongside refugees with hope, respect, and a commitment to creating a more welcoming world.

19/06/2026

Looks like a great event to celebrate World Refugee Day.

This is TOMORROW!🤩
Come, eat, dance, watch, play! ✨