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Mission

"God has no hands or feet or voice except ours, and through these, God works." - St Theresa of Avila

We live in a world of great need, however we recognise that the whole of creation is good, because of the Creator. ‘Where there is a need, there is a call’ (Mother Theresa). We're called to help each other in our day to day lives and make a bigger stand when needed.

It is us, especially the young, who have the responsibility for making the world a place of love and justice. The good things of this world should be more evenly distributed so that all can benefit. This distribution includes knowledge of Christ We must ensure that no one is denied the Gospel imperitive of a life lived in dignity and freedom. (cf De Ecclesia)

Check out the suggestions and links below...

By yourself or online

Start by thinking about some of the themes of Catholic Social Teaching summarized below:

Life and Dignity of the Human Person: Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God.
Call to Family, Community, and Participation: The human person is not only sacred, but social.
Solidarity: We are one human family. We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, wherever they may be.
Dignity of Work: The economy must serve people, not the other way around.
Rights and Responsibilities: Every person has a fundamental right to life— the right that makes all other rights possible.
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable: Scripture teaches that God has a special concern for the poor and vulnerable.
Caring for God’s Creation: The world that God created has been entrusted to us. Our use of it must be directed by God’s plan for creation, not simply for our own benefit.

For more visit The United States Catholic Bishops Conference website’s Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching

With your friends

Get involved on a local level – figure out what concerns you and find out how you can help. There may be useful websites like Volunteer Wellington to help you find a place to serve others. Try contacting Young Vinnies around New Zealand; Challenge 2000 a youth, development, community and family work agency based in Johnsonville, Wellington; Sisters of Compassion who run homeless shelters, soup kitchens and loads of other great services within the community, in line with their vision of Mission. Volunteer at the Bethlehem Crisis Pregnancy Centres in Auckland or Christchurch, or Hutt Valley Benefit Education Service in Wellington, a beneficiaries advocacy service in the Suzanne Aubert Centre, Silverstream (Teresa Homan 04 529 8108). Want to help with English Conversation Classes for immigrants at the Manawatu Ethnic Centre in Palmerston North. You can even work in a Trade Aid store a New Zealand-based organisation selling all sorts of great Fair Trade products from around the world.

Conduct an Environmental Audit of your parish, school or church agency to find out how your environmental practices can be improved. Visit Catholic Earth Care in Australia for the resources you'll need.

With the Church

Contact Mahitahi the New Zealand Catholic Bishop’s Agency to volunteer for development projects in the Pacific region.

Be in touch with one of the many religious orders based in New Zealand. You may know a Sister, Brother, priest or lay peson associated with an order doing good work – follow there example and ask what can be done!

Visit the Catholic Network of Volunteer Service for over 200 volunteer and lay mission programmes around the world.
National Evangelisation Teams... spend a year evangelising to young people in Aussie, Canada, USA, or maybe Uganda
Serve refugees and asylum seekers, for two years or more with Jesuit Refugee Service.
St. Vincent Pallotti Centre provides Catholic-based volunteer and service opportunities in the US and around the world.

Recent Features

11 - 17 August 2008

2 - 10 August 2008

16 - 22 June 2008 - Refugee Week

Our Top Links List

See what New Zealand Catholics can contribute to development by visiting Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand’s website. Information on their Advocacy and Campaigns gives you a chance to reflect.

The Vatican website has a really useful Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church - basically, a big (really big) summary of Catholic Social Teaching.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is part of Caritas Internationalis a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development and social service organisations working to build a better world, especially for the poor and oppressed, in over 200 countries and territories.

Check out a CAFOD project based on a radical idea: that God calls us to live simply - visit livesimply (CAFOD is the equivalent of Caritas in the UK).

Put together by Caritas Australia The Ethical Pilgrims Guide to WYD in Sydney covers everything from the environment to the Aboriginal people.

Aid to the Church in Need is an international Catholic charity under the authority of the Holy See.

Each country has Pontifical Mission Societies – the site in the USA is the biggest.

And do you know what the Church says about environmental issues? The Catholic Earthcare Oz site can help you there.

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